JB

Is it REALLY unsafe to go 100+ in my Goodyear M+S tires? This is my second blow out. I can't tell if I'm unlucky or stupid. Would the Z rated tires really help?

Rodney

I assume the Goodyear M+S tires you're referring to are the stock RSA's, which I believe are H rated (someone correct me if I'm wrong). H rated tires are designed to be "safe" at SUSTAINED speeds of up to 130 mph. I seriously doubt that this was an issue due to the speed limiter and the fact that state troopers might have something to say about you traveling that fast for any length of time.<p>Z rated tires will provide the most improvement to your car's handling for the money. Any ultrahigh performance tire will be a vast improvement in most categories. They will probably cost more, wear out quicker, and may or may not be noisier (depending on the tire). If you are an enthusiastic driver once they are well worth it.<p>Finally, your post gives me the impression that you regularly exceed 100 on public roads. IF that is the case, it is very dangerous to yourself and others (cars can appear mighty quick on a seemingly empty road in the tripple digits). If you really want to run your car wide open a track is the best place to do it. (saftynazi mode off) Damn, did I sound like enough of a weenie in the last two sentences :-). Don't get me wrong, I'd be surprised if there's anyone on this board who hasn't ventured into the 100+ range (intentionally or otherwise), just a little reminder to keep it safe...we all need a little reminder every now and then ;-).<p>Regards,<br>Rodney<p>'99 A4 1.8tqms

jb

If youre up for dispensing more advice: If I'm getting new tires, I'll be getting new rims. I want to get 17" tires and have them look nice and wide. How wide can you get (within reason) on a 17" rim? 8, 8.5? do you think is a good sporty set up? (I have stock suspension)<br>BTW:I don't triple digit everyday. Just every now and then when the roads clear. <br>

KLHI

I've never been over 100. Not a racetrack nut though

G. Hale

I currently run 235/40 R17. I had planned on going to 245/40 R17, but the tire I puchased wasn't available in that size, therefore I stuck with the 235's. I would say you could go as wide as 255/40 R17 on an 8.5" wheel. The problem here is that the 235's already hand outside the fender sides about 1/4", so the wider you go the further out they will be. Offset of course plays the major role there, but most of the 17" wheels that you get for the A4 will be a ET35 offset. Some have been ET32.<p>G. Hale<br>'98.5 2.8 QMS

Rodney

Tire width is dependent on rim width and tire brand. I've got 225/50/15's on 15x6 steel wheels for the track, for Toyo Proxes RA1 this size can go on a 15x6-15x8 rim, different tire manufacturer's will probably have different specs. 235 seems to be about the widest tire people are getting without having them sticking way out of the fender or rubbing against some part of the suspension without a spacer. I personally would not exceed 235 for a street tire due to the fact that the wider the tire is the more prone to hydroplaning, actually I'll probably only go to a 225 when I replace mine.<p>Regards,<br>Rodney<p>'99 A4 1.8tqms

Rodney

I should know better than to make generalizations :-)

AJL

Rodney,<p>I'vebeen thinking about the 225/50/15 on 15x6 or 15x7 combo for autoXing my fwd Passat. I'm stuck with a 15" wheel if I want to run in a Stock class (thanks VW)... So I've got some questions for you (and anybody else with thoughts on this):<p>What type of track tires do/would you use?<br>What tires would work best with conservative, stock alignment settings?<br>Do the tires seem to "squirm" through corners due to the relatively narrow rim?<br>Does the 4.5% gearing reduction provide a noticeable benefit in acceleration?<br>Is the need to upshift into 3rd gear sooner a problem?<p>Thanks,<p>AJL<br>98 Passat

Rodney

Well, I ran my first autox on sticky tires (second autox ever) and I was really impressed. Wow these things really stick, and when they let go it's gradual, controlable, and recoverable. They were a big improvement in every respect over the SP8000's, which I was quite pleased with. The sidewalls were lower and stiffer, improving turn-in and road feel. The tires I'm using are TOYO Proxes RA1 (tread rating 40), I got them used with about 1/4 - 1/2 their tread left for $80 (set of 4), bought a set of steel 15" Passat takeoffs from Tirerack ($29 each). Don't be too upset about running 15", they're cheaper and you should be able to find used sets from the honda guys (I got mine from a guy that runs Civics competetively). Bassically, I'll be going with whatever I can get for the least amount of money. The BFG Gforce seems to be the choice for the guys and gals competing on the regional and national level, along with Hoosiers. If I buy new, I'll probably go with Yokohamas or Khumos, they seem to be the most reasonable, I'd definitely buy the Toyos again also...whichever is cheapest. There may have been a slight improvement in acceleration, but shifting will definitely depend more on the course than anything else. The course yesterday was very fast...I got into 3rd for close to 5 seconds on one section.<p>Anyway, my reason for using them was to save my street tires, biggest improvements to performance will be coming from adjustments to the nut behind the wheel for a while. That said, any race tires will be a huge improvement, if you've got the money and want the best, there's a reason the regional and national competitors are running Hoosier and BFG, otherwise...they're all a big improvement over even the best street tires.<p>Regards,<br>Rodney<p>'99 A4 1.8tqms