Alloy Wheels and Tyres Swop.

[Jimbo's TT]

Alloy Wheel swop to be done shortly.
After putting up with a vibration for almost a year and despite having a Hunter Road Force Balance done, with only a short term improvement, I have finally gotten so *issed off with the vibration between 80-90 mph that I bought a new set of 18" alloys to replace my 19" Le Mans set.
It's a shame because the TT really suits the Le Mans style, but, enough is enough. It's spoiling my enjoyment of the car.
I've replaced the front pads, discs and calipers and the back discs and pads trying to get to the bottom of this issue, to my mind the next logical step is the wheels and tyres.
Tbh, I only bought these new wheels because they were "brand new, still in the boxes" and everything is where, and what, I need it to be, offset, width, diameter, et al.
I expect/hope the ride to be marginally more comfortable with 18's and with the larger sidewall aspect with only a minimal lose of feel and feedback.
So, down to brass tacks, after buying the alloys I'm a little short of cash, so much so that I can't just go out and buy the PS4 Michelins that everyone raves about. I need to go for a mid-range set, I was thinking of either, Uniroyal Rainsport 5's or, Nexen Nfera SU1's.
Each has different advantages over the other and I can't quite make up my mind which to go for.
My heart says Uniroyal because I live in Scotland and rain is the one constant in life here.
My head says Nexen because the are reasonable tyres with a fantastic guarantee, (the tight wad Scotsman coming out in me there, lol).
Has anyone fitted either or had both, at some time and can give me a bit of feedback on them?
I'll even take suggestions on alternative tyres to fit, if anyone cares to share. The only criteria is that they must be reasonably priced. Top wack £100 per tyre.
I'll be changing from 255/35/19's to either 255/40/18 to maintain total tyre/wheel diameter or 245/40/18's they will be about 8mm smaller total wheel diameter but everything else checks out without creating problems with the scrub radius.
It all depends on the price.
My preference is for good handling, wet and dry, my TT is a Quattro.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts or suggestions folks.

 

[Gazwould]

What's the price of Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 & 6 like ?

Usually cheaper than Michelin .

 

[Garrett 69]

So if you're only getting the vibrations at illegal speeds, why not stick to the speed limit and save a fortune on wheels and tyres?

Also, have you considered that the vibration issue may be down to worn bushes in the wishbones?

 

[Jimbo's TT]

What's the price of Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 & 6 like ?

Usually cheaper than Michelin .

At the moment I've got Goodyear F1 Asy 3's fitted, the guy at the Hunter Road Force place actually said that they've had several TT's with vibration issues which had them fitted. I'm really hacked of as, otherwise they are great tyres, if I didn't have this vibration issue I wouldn't change them at all.

 

[Jimbo's TT]

So if you're only getting the vibrations at illegal speeds, why not stick to the speed limit and save a fortune on wheels and tyres?

Also, have you considered that the vibration issue may be down to worn bushes in the wishbones?

My speed limiter (the wife) dislikes the ride quality of the F1 Asy 3, 19's which are currently fitted, it's a shame because I love them, you can damn near feel every grain of sand in the road, however, I had decided to compromise by going to 18's with a slightly larger profile, 40's instead of 35's, to aid passenger comfort, with I'd hope, a minimal lose in feel.
Basically trying to kill multiple birds with one stone.

At the recent MOT I asked the tester to pay particular attention to all the arms, bushes, drive shafts and wheel bearings to try to find out if the problem was something else rather than wheel and tyre balance.
It came back as all clear, no issues found. Passed with flying colours.

 

[Jimbo's TT]

So if you're only getting the vibrations at illegal speeds, why not stick to the speed limit and save a fortune on wheels and tyres?

Those speeds are only illegal in the UK of GB & NI, in her homeland these would be considered "old fart" speeds. I may be old and fart a lot but, I'm not dead yet, I do like to get into three figures from time to time. Particularly when my speed limiter is not in the car.

 

[Garrett 69]

Those speeds are only illegal in the UK of GB & NI, in her homeland these would be considered "old fart" speeds. I may be old and fart a lot but, I'm not dead yet, I do like to get into three figures from time to time. Particularly when my speed limiter is not in the car.

Yes but you're in Scotland so my comment is completely valid

 

[Jimbo's TT]

Yes but you're in Scotland so my comment is completely valid

One is allowed to travel to Germany when one wishes, where, it is entirely legal. Ja?

 

[Garrett 69]

One is allowed to travel to Germany when one wishes, where, it is entirely legal. Ja?

Vielleicht manchmal

 

[Jimbo's TT]

Vielleicht manchmal

Leider nicht so oft wie man möchte.

 

[Jimbo's TT]

"He steals your girl, you get over it. He steals your Audi, you hunt him down.."

I really like this, made me lol, sums up my feelings too.

 

[Garrett 69]

Leider nicht so oft wie man möchte.

Ich fühle mit dir

 

[Jimbo's TT]

Ich fühle mit dir

Danke.

 

[S4 Muzza]

Can’t comment on any of the mid-range tyres you’ve mentioned but you should consider the Falken FK510’s. I have a set on my S4 and can’t fault them. You’d need to price up your size but from memory I paid about £70 a corner for 225/40/18’s. Tenner a tyre to have them fitted as a local garage, £320 all in.

I don’t drive the car much in the wet, west coast of Scotland isn’t kind too 20 year old subframes, but in the dry I don’t notice any difference between them, the PS4’s or the Potenza’s I have on other sets of wheels.

 

[Jimbo's TT]

Can’t comment on any of the mid-range tyres you’ve mentioned but you should consider the Falken FK510’s. I have a set on my S4 and can’t fault them. You’d need to price up your size but from memory I paid about £70 a corner for 225/40/18’s. Tenner a tyre to have them fitted as a local garage, £320 all in.

I don’t drive the car much in the wet, west coast of Scotland isn’t kind too 20 year old subframes, but in the dry I don’t notice any difference between them, the PS4’s or the Potenza’s I have on other sets of wheels.

I must admit that I had seriously considered the Falkens after checking out the tyre reviews but, in the size that I need, the cheapest I could find were just under £150 a tyre and then I'd have to pay to get them mounted and balanced on the new rims.
Sadly after just paying for the new rims, cash is a little short at the moment.
Plus, being a tight wad Ayrshire man, I don't do credit purchases for consumables if I can avoid it, I prefer to save up and pay cash, saves problems I find.
Thanks very much for the suggestion and information though, when I'm a little more financially secure they will be given serious consideration for future fitment.

 

[Garrett 69]

China's finest performance tyres

£71 a corner fitted. What could go wrong?

 

[S4 Muzza]

I must admit that I had seriously considered the Falkens after checking out the tyre reviews but, in the size that I need, the cheapest I could find were just under £150 a tyre and then I'd have to pay to get them mounted and balanced on the new rims.
Sadly after just paying for the new rims, cash is a little short at the moment.
Plus, being a tight wad Ayrshire man, I don't do credit purchases for consumables if I can avoid it, I prefer to save up and pay cash, saves problems I find.
Thanks very much for the suggestion and information though, when I'm a little more financially secure they will be given serious consideration for future fitment.

****** hell that’s extortionate. Have a look on the demon tweeks website, that’s where I bought mine and they were considerably cheaper than anywhere else.

Where abouts in Ayrshire are you from?

 

[Jimbo's TT]

****** hell that’s extortionate. Have a look on the demon tweeks website, that’s where I bought mine and they were considerably cheaper than anywhere else.

Where abouts in Ayrshire are you from?

Mainly down to the size required, 255/40/18.
If I fitted 225/40/18's they would be a hell of a lot cheaper but, the handling of the car would change significantly and be compromised.

I live in Dalry.

 

[S4 Muzza]

Not too far away then I’m in Ayr!

 

[Jimbo's TT]

Not too far away then I’m in Ayr!

Hi neighbour!

 

[Jimbo's TT]

Update :-
Well I finally got the time and weather to get the alloys fitted, I had to wait, due to discovering that the CB was actually 66.6mm on the alloys and not the 57.1mm that it said on the sticker attached to the wheel box. ******!

I ordered up, received and fitted the spigot rings. There is now no excess movement at the hub centre.
Today I fitted the new wheels alloys and tyres, I finally went with the Nexens at 255/40/18, wow, what a difference! I am now running a wonderfully smooth, vibration free TT, I'm in love with the car again.
So, in my case, the problem is either the wheels or, the tyres. I'd guess the tyres. So what I'll do is get a set of winters, fit them and use them come the winter and keep my nice new ones for summer. If they run smoothly then that'll confirm my suspicions.

I wasn't sure about the looks of the Fondmetal alloys when I got the tyres fitted to them, but now that they're fitted to the car they're growing on me and, most importantly, the car is running like a dream again. Thank f... eh, I mean thank goodness, sorry, lol.