Polo 6R Tyre Advice

**amazeer** · 20-09-2016, 08:25 PM

I'm prepared to get some more crap from my tyre choice as I do every time I mention it. I'm running Goodride 215/45R17. While I drive like a grandpa 90% of the time I have my favourite freeway on/off ramps and roundabouts that get taken on the limit. I got 50K out of the original continentals worn completely to the wear indicators and a bit more. I'm now 27K into the Goodride and they appear to be about 50%. At half the cost, I'm already ahead on value for money. I havent exactly measured it electronically but the tyre noise was no worse. The grip may have been ever so slightly less. At this years Club VW Supersprint they performed very good. I'm told they are dangerous, but I didnt crash, didnt spin. And I was well off the bottom of the timesheet despite having the smallest engine. I was getting quicker each run but only had 3 goes because I was supposed to be running the event, not driving. I later found that tyre pressures were way low, so probably could have went a bit quicker.

I will go goodride again but I wont go the 45 series. They fixed the speedo error perfectly but I can notice the change in gearing. Not so much in first but 2nd and 3rd for sure. Mt Ousley is my dyno. Where before I could get up in 6th gear (with an empty car and a struggle) its out of the question now.

**Sydneykid** · 21-09-2016, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by amazeer

I will go goodride again but I wont go the 45 series. They fixed the speedo error perfectly but I can notice the change in gearing. Not so much in first but 2nd and 3rd for sure. Mt Ousley is my dyno. Where before I could get up in 6th gear (with an empty car and a struggle) its out of the question now.

What gear is irrelevant, it's the speed comparison that matters.

Cheers
Gary

**LukePolo** · 21-09-2016, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by amazeer

I'm told they are dangerous, but I didnt crash, didnt spin.

I will go goodride again but I wont go the 45 series. They fixed the speedo error perfectly but I can notice the change in gearing. Not so much in first but 2nd and 3rd for sure. Mt Ousley is my dyno. Where before I could get up in 6th gear (with an empty car and a struggle) its out of the question now.

Hey Amazeer,

Just on the above;

1. Were you told why your choice was dangerous? ie. Brand choice or the move from 40 to 45?

2. When you say, gearing, do you believe that your Pogo is less powerful or you feel as if the ratio is stretched?

Let's not talk about the speedo here, I'm more concerned about the driveability pro's and con's.

Cheers

**Sydneykid** · 21-09-2016, 05:23 PM

A 215/45/17 is around 3.5% (10mm) larger in radius than 215/40/17, which is bit more than the difference in radius between a brand new 215/45/17 and a just legal 215/45/17 (8.5mm tread depth new versus 1.5 mm legal depth). If there was any difference in acceleration caused by the larger diameter and hence taller gearing, then it would disappear as the tyres wear. A noticeable difference in acceleration as a result of such a small difference in gearing is unlikely, more likely is the increased weight of the tyres (like having to accelerate 4 heavier flywheels). Without the actual weight differences it's hard to quantify, but I suspect that it would also be unnoticeable.

In a race car a 5% change in the diff ratio (eg; 4.7 to 1 to 4.9 to 1) is barely detectable in the logged longitudinal G force and my experience has been very few drivers actually report feeling any change in acceleration. What they can pick very reliably is a change in track position where they change up/down a gear. A 5% change in diff ratio can alter a gear change point by many metres. But it may or may not change the road speed at that point.

Cheers
Gary

**amazeer** · 22-09-2016, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by LukePolo

Hey Amazeer,

Just on the above;

1. Were you told why your choice was dangerous? ie. Brand choice or the move from 40 to 45?

2. When you say, gearing, do you believe that your Pogo is less powerful or you feel as if the ratio is stretched?

Let's not talk about the speedo here, I'm more concerned about the driveability pro's and con's.

Cheers

People with zero personal experience saying that because they're cheap they're crap. I'm not saying that they will out grip and out wear every tyre on the market, just that they go close at half the price of the original continental.

I think there's a drop in acceleration which makes you wind out the gears a little more than you normally would. I don't think about it now but I remember feeling that way when I first put them on.

**Sydneykid** · 22-09-2016, 02:45 PM

The problem with choosing road tyres is that they last a relatively long time, 2 or maybe 3 years. So if I make a mistake I pay for it for 800 or so days, 2 trips average a day, that's 1600 times I get in the car and could possibly be regretting the tyre choice I made. So if I pay, say, $100 more per tyre for a no risk choice it costs me ~25 cents per trip extra, hardly a big deal. That's why I mostly have Michelins on my road cars, they cost a bit more, although they have had a recent price correction, but I can't say as any Michelin has ever delivered less than I expected.

Cheers
Gary

**LukePolo** · 22-09-2016, 04:07 PM

Alright and so it shall be done.

I'm booked in to get 4x Michelin Pilot Sport 3's

Instead of 210 a corner, I managed 155 a corner by increasing the profile to 45 from 40.

**Polobob** · 22-09-2016, 04:32 PM

Anyone interested in federal rs 595rr 215 40 17 I have 4 with only 60klms on them, bought them for street and track, changed my mind.

**42degrees** · 22-09-2016, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by Sydneykid

The problem with choosing road tyres is that they last a relatively long time, 2 or maybe 3 years. So if I make a mistake I pay for it for 800 or so days, 2 trips average a day, that's 1600 times I get in the car and could possibly be regretting the tyre choice I made. So if I pay, say, $100 more per tyre for a no risk choice it costs me ~25 cents per trip extra, hardly a big deal. That's why I mostly have Michelins on my road cars, they cost a bit more, although they have had a recent price correction, but I can't say as any Michelin has ever delivered less than I expected.

Cheers
Gary

I like your logic! I was perusing tyres for a car I haven't even bought yet, but when I searched the Michelin site they didn't seem to have the profile.

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