Not all directional tyres are affected by tramlining. Typically wider lower profile tyres with more rigid sidewalls , especially runflat tyres suffer from Tramlining. This is nothing that would apply to a 225/45/17 winter tyre whether it's directional or not.
Really should know your given name as we correspond so often. You are absolutely correct. Some directional tyres may very well suit my driving needs. Trouble is that one can't try a tyre before purchase to find out. At one time I only bought directional tyres. My 90 20V Q came on Dunlop SP SPORT 8000. They suited the car well. But that might have been because the 90Q had such phenomenal handling and road holding!? I was loaned a very new A4 1.8T Quattro by Gilders in Sheffield. If you did not know it, the 1.8T Q was not released in the UK at first only the nasty, heavy, V6 lump Q. I had complained that the Irish had 1.8T Q cars so why not the UK! When AUDI at last saw reason and sold 1.8Ts Gilders loaned me one to try. It was awful compared with the 90. This was probably due to the pathetic front and rear suspension!? The tyres were Dunlop SP 9000 directional! On the Sheffield Tram tracks in Gleadless it actually did tramline and I almost lost it. 'Horses for Courses' Dunlop SP 8000 But he best tyres we ever had on the Mk2 GTI were asymmetrical Bridgestone B530 on Elaine's car. Bridgestone stopped making them and their replacement was naff. So I switched to Yokohama A509. A good tyre, but not as good as the B530. I fitted Yokohama A510 to my Daughter's Mk2 GTI and they were not very good at all! The A539 on my son's Mk2 GTI was better. At some stage I obviously used Continental AQUA-CONTACT. Probably on the 1987 AUDI Coupe!? It came on Michelin tyres which were dangerous! Flick oversteer in a front wheel drive car is very scary when you are not expecting it! I even kept the tape from around the centre.
Hi Dave, Having driven various cars with various winters on in the last few years. I can confirm your like for the Conti's as you have shown with the reviews. I have also had good experiences with Michelin Alpin PA4 and Dunlop winters also. The below car was on Alpins and had no issues going up or down a glacier road and is one of the most confident drives i have had on winters in snow. And they were extremely good on dry mountain passes also. But unfortunately are directional. I would run a mile from yokohama w-drives I had two relatively similar cars in Austria last month, one with Dunlop winters, one with yokohama w-drives. Going aroung the same corner in both cars on dunlops you could stick on the right side of the road, on yokohamas you ended up washing across to the opposite side at the same speed.
Thanks for the input Mike. Your comments regarding Dunlop and Yokohama are interesting. Since I bought a pair of W-Drive and a pair of Winter Response, for the AUDI, we have not had deep snow only icy and wet roads. On icy roads the Dunlops are far superior and I would think the same would go for snow. In the wet the Yokos are better. I had a similar experience back in the 1970s. Before I could afford Dunlop M&S MkII tyres I tried both Firestone M&S (Made in Switzerland would you believe) and Semprit M&S (Austria). Both were poor in the wet but brilliant on snow and ice. We used to have real snow back then as you will, eventually, see in my Gallery! Dunlop M&S MkII were fantastic in all conditions, even dry tarmac, but they wore out uber quickly! Dave.
Ta so Alan. Sod all Beetles, but there loads of Boras over here. I never realised that they had 16" steel wheels. I might be lucky at the breakers!?
The guy selling the Compomotive MVS wheels has at last sent me full detail: 5 x 100 - ET48 - Centre Bore 56.1 = Subaru Impreza It turns out that the Fabia was fitted with 15mm none hub centric spacers! Sounds dodgy to me!!!!!
Ruth is a lot better now and has been PhotoShopping for me. I could not find a perfect side view of a 25J. This GTI on 16" was the best side view I could find. All scaled to 17" wheels. Not sure I dare ask for her to scale the OZ Rally wheels to 18"!? I did not think that Graphite would suit but I think these look good. OZ Super Touring just for comparison! TH2 1775 look spot-on to me! The image of the TH2 is taken from a SAAB 600 rally car (Lancia Delta)!
Great news re. Ruth Spring is on it`s way lol If Bora then also ... Seat Toledo ? MkIV Golf R32 18" look great but for Winter`s ... Rotiform configurator ... http://www.rotiform.com/iconfigurat...age=1&color=18491&wheel=6205&wheelimage=21923
I have found two wheels at last. Compomotive TH2 1775. They are Subaru fitment, so are ET 50 and 56.1 bore. They have never been used as they had no bolt inserts, but are quite knocked about. A set of 10 inserts were £20 delivered. To get ET 34 I have bought a pair of Subaru 16mm spacers which need the holes reaming to 14.5mm and the hub bored out to 57.1. The spacers are good quality made by LAMPA Italy and were just €26 delivered from Mick's garage Dublin. Check prices on eBay. They are well more! The wheels weigh in at 10.87kg and the spacers are 0.56kg. Need to find two more now!!!!!!!
I ended up buying Continental 'All Season' tyres - 205 x 50 x 17 because they have brilliant test reports. They are directional, which I did not really want, but no reputable tyre manufacturer makes all season asymmetric tyres. I worked on the principal that one does not need to change direction quickly on snow and, because Continental is a German company the tyres would be made in GERMANY! I only buy German made tyres. I can report here that the UK made Dunlop Maxx RT tyres grip less well than the German made ones. I had the same experience with Dunlop SP4 tyres back in the 1970s! I need two more wheels. These wheels are actually Subaru Impreza and were quite often used 10 years ago in WRC. Compomotive have no plans to make any more as 17" is not used in the WRC these days. WRC rules are 18" for tarmac and 16" for gravel!
Shame they’re not wanted for your old golf https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/192696914757
Ta so Rob and Mike. I think TH2 1880s are a bit overkill on the Mk2! I am quite happy with the 10 OFF Ronal R8 15" wheels I have already! 5 for summer tyres and 5 for winter tyres.