Got some new wheels last week (Halfords, don't laugh, I was desperate for new tyres) The original wheels were 14" with 185/60/R14 82V Goodyear tyres. The new ones are 15" with 195/50/R15 82V Kuhmo tyres. It handles very badly now - twitches at low speed and pulls the steering over, and bad vibration once I get to 65mph. Went back to Halfords who said it needed proper VW things? on the end of the axle (like black washers, don't know the proper term) and new bolts, and they've ordered them for me and I have to go back at the end of the week. But spoke to a chap at work, whose a modder and knows about these things, and he said it's because I've got wider tyres, more rubber on the floor and it's 'tram-lining' and I'll have to learn to get used to it! Who is right? I really hate the way it handles now, and don't feel safe, and worried about if I have to do a real emergency stop and it pulls so badly to one side? Is there a way to make it handle normally?
the things they are refering to are spigot rings that centre the wheel on the hub, this will produce a vibration the faster you go as the wheel is fractionally out of centre. See how it feels with them and the tracking re-set, chances are it will be a little more twitchy than on the old wheels, as yer man said, due to a bit more contact with the road.
Thanks, guys. I'll ask them to check all those things when they put the new bits on. I was dying to try pushing it harder round corners (it should be better, yeah?) but at the moment it seems to decide where it's going on its own! And thanks for the explanation, Jake. That's exactly how it feels, as if the wheels are wobbling round on the end of the axles, so now I know why.
