The definitive tyre / wheel size thread

brake heavily, full stop, sometimes; then actually use the handbrake. The auto handbrake on the superb has cleaned the rear discs nicely, though they're still not as good as they should be. Some ESP provocation would also work.

To really clean the disks at the front and the rear, I'd be looking for a set of 0-40ish-0, probably 4-5 in a row. Accelerate to 40mph, brake as hard as you can. Repeat. It doesn't have to come to a complete stop. Leave it 10 minutes to allow things to cool a little and then repeat. Avoid driving through puddles while the discs are hot at the end of set 1. You may be surprised at how hard the car will brake after a couple of runs. This will also be hard on your brake fluid and the pipes, so if there's any weak spots, they will be found. We had one car pop a line joint with ESP usage at track a few years back.
Remember the rear brakes contribute probably 10% of braking force but 100% of ESP.
 
bretti_kivi said:
Wheels:
Sizes of wheels that will fit an A2 (non 3l! - the 3L was not sold in the UK and therefore not covered here)

Widths and diameters
5.5 - 7J, 15, 16, 17, 18". 7.5J works for some, not for others. Check for signs of argument on the wheelarch liners.
8J is really pushing it and frequently requires work on the arch liners.

14" was never supplied as standard on any A2 apart from the 1.2. They are reported to fit over the brake calipers at the front if the standard 256mm are used. You will end up with 165/70 or so tyres.

ET numbers
For most wheels, somewhere between 30 and 35 will work. ET37 is standard on the 5.5s, 35 on a 7.5 will be tight but should work. Significant discrepancies are bad and may need to be compensated with spacers.
The standard 7x17s are ET38, Parabols ("TT competition") are ET32. This is very close to the limit for 205s / 215s if the tread is to remain in the arch, which it must from a legal perspective.

PDC
There are 5 bolts on all A2s except the 3l ones.
PDC is 100, so 5x100. A3 8L, TT 8N, Golf IV (1J), Octy (NOT 1Z), Fabia, Roomster, Bora, will all fit.
A4, A6, Golf V, A3 8P, TT 8J WILL NOT FIT.

Center bore is 57.1.

155/65R15 are the only tyre size with an OK for snow chains.

Tyres:

OE tyre sizes are underlined. These, along with 155/65R15 and 165/65R15 are the only tyres that are truly 100% compatible and listed in the CoC document.

Before we start, some sizes that won't fit: 195/65R15, 205/55R16, 225/45R17. They are too big.
Recommendations:

14": extremely rare. Brings narrow tread width and high sidewalls, so lots of roll. Advantages over light 15" are questionable at best. Potentially poor braking performance.

15" for comfort. 185/60R15 work well, but may be "squidgy". Common, relatively cheap. Good for "pepperpots", as everything is light and the sizes work well. Strong recommendation for these in winter.
195/50R15: significantly smaller, cheap. Nice short sidewall, sportier feel.

16"
185/50R16: great compromise between looks and comfort. Hard to find, expensive.
195/45R16: smaller sidewall means less flex so less roll but also less comfort. Wide range, not too bad price-wise.
205/50R16: Absolute maximum versus rubbing.

17"
205/40R17 are standard. Quite wooden, may be your taste, may not.
215/40R17 are large and heavy. Work OK, but I saw issues with rubbing, others have gone even 215/45R17 without issue. Not all cars are the same!

Winter tyres:
Stick to 15". Either 175/60R15 (hard to find!) or 185/60R15. If using alloys, make sure they are good for winter use; the salts attack some coatings more than others.
If you're looking at CrossClimates or similar, then by all means go 16", but for pure winter tyres, the price increases significantly the larger you go, so smaller is probably better.

Summer tyres:
15"

155/70
165/65
175/55
175/60 (reference size)
185/55
185/60
195/50
195/55 - identical rolling circumference to 205/40R17
205/50
205/55
225/50

16"

175/50
175/55
185/50
195/45
195/50
205/45
205/50 more than 3% larger, will fit but not necessarily legal
215/40
215/45
225/40

17"

195/45
205/40
205/45 more than 3% larger, will fit but not necessarily legal
215/40 - this may work, it may catch. Check!
215/35
225/35
245/35

18"

205/35
215/35
225/35 more than 3% larger, will fit but not necessarily legal
225/30

If it's not on the list, it will not fit without work / rubbing.

Tyres that will not fit, so don't buy, unless they're on rims you really want and are prepared to sell the tyres on:
195/65R15
205/55R16
225/45R17.
You will find these from TTs, Golf IV, Octavias, A3s and others: the tyres are way too big, your speedo will be wrong and they will rub.

Rim sizes... for rim protection worth the name, stay away from the max. The real way to get these is to ask the manufacturer.

- 165 - 5J - 6J
- 185 - 5J - 6J
- 195 - 6J - 7J
- 205 - 6.5 - 7.5J
- 215 - 7J - 8J
- 225 - 7J - 8J

Reference tyre test web site - http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/

General point:
All A2s have ESP. Running different tyre sizes across an axle or front to back will probably confuse the system. Running even different makes may produce enough of a difference in circumference to annoy the ESP or ASR systems and give you blinking lights in corners.
The tyres with more profile belong on the back of the car as that is the axle that delivers stability at speed.

Deeper dive about EDS, ASR and ESP and why different sizes matter: Why might these uneven sizes cause issues? Both the ESP and ASR systems are looking at the difference in rotational speed between the wheels. ASR will attempt to get more traction if one side is spinning faster than the other, using EDS and interfering in engine management to get what it wants; ESP will assume you're sliding. Both will result in unclear car behaviour and flashing warning lights.
EDS will try to modulate engine power to suit the traction available in combination with ASR. So in extreme situations, turning ASR off is a good idea with that button next to the gearstick, as long as you remember to modulate the pedal instead to make the most of the available grip. I turn it off regularly in winter when I know I have an interesting turn to make or want as much control as possible or it's a steeper hill.
ASR will come back on automatically when you go over 60km/h (ca. 40mph), though you can still see it intervening up past 80km/h (not that I'd recommend testing this on a public road). EDS - the system that splits torque and works with the ASR - will *not* bring you any lights up but you might feel it anyway, mostly when accelerating hard with good tyres on dodgy surfaces at medium speeds, i.e. winter tyres on icy roads at 30-50km/h, or 20-30mph.

A note on ESP: if the car is not rotating around its axis, ESP will not do anything. If you are just sliding nicely evenly on a corner, ESP will do nothing. You need to act on the slide, apply power or steering, or the sensors will report "everything is fine" and nothing will be done.
If you're getting blinking ASR lights around corners or on straights while accelerating, you have a problem that needs tracking down. Might just be tyre pressures, might be a loose bolt somewhere - it needs looking at, sooner rather than later.

On extreme car behaviour: Yes, you can spin an A2, but ESP does need to be off and it's difficult and extremely obvious that it's going to happen. And yes, you can turn ESP off, but only if you're prepared to remove a fuse or disconnect the yaw sensor. IMO, It's not worth it, the back won't step out at will. I have spent much time trying to make this happen and I have a switch to turn it off. You will get error messages if you remove the fuse. On gravel, in the summer, you'll be about to put some opposite lock on and the ESP will go "Crrrrsh" and you'll have been corrected. It's not perfect, it's slower than it might be, but it's pretty nicely judged.
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Hi:
17"
205/45/17 more than 3% larger, will fit but not necessarily legal
I have had these on one of my FSI's for 2 years, passed mot, fit perfect, any reason you mention not legal ?
Cheers,
Ami
 
Ami said:
Hi:
17"
205/45/17 more than 3% larger, will fit but not necessarily legal
I have had these on one of my FSI's for 2 years, passed mot, fit perfect, any reason you mention not legal ?
Cheers,
Ami
Click to expand...
I think Brett is probably referring to the different (far more stringent) modification rules in his native land @Ami

We can do pretty much anything by comparison for good or for Ill.
 
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Ami said:
Hi:
17"
205/45/17 more than 3% larger, will fit but not necessarily legal
I have had these on one of my FSI's for 2 years, passed mot, fit perfect, any reason you mention not legal ?
Cheers,
Ami
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I fully agree that 205/45 17 being just one step up in sidewall depth from the standard 205/40 shouldn't be a problem for 'most' A2's and should fit fine.
They would also give a slightly better ride and more accurate (less over reading) speedometer, however not having ever used this size myself (yet) it was mentioned by others earlier in this thread that they had experienced rubbing and so should be avoided.
This could be down to many variables though, worn out or lowered suspension (or both), the wrong offset or width of wheels (again, or both) so with a well maintained car on standard suspension (although sport is 10mm lower than SE so more of a risk) and standard A2 wheels, the only possible problem I foresee is the chance of them touching the rear mudflaps, obviously if the car has them fitted ?
 
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A2Z said:
I fully agree that 205/45 17 being just one step up in sidewall depth from the standard 205/40 shouldn't be a problem for 'most' A2's and should fit fine.
They would also give a slightly better ride and more accurate (less over reading) speedometer, however not having ever used this size myself (yet) it was mentioned by others earlier in this thread that they had experienced rubbing and so should be avoided.
This could be down to many variables though, worn out or lowered suspension (or both), the wrong offset or width of wheels (again, or both) so with a well maintained car on standard suspension (although sport is 10mm lower than SE so more of a risk) and standard A2 wheels, the only possible problem I foresee is the chance of them touching the rear mudflaps, obviously if the car has them fitted ?
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I distinctly remember a thread on TÜV refusing 215/40R17 on one car, as it rubbed on full load and lock in reverse. I've seen evidence of arguments on my car with the liner at the rear with that size of tyre and ET35 on 7.5s.
Erlingtheyounger said:
I think Brett is probably referring to the different (far more stringent) modification rules in his native land @Ami

We can do pretty much anything by comparison for good or for Ill.
Click to expand...
Looking into this, this isn't strictly speaking true. The tyre sizes are listed in the CoC. That is the legal basis for the technical compliance of the car (and still is, even after Brexit). I went looking for documentation a while back - post here - and didn't find much. So I went looking again tonight; the Road Vehicles act basically pulls a bunch of other UN approvals into one Act, and the new version of the SVA also uses the CoC as the basis.
Your CoC defines acceptable tyre sizes. That's it. They're all within 3% of the original size.
Whether anyone cares about this is another story.
I can't find a simple legal text saying "this size is acceptable", everything's focused on the tread depth.

My rules here are way simpler than in Germany; 1" larger rims and 30mm narrower or broader than stated without a "muutoskatsastus". But this is specifically stated and sizes are checked at MoT time, acceptable sizes are listed on the (electronic) Part 1 document. And a muutoskatsastus is complex, involved, and expensive.
 
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OMG, there’s so many variables when it comes to wheels and tyres.

At the minute I have 205/45 17’s. They look great but I can feel every bump. I live up a farm track (owned by a farmer and full of pot holes) and is up hill. Terrible in the snow.

Having read a lot of your opinions, and before I rush out and spend a load of cash - for comfort and all year running it sounds like I need some 185/60/15 Mich CC+ tyres and a set of pepper pots. Would that sound about right?
 
SueP said:
OMG, there’s so many variables when it comes to wheels and tyres.

At the minute I have 205/45 17’s. They look great but I can feel every bump. I live up a farm track (owned by a farmer and full of pot holes) and is up hill. Terrible in the snow.

Having read a lot of your opinions, and before I rush out and spend a load of cash - for comfort and all year running it sounds like I need some 185/60/15 Mich CC+ tyres and a set of pepper pots. Would that sound about right?
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Yes that would do you proud as a setup - but if you can afford to stretch to it, go for the CrossClimate 2 that has just been released in that style.
 
dj_efk said:
Yes that would do you proud as a setup - but if you can afford to stretch to it, go for the CrossClimate 2 that has just been released in that style.
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Great. I'll go hunting for those. When I go down to the 15's, will I have to have my brakes adjusted, or have spaces fitted?
 
SueP said:
Great. I'll go hunting for those. When I go down to the 15's, will I have to have my brakes adjusted, or have spaces fitted?
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Nope, straight swap for your 17's and no other work needed ... assuming your brakes are the standard factory setup, which is most likely. If someone's been in there before you and put a big-brake conversion kit on, it might be a different answer - but if so you'd have been told about that when you bought the car, and it would probably have various other modifications as well.
 
www.ebay.co.uk

16" OEM AUDI PEPPERPOT alloys 5x112 a3 a4 a6 Q2 b5 b6 c5 c6 octavia yeti exeo | eBay

Pepperpot design -. Octavia II, Octavia III, Octavia Scout. these alloys should fit You're buying 4 alloys. A3/S3 (05.2003-), A3 Limousine, A3 Cabrio (2014-). Passat (B5. approx 10 years old - not new, but still look ok :).
www.ebay.co.uk
Anyone tried these on an A2? I’ve had them on my watch list for a while and can’t help thinking they look lovely. I realise they will need adapters or to be drilled to 5 x 100. Anything I’m missing which makes them unsuitable? I absolutely don’t need them and would likely be running them as a 2nd set (possibly summers with the current wheels on Tonka becoming Winter Wheels?) and getting rid of my 15’ Pepperpots.
 
With propper adaptors ET will be 25 (I wouldn't go undet 20 mm thick adaptor), but the question is what will say wheel wells for this ET. They can't be redrilled to 5x100 as the holes are visible without any cover. Except you completely weld the holes to the design surface and then redrill it, but it will completely ruin the condition they are in as it will need a lot of machining + new paint, so for this case you can buy some really cheap ones...
 
BigBang said:
With propper adaptors ET will be 25 (I wouldn't go undet 20 mm thick adaptor), but the question is what will say wheel wells for this ET. They can't be redrilled to 5x100 as the holes are visible without any cover. Except you completely weld the holes to the design surface and then redrill it, but it will completely ruin the condition they are in as it will need a lot of machining + new paint, so for this case you can buy some really cheap ones...
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You’re absolutely correct if of course regarding drilling. Silly of me so thanks for pointing out.
 
Just jumping in . I’m not quite sure what would need machining and welding as an adaptor would bolt onto the current 5x100 bolt holes and then allow the wheels to attach to that . Seems you can get adaptors 15 to 25mm thick so there seems to be alternatives . For me it would be that you have to add £80 to £100 to the cost of the wheels . It’s not a cheap option , only really if you want those particular wheels .


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A2Si said:
Just jumping in . I’m not quite sure what would need machining and welding as an adaptor would bolt onto the current 5x100 bolt holes and then allow the wheels to attach to that . Seems you can get adaptors 15 to 25mm thick so there seems to be alternatives . For me it would be that you have to add £80 to £100 to the cost of the wheels . It’s not a cheap option , only really if you want those particular wheels .


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I’m already running 5 x 112 adapters on the car (it’s currently got a8 winter wheels as pictured below) so I’ve no issue with that.
038AF122-BC68-4F31-AA4C-22C9761DA6E0.jpeg


Just need to investigate the offset issue before deciding on proceeding.
 
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