Tyres

[T V O R]

So the T Sport comes with 185/55/15 tyres.

PROXES T1-R are £38.90

However, 195/50/15 are £31.20 :)

Is there any benefit fitting the 195’s? or should I stick with the original size of 185?

The rims will accommodate either, and looking at the TTE site both sizes are quoted... Clicky

[Lelisevis]

You'll get improved grip and handling with the wider tyre which is also slightly lower profile however it may make the ride a little more uncomfortable and will also knock your speedo calibration out ever so slightly, not enough to worry about though. Had a play with the calculator and I think when your speedo shows 70 you'll be doing 68 which isn't that bad a thing

[smilybrad]

Changing to 195 50 R15 from 185 55 R15 will pretty much do nothing as the the rolling radius will be the same so your speedo will be as acurate as it always was (10% out at best).

the tyre will deform slightly differently but that should be a good thing as more of the tyre will be on the ground during cornering.

195 50's are the way forward!

Brad =)

[monkeyalan]

http://www.tyresave.co.uk/tyresize.html

try this. ^

205/50/15 are actually a better size with regards to rolling radius as it's almost identicle to 185/55/15 plus you get even more width and no loss of ride quality.

They are more expensive tho'.

[T V O R]

http://www.tyresave.co.uk/tyresize.html

try this. ^

205/50/15 are actually a better size with regards to rolling radius as it's almost identicle to 185/55/15 plus you get even more width and no loss of ride quality.

They are more expensive tho'.

... but are they too wide for the T Sport rims?

[monkeyalan]

I'm not sure how wide TSport rims are tbh.

205/50/15 are the standard size for mk3 golf gti's ( like i own) and the rims are 6" on them.

love your sig btw. L &H rule...." in the blue ridge mountains of Virginia...."

[rallybunny]

Mine had 195s on it when I bought it, so I can't comment on whether they are any better than the recommended size. I've certainly had no problems with them though.

[cfc1]

http://www.tyresave.co.uk/tyresize.html

try this. ^

205/50/15 are actually a better size with regards to rolling radius as it's almost identicle to 185/55/15 plus you get even more width and no loss of ride quality.

They are more expensive tho'.

185/55x15 = sidewall height of... 101.75mm

195/50x15 = sidewall height of... 97.5mm

205/50x15 = sidewall height of... 102.5mm

The 205 ARE indeed the closest to the same rolling radius.. however it WOULD be a bit of a tight fit on the rims.. 195/50's would be the best choice for both looks and ride comfort... and probably handling as well...

Less sidewall = less flex = more tread on the road = more grip.

[monkeyalan]

I take it T sport rims are 5.5" then?

[T V O R]

I take it T sport rims are 5.5" then?

6j?

[monkeyalan]

I take it T sport rims are 5.5" then?

6j?

if thats right 205's would be my choice as you get the best of all worlds . More grip , no loss of ride quality and fatter looking wheels. price is the only down side as they were £48 a piece for Toyo proxes when i bought them last year.

[Ryan1985]

T-Sport rims are 5.5 inches wide afaik.

[Matty]

T Sport rims = 5.5" Width

Its the SR's that are 6"

195/50's will be best bet as said and with it being a common size one cars, cheaper tyres. :)

[T V O R]

Any insurance issues with changing tyre size from manufacturer’s recommendations?

[Ryan1985]

Nope.

[smilybrad]

Less sidewall = less flex = more tread on the road = more grip.

this isn't really true, side wall flex is a VERY good thing as it allows the tyre to work better whilst cornering.

its true that with a smaller side wall the tyre will be allot stiffer which will cause the car to be stiffer.

But... it is much better to have bigger side walls and a stiffer suspension as this allows the tyre maintain the maximum contact patch during cornering.

if the tyre wall is too stiff and the tyre too wide then half, or more, of the tyre will lift during cornering causing a huge loss in grip which is what usually happens when you see saxo's etc with 17 or 18" rims that are exessively wide! They loose all ability to corner as there is much less of the tyre in contact with the road then cars with thinner tyres with larger side walls.

its quite hard to describe properly on here but basicly stick to somewhere close to what the manufactures use as they spend millions of pounds and man hours developing their cars to handle well.

just food for thought

brad =)

[cfc1]

By "less flex" I meant that the lower profile tyre flexes in a different way to a standard or higher profile tyre, the sidewall on lower profile tyres kind of "crouches" as opposed to "rolling under"? the rim... thus keeping more tread on the road.

I know what i'm trying to say but being Scottish my English isn't that good in a vocabulary type of manner.

Anyhooo.. go for 195/50's.

[glanza_gal]

whys does T-sport have 185s? bit strange for 15" alloys.

[T V O R]

Looking at the TTE alloys, the T Sport can use either 185’s or 195’s.

Why they choose to use 185’s, I don’t know.

I think the SR has 195’s as standard?

[Ryan1985]

whys does T-sport have 185s? bit strange for 15" alloys.

It's not when they're only 5.5 inches wide. Most aftermarket 15" alloys are 6 or 7 inches wide!