Golf GTI traction

[chrisb92]

Hi all,

in the past few weeks, since the weather has deteriorated, I have noticed the traction has been really poor when pushing hard in second gear (first is useless)!

I'm assuming this has something to do with my tyres, which are Dunlop sport maxx's... I've read online their wet grip sucks! They are the 19" Glendales if that makes any difference. Although, if anyone else has this problem with the 2.0 TSI VAG engines with FWD, I would be interested to know if you had similar problems!

cheers

[anonymous-user]

My old MK5 GTI came new with Sports Maxxs and I thought they were terrible tyres. When I changed them for Michelin PS3s the difference was night and day, although traction in the wet is always going to suffer to some extent in a powerful front wheel drive car.

[RammyMP]

I've got a A5 2.0 TFSi FWD with 19 inch Goodyear Eagle F1s on, when the were new they were very good but now with 12000 miles on them they spin away in the wet loads. But they aren't as bad as the previous Continentals!

[chrisb92]

those sport maxxs are crap aren't they? On a tyre review website I found, the scored terribly!
But yeah, traction will always be a issue in a 200BHP+ FWD car!

I was going to get Goodyear tyres after Christmas, or would you recommend the Michelins??

[Basil Hume]

I have those Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres on my Golf - and I have no trouble whatsoever with traction...

[rich83]

Basil Hume said:

I have those Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres on my Golf - and I have no trouble whatsoever with traction...

You dont have enough power then....

Ive got super sports on and its laughable with 320bhp...... might have to turn the boost down.

[Basil Hume]

rich83 said:

You dont have enough power then....

Ive got super sports on and its laughable with 320bhp...... might have to turn the boost down.

R32 - bwoooaaar.

[Dr G]

I don't rate the Dunlops either; I've found the Continental, Michelin and Goodyear options to be preferable. The P-Zero in my experience is the worst of the bunch, the front ends seems to scrub away very early on wet roundabouts. Not a snap departure by any means, I just find they don't inspire confidence like the Goodyears do (you can really lean on them without concern).

[rich83]

Basil Hume said:

rich83 said:

You dont have enough power then....

Ive got super sports on and its laughable with 320bhp...... might have to turn the boost down.

R32 - bwoooaaar-ing

EFA

[SuperchargedVR6]

chrisb92 said:

Although, if anyone else has this problem with the 2.0 TSI VAG engines with FWD, I would be interested to know if you had similar problems!

That is the 'problem', not the tyres. Too much torque low down in the rev range.

Winter tyres may help as summer tyres turn to rock below 8 degrees and need shed loads of heat in them to grip properly. Heat that isn't there this time of year, unless you drive like a c0ck everywhere.

The only 'summer' tyre I've ever had that's given predictable results all year round, are Bridgestone. RE720 and RE050A. Bridgestone, afaik, are still the only tyre maker who make the rubber compound softer in the last half of it's life, and it works.

[jetbox]

My narrower winter tyres gripped significantly better in the wet than PS3 tyres

[Stoofa]

I have the same engine in my Octy vRS and yer - even sensible driving can result in traction issues.
I had Conti SC5's on the car until a couple of weeks ago. They were getting towards end of life anyway and grip was "so, so". I decided to put Goodyear F1's on this time around (225/40/18) and so far have been very happy with them. First time I've had 4 brand new tyres at the same time since I bought the car back in 2011 - factory fitted SC3's all around.

[chris285]

got 360lbft in a modded mk1 leon fr tdi, cannot launch it in this weather in my maxxis za1's as too much torque and tyres are not suited to this time of year with lower temps. winter tyres would be a better bet to help

[chrisb92]

Cheers for the response guys, it's really annoying me now. think I will go for the continentals then!!

[anonymous-user]

Which Continentals?

FWIW I'd be putting Michelin Pilot Super Sports on. They're what most serious performance cars are coming on nowadays. They can totally transform a cars handling traits.

However I'd also be thinking about winter tyres for the next 4 months or so. As good as the PSS are its still well below their optimum operating temperature at the moment.

[chrisb92]

cheers for the response! I will look into those as well. going to wait until after Christmas though, as I don't really have any spare time at the moment to fit in going to a garage!

I think i'll give the winter tyres a miss, as I will hopefully be upgrading by next winter so will have to go through the agro of selling them!

I don't know what continentals either btw.. I assumed Google would help me out there! I could barely keep up with some crummy old polo last night, so its getting bad!!!!

[pad58]

I have Goodyear on my 231hp Golf no probs.
HTH.