Hello friends, I (12 Golf TDI) now drive 2 hours a day for work in the midwest... the winter months are upon us and I’m looking to get a set of winter/ice tires and wheels. Should they be wider than my current ones? I’ve heard that helps with grip.. any other suggestions to improve handling and grip are appreciated it!
Winter tires
- Thread starter Troyanac
- Start date
sandmansans
Veteran Member
Woah, slow down there partner! Haha we still have several months before the white stuff starts falling!
As for your question, you actually want tall and skinny tires for snow.
Some people are mistaken and say wide tires, as that works in mud bogs but for snow you want pizza cutter tires so you can dig through the snow and find traction.
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Haha I know I’m just being proactive while they are cheap(er)... good to know tho, current size is 225/45/17.. should I go skinnier like 205?
sandmansans
Veteran Member
Haha I know. I usually buy my winter set around this time.
Or a 215. Something on a 16" rim that will let you put a taller meatier tire on.
A skinny tires will give you a heavier contact patch which is what you want in snow.
Whereas a wide tire, will allow you to float. This is good for deep mud bogs where the muds viscosity allows for this. Same goes for sand. The tire width gives a lighter contact patch allowing you to float rather than dig and sink in.
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Gotcha, thanks! I’m learning towards blizzaks and finding some steelies. Any other suggestions to improve traction? Sandbags on the trunk? ?
IndigoBlueWagon
TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Driven properly, these cars are excellent in the snow. You won't have any problems.
pdq import repair
Veteran Member
I have run many sets of Blizzak, or Alpin, or X-ice over the years but now my all time favorite is Nokian Hakkepelitas.
Skinnier rather than wider for sure.
Skinnier rather than wider for sure.
Good to know! Ig I was more worried about ice than snow
sandmansans
Veteran Member
Sandbags are not necessary and will run counter, as your drivewheels are up front. By adding sand bag in the trunk all you do is increase mass and in certain situations, further instability. If you really want sand in your trunk, I'd use it more for a traction aid to lay down if I were completely stuck.
Blizzaks are king for snow tires in cars.
Other tips?
If you don't have a traction control defeat switch consider installing the kit from ECS. Traction control in low traction situations is great for when you're already moving. But when you're stuck and can't get going, it becomes a hinderence.
Tire pressure is always important in any traction scenario, but more so in low grip situation.
If you have access to vcds you can fiddle around with the electric differential lock, which is really an abs modulated limited slip.
But be careful with this, as too aggressive and it's bad. Too light and you will find yourself "peg-legging" along out of slick spots.
Like someone else already mentioned, these cars when equipped with the right tires will surprise you. Frankly that's any car, I drove a RWD Cadillac when I was in college near lake Erie. Snow tires and the factory LSD got me a lot of looks as I passed by AWD cars that were stuck on a hill.
The biggest factor in low traction driving believe it or not, is you. The driver. Learning certain techniques are helpful, such as recognizing when momentum can be your best friend or worst enemy.
As PDQ said nokians are hard to beat.
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Blizzaks are king for snow tires in cars.
Other tips?
If you don't have a traction control defeat switch consider installing the kit from ECS. Traction control in low traction situations is great for when you're already moving. But when you're stuck and can't get going, it becomes a hinderence.
Tire pressure is always important in any traction scenario, but more so in low grip situation.
If you have access to vcds you can fiddle around with the electric differential lock, which is really an abs modulated limited slip.
But be careful with this, as too aggressive and it's bad. Too light and you will find yourself "peg-legging" along out of slick spots.
Like someone else already mentioned, these cars when equipped with the right tires will surprise you. Frankly that's any car, I drove a RWD Cadillac when I was in college near lake Erie. Snow tires and the factory LSD got me a lot of looks as I passed by AWD cars that were stuck on a hill.
The biggest factor in low traction driving believe it or not, is you. The driver. Learning certain techniques are helpful, such as recognizing when momentum can be your best friend or worst enemy.
As PDQ said nokians are hard to beat.
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IndigoBlueWagon
TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Some people here will disagree. Many feel Nokian Hakkapeliittas are the best. I've driven on them and they do put Blizzaks to shame.
sandmansans
Veteran Member
Lol you missed my edit! Haha I edited to say that I agree with you. Nokians are in fact the true "King of the north!"
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sandmansans
Veteran Member
Unless if you're driving in a constant ice environment, i.e. Alaska northern Maine, British Columbia etc. Studded tires are a waste. You're better off carrying chains and putting the on snow tires when you need to. That's what I do with my current snow vehicle.
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rwthomas1
Veteran Member
Any modern snow tire will be much better than m&s rated regular tires by an order of magnitude. I put General Altimax Arctic's on the factory steels in the factory size. They work extremely well. Put the same tire on my mom's Tiguan, but just purchased a complete package from TireRack for her. Wheels, tires, tpms sensors, shipped to her door, ready to go. Again, for a fwd Tiguan, it'll go through the worst New England winter storms. The Generals are only slightly louder than the all seasons, and that is a good thing.
RT
RT
Problypropylene
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2017
- Location
- Grand Junction, Colorado
- TDI
- '03 Jetta Wagon TDI 5-speed manual, '03 Jetta Wagon TDI auto
+1 for General Altimax Arctic. Pretty cheap too (General is made by Continental, so they are inexpensive but not "cheap" quality.) I tried some Cooper Evolution Winter tires on the front last year because they were cheap on Amazon, and they were fine too, but I think the Altimax's are slightly better in both snow and on pavement.
IndigoBlueWagon
TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Get some 16" wheels and run the correct 16" size: 205/55-16.
Rrusse11
Veteran Member
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=General&tireModel=Altimax+Arctic+12&partnum=965TR5AA12XL&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Volkswagen&autoYear=2002&autoModel=Golf%20GLS%20TDi&autoModClar=&cameFrom=WinterSection
Or go for steelie 15" rims and a set of these, a good budget package.
Should be able to come in at ~ $500 with some used rims.
Or go for steelie 15" rims and a set of these, a good budget package.
Should be able to come in at ~ $500 with some used rims.
IndigoBlueWagon
TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
15s are a good idea on a Golf. I ran 15s on mine and it rode much better and was immune to potholes.
Rrusse11
Veteran Member
And the 195 width is advantageous in a snow tire. Don't know about a 15"
rim with 5x112 lug pattern for the OP's 2012 but, I'll assume you could find some.
I was thinking a set of Avus. If I had a need for a dedicated set of
wheels for the winter, the above is what I'd run.
rim with 5x112 lug pattern for the OP's 2012 but, I'll assume you could find some.
I was thinking a set of Avus. If I had a need for a dedicated set of
wheels for the winter, the above is what I'd run.
IndigoBlueWagon
TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
MKV Rabbits and MKVI Jettas both came with 15" steel wheels in gasser form. Avus obviously won't work.
Rrusse11
Veteran Member
"MKV Rabbits and MKVI Jettas both came with 15" steel wheels in gasser form." IBW
Figgered you'd be the guy who knows, {;o)
Cheers!
Figgered you'd be the guy who knows, {;o)
Cheers!
Wilkins
Veteran Member
I’m planning to go 205-60-16 on my next set of winter tires. I currently am running 205-55-16 Hakka R2 which have really good traction, but one succumbed to road hazard of some sort last winter. That’s 2 out of 8 Hakkas I’ve run which didn’t wear the tread off. I’ve not had another brand of tire fail in the last 25 years. I’m not sure what I will go with next.
BTW the failed tire was on the front but I could have sworn it was on the back from how the car behaved. Not a thing, nothing at all, nothing came through the steering while the car shook as if a rear tire was out of round. The left front wore a bald patch about 6 in long on half the tread width and was noticeably bulged when I took it off.
BTW the failed tire was on the front but I could have sworn it was on the back from how the car behaved. Not a thing, nothing at all, nothing came through the steering while the car shook as if a rear tire was out of round. The left front wore a bald patch about 6 in long on half the tread width and was noticeably bulged when I took it off.
Wait for the General Rebate and you get the Altimax Arctic 12. You get a free tire by waiting for the rebate. Conti owns general and the tires are fantastic. Same goes for the RT43 or whatever the summer tire is called. I've been ice racing and rallycrossing for over 30 years and used all the Blizzaks, Hakka 10, 1, NRW, etc... The Altimax 12 is pretty close to the Blizzak on Ice and still really good in deep snow. The long extinct hakka Q was the best ice tire ever, but since those days I think the other makers have caught up. Blizzaks are not as good in deep snow as Generals, but marginally better on smooth ice. You pay a price though, you will kill blizzaks in a hurry on dry pavement. Note that the Altimax Arctic 12 replaced the Altimax Arctic last year. The 12 has a lot more sipes, so it's better on ice without sacrificing snow performance.
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Steve-o
Veteran Member
I'll second the Altimax Arctic 12s. I ran Blizzaks for a few years but didn't like how they felt on dry pavement so I moved to Nokians for several years. Then my annual mileage went way down and I couldn't justify Nokian prices for the miles I drove so I tried the Generals. That's all I've bought for both our cars since. Great bang for the buck; at least 80% of what I got out of Hakka Qs but half the price. I'm sold.
nokivasara
Veteran Member
Nokian also has a cheaper option, the Nordman, if that's available over there. I bought a set of Nordman 7 205/60R16 for my Skoda two years ago and have been very happy with them.
Studded 190pcs!