Tallest tire for 16" wheel on a GSW

Hey guys,

I promise I have searched and I really apologize if this has been covered already for a MK7 platform vehicle.

I drive on some pretty poor and un-maintained roads in the winter and am trying to figure out the tallest tire I can stuff on a 16" wheel (VW steelies) under my stock GSW for a snow setup.

I've seen threads for the MK6s saying that a 205/60/16 is the tallest tire that will fit on a stock height vehicle without rubbing. Does anyone know/have experience with fitting a 205/65/16 on our MK7 cars/a GSW or is a 60 series tire the tallest I can do?

Appreciate the help.

been posted about 15 times, 215-65-16 is good to go.

740GLE said:

been posted about 15 times, 215-65-16 is good to go.

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Right after I posted I found a recent thread about the regular GSW. I SWEAR I hadn't found anything prior except for the Alltrack. I appreciate the help though.

Can confirm that 215-65-16 fits and looks awesome. One downside I did notice is that you definitely can feel you're on taller tires if you aggressively change speeds at highway speed. The trade is worth it for the ground clearance - it's still very stable at high speeds.

I put 215 tread width tire on mine.
215/60R-17 CONTINENTAL TRUECONTACT SL

THese are about 28" tall and fit tight in the wheel wells. But they do not rub the fenders. I do get contact when I have the steering pined left or right, but that is a creeping speed and I usually back off from pinned a bit before moving or just don't pin it left or right.

I've have been very happy with these. A softer ride than OEM (was ContiPro Contact 225/45R-17 which were much shorter). THese 215/60R tires have much more meat on the sidewall, and they provide a more comfortable ride without much compromise on high speed corner drift. I don't do much of that anyway. I have a 9% speedo error which I will address in the tire size (snow tire accomodation?) in VCDS when I have time. It is easy to keep track of a near 10% error, and my wife doesn't know I am speeding

thats massive! i thought 225-55-17 filled out the wheel wells and rode nice, jeeze!

And my snowies that I run on my GSW are 225/60/16 - they do not rub either - very sure-footed!

740GLE said:

thats massive! i thought 225-55-17 filled out the wheel wells and rode nice, jeeze!

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235 55 17 is where rubbing starts. The sidewalls on mine are chewed up in the front. Doesn't rub in the rear at all, though. I imagine if you put Eibach springs (or really anything other than VW) the rubbing would go away.

So just the sidewall on the strut? maybe a 10mm spacer will help?

I'm currently sitting at a discount tire trying to get my 215/65/16 winters installed and they're swearing up and down that they won't fit to the point where he's not really wanting to even try!

go to another shop!

btw 215 65-16 look mighty mean even on the NMS Passat. The wife swore something was wrong with them when she drove with Hakka 9 studded for the first time. Granted they are "heavy duty sidewall" at that size, she kept saying "they say SUV on the side, you got me the wrong tires", yet she hasn't said they don't perform well.

740GLE said:

go to another shop!

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I stood my ground and insisted they put them on, they pushed back a little bit throughout the process, and they couldn't believe when they all actually fit (they were never mean, and they're a pretty good shop, plus they're getting money either way).

It's def a meaty size but I couldn't be happier so far. I ended up with the new Continental VikingContact 7s so I can only hope they're as good as the hakkas that they're replacing!

Got any pics of the 215/65/16's on the car? Just put all track springs in my 15 gsw and I'm considering this size

777 said:

Got any pics of the 215/65/16's on the car? Just put all track springs in my 15 gsw and I'm considering this size

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Here's mine, I know it's stock height but it's something.

that could double as an arbys commercial!

looks very good

The car posted by user: T4RBoarder, do you have any trouble with clearance or rubbing?

GIDDY_UP_GO said:

The car posted by user: T4RBoarder, do you have any trouble with clearance or rubbing?

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None at all so far