Low Profile TIRES SUCK?

I got a TDI with low profile tires. I ran over a pot hole and bang. Double flat. THIS NEVER happened on my 1999 Jetta.

Low profile tiles look cool but they offer NO PROTECTION going over pot holes.

My recommendation is dont get them or get the extra protection if you do. The tire warranty does not cover blowouts from pot holes.

I used to love low profile tires, but I was selling them at the time. Not meant for pothole country.

Because low profile tires have less "give", you are also much more likely to bend (or otherwise damage) your rims when you hit something like a pothole. IMHO, everything about low profile tires are worse except for the looks. The lower the profile the less protection, the harsher the ride, and the more expensive is the replacement cost. I stuck with the standard 16" wheels on purpose.

Have Fun!

Don

Another recommendation is don't drive through Potholes .

roy1 said:

Another recommendation is don't drive through Potholes .

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Awfully hard to do these days; with budget shortfalls roads around in my parts are not getting the necessary attention.

It's a tough call. I have to admit the 17 in wheels look much better and I really like the road feel. Replacing blown out tires would take a bit of the enthusiasm away!

After replacing 2 tires on a car less then 2 months old I steer like a mf to avoid potholes now.

my last car had standard 18" rims. I had run 19" (245/35/19 from what I remember) for a few years and had no issues, but then again the roads are fine here in FL. Some people installed 21" on the car, but it looked goofy..

It sounds like this thread is more of a complaint of your local road system than low profile tires/rims.

I drive on NY & NJ roads everyday and in over 10 years of driving cars with low profile tires I have only ruined one wheel.

winter KILLS the roads around here, I have the 16's and I STILL managed to bend a wheel this winter. First time ever

brucebanes said:

I got a TDI with low profile tires. I ran over a pot hole and bang. Double flat. THIS NEVER happened on my 1999 Jetta.

Low profile tiles look cool but they offer NO PROTECTION going over pot holes.

My recommendation is dont get them or get the extra protection if you do. The tire warranty does not cover blowouts from pot holes.

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By no means are they bullet proof but, to me the best are the oem tires (195/65/15's) with steelies. To repair the paint, all you need is wet/dry sandpaper and (higher quality, Rustoleum is one brand) black rust resistant spray paint and you are good to go. In comparison, redoing a clear coat on an alloy is almost exponentially more expensive, not to mention time consuming.

I had a steelie take a HUGE hit on an SUV (could not hold air) and the shop just stretched it back and it was good to go. We actually replaced it with a new rim @ 40 or so dollars (insurance) AND reused the tire that took the hit. I think one would be hard pressed to do that with the alloys. In addition IFthe oem tires do not survive a pot hole hit, they are normally cheaper than low profile tires.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one who thinks that low-profile tires look...well, kinda silly.

DoctorDawg said:

Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one who thinks that low-profile tires look...well, kinda silly.

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No, you're not the only one. I just shake my head when I see big SUV's with 20"+ rims and razor thin rubber being driven at a crawl over bumps and potholes. I blow past them in the F250SD with 245/70R16's without a care in the world. At least I did until the girlfriend called from the next state over with a blown tire on the Jetta from hitting a pothole in the Walmart parking lot.

They're heaver, cost more, get damaged easier, louder, and just an all around pain. When I start doing areo-mods on the Jetta I'll probably get some steel rims and cheap tires. Traction TA's were $100 for the Jetta, but 70% profiles were only $70 Mounting even cost more!

Michael

To the OP, so these were 17" rims???

The ones that come on the TDI Cup Edition. Do race cars use low profile tires?

brucebanes said:

Do race cars use low profile tires?

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Race cars use racing tires. They are very different from street tires. There are many kinds of racing tires for many different types of racing and cars. They can be low profile, but not necessarily so. It all depends on the car's suspension design. Different tires for different suspensions, it can get very complicated. Indy car tires are made specially for Indy cars. Formula 1 tires are made specially for F1 cars, etc. etc.

Have Fun!

Don

Really, any tyre with less than 80% aspect ratio (height to width) is "low profile".

But the popular "rubber bands on the wheel" look? not for me.
When I was purchasing the Forester, I had the dealer downgrade the wheels from the factory 17s to the 16s on the base-model...

The continental tires that came with my car sucked, got a sidewall bulge from hitting a pothole or low manhole cover in the road. I bought some General Exclaim UHPs from the tire rack to replace them and haven't had a single problems with the Generals

I'm really not a fan of low profile wheels & tires . But I had a pothole takeout a 195/80 13 last spring . So potholes in general should be avoided irregardless of profile .

They are expensive ( just had to replace a set of 17s $$ that list was over $600 on one of my girlfriend's cars ) to get tires for . I got lucky and found an almost new set in a junk yard for ~$200 mounted & balanced .

And unfortunately all manufacturers seem to be going to 16s , 17s , ect..... These taller wheels which use these lower profile tires seems to be the way they all are going . So I think we will all have to learn to live with them at some point .

But for now all my cars have older wheels , 13s , 14s & 15s that can use taller aspect ratio tires which saves me a ton of money . But I'm sure at some point I'll have to bite this bullet on something I own & drive . Not looking forward to that day ...................

I run 15 in steelies now

Had to garage my 17 inch avigons due to potholes in NY. The 15 are much better at protecting the rim and suspension from canyon sized road hazards. They ride more quietly than the 17 inch rims

I guess the reason I asked was I've always considered 17" wheels to still be within the 'safe' range for sidewall height and possible wheel damage from the occasional pothole. Not to say you can't damage any wheel if the circumstances are bad enough.

I am not a big fan of low profile tires. I went with 16" rims for the very concerns being described here. You can always make it up with your tire choice, to some extent. I ran some W-rated ultra-high performance all seasons on my 16's that stuck like glue and performed excellent in many areas. They were, however, pretty stout in the sidewall. They transmitted more road noise and didn't handle bumps all that well. Now I'm running some Michelins that are a step back at high-performance A/S but are much more forgiving and comfortable riding... maybe a bit too much. They do not perform nearly as well as the old ultra-high A/S tires but are much more 'civil' for everyday driving.

Point being, you don't need to necessarily go to a 18-20 in. rim to get better handling performance. Despite the higher profile, you have options when it comes to sidewall stiffness and performance rating. With the shorter sidewall, despite your tire choice, your stuck with limited road hazard protection. In addition, to try and find a more comfortable riding (ie softer) low profile tire, you only add to the problem. IMO, you have more options with a smaller wheel and your tire choice can make a big difference.

17" not in safe range

I guess the reason I asked was I've always considered 17" wheels to still be within the 'safe' range for sidewall height and possible wheel damage from the occasional pothole. Not to say you can't damage any wheel if the circumstances are bad enough.

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Nope. Any low profile tires are susceptible to tire damage.
On the sizes used for Jetta/Golf, 17" or larger I would recommend putting away for pot hole season. 16" is the safer choice. I'm will run 15" with steels and snows if I decide to drive my Jetta in the winter.

Indeed one has to be a LOT more careful when driving low profile tires. Even more so, when they have the low/short travel struts/shocks, which usually goes along with lower chassis clearances. When driving 265/40/17 fronts and 295/35/18 rears, it is really a whole different attitude about things. There is not much room with 3.625 in static chassis parts clearances. Even as we complain about low clearances with our TDI oil pans.

DoctorDawg said:

Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one who thinks that low-profile tires look...well, kinda silly.

Click to expand...

I thought I was the only one. I always felt they sort of resemble the solid rubber wheels on a forklift. I must admit though I've never seen the pimpmobile spinner things on a forklift either.

I get a lot of grief for running 15" wheels on IBW. But with those wheels and tires I've gotten over 100K out of front wheel bearings, 225K from the rears, replaced one tie rod end, no steering rack problem (until its recent accident), not bent one wheel, and rear axle bushings are still fine.

roy1 said:

Another recommendation is don't drive through Potholes .

Click to expand...

Have you ever been to the US? The Germans I know complain about their roads when there is even the slightest amount of damage (by American standards). Germans signal before they switch lanes, (except some East Germans still driving Trabants on the Autobahn...), they flash lights and know when to use emergency lights if there is quick stopping up ahead. Last time I flashed my lights at someone in the US they came after me and tried to run me off the road. (They were drunk and took it personally) The differences in perceived safety between our two countries is enormous. Keep in mind, the US has pioneered the "blame-someone-else" attitude and legal system. The government won't take responsibility for the roads, and drivers won't take responsibility for watching where they are going. Nobody is responsible for anything, even the insurance companies try to wiggle out of their responsibilities.

Our roads are really REALLY awful. Our temperature fluctuation is much more extreme in the Midwest and Canada than Germany ever has. Between these varied temperatures and "lowest bid" contracting, our roads are often very dangerous, especially in the early spring.... you wouldn't believe the size of road chunks that are dug out by 4-months of snow-plowing...

icecap said:

I thought I was the only one. I always felt they sort of resemble the solid rubber wheels on a forklift. I must admit though I've never seen the pimpmobile spinner things on a forklift either.

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It takes me A LOT of restraint every time I see a post about putting "18s" (or bigger) on a little VW. I almost always feel a desire to flame the posters who advocate it. Then I remember that it is better to let people learn from the damage done to their wallets. It's unbelievable to me that people think really sh*tty engineering looks "good".

I saw on the History Channel that Germans use 5 feet of asphalt and the Americans use 3 feet when they make their highways that could explain why the US Highways are worse off.

brucebanes said:

I got a TDI with low profile tires. I ran over a pot hole and bang. Double flat. THIS NEVER happened on my 1999 Jetta.
Low profile tiles look cool but they offer NO PROTECTION going over pot holes.
My recommendation is dont get them or get the extra protection if you do. The tire warranty does not cover blowouts from pot holes.

Click to expand...

The low profile tire is predominately a show wheel.
Not really meant for a daily driver. The roads are too raggedy for the low profile tires to be a practical choice anywhere.
Cities have some of the worst streets, especially where it snows.
When I see them on cars I know it's a temporary thing.
Some don't even drive a day before blowing a tire.

manual_tranny said:

Have you ever been to the US? The Germans I know complain about their roads when there is even the slightest amount of damage (by American standards). Germans signal before they switch lanes, (except some East Germans still driving Trabants on the Autobahn...), they flash lights and know when to use emergency lights if there is quick stopping up ahead. Last time I flashed my lights at someone in the US they came after me and tried to run me off the road. (They were drunk and took it personally) The differences in perceived safety between our two countries is enormous. Keep in mind, the US has pioneered the "blame-someone-else" attitude and legal system. The government won't take responsibility for the roads, and drivers won't take responsibility for watching where they are going. Nobody is responsible for anything, even the insurance companies try to wiggle out of their responsibilities.
Our roads are really REALLY awful. Our temperature fluctuation is much more extreme in the Midwest and Canada than Germany ever has. Between these varied temperatures and "lowest bid" contracting, our roads are often very dangerous, especially in the early spring.... you wouldn't believe the size of road chunks that are dug out by 4-months of snow-plowing...

Click to expand...

I have a few times. To say there is'nt a difference , would be a gross understatement of the century.