Can't find tires to hold traction on my 2002 Jetta TDI

Michelin Pilot A/S's. The end.

Agreed, got 'em on the A3.

Just to add some data to a tire traction thread...

My last set of tires were the Michelin Primacy MXV4. They were fantastic and I mourn the fact that they're discontinued. I got well over 100,000 miles out of them. They were good for fuel economy, really good with wet traction (except not so good with hydroplaning) and smooth, relatively quiet tires. I would have bought them again.

I replaced them with the Pirelli P7 Cinturato tires that were so highly rated on Tire Rack. Pluses are that they are about the quietest tires I've ever ran (and that's important to me), seem to be wearing well, and are pretty darn good in resisting hydroplaning.

But...they absolutely suck in wet traction. Not just on acceleration but in corners, exit ramps, traffic circles, they break way too easily. Drives me nuts. At least they're predictable.

Anyway, as a resident of a rainy region, the wet performance is pretty darn important. Unfortunately, these likely will last me another 5 years so I'm going to have to learn to live with it.

I’m very happy with the Pure Contacts I have on the Mk IV. Smooth, quiet and good traction, not to mention one of the least expensive options I considered. Previous tires were Nokian Entyre, which at the end I could spin in 2nd on a wet road, but probably gave a bit more precision and feedback in the dry. I haven’t spun the PureContacts yet, obviously not trying hard enough.

RedTDIowner said:

Hopefully the G Max AS-05's I chose will hold traction well if not then I will probably go with the Conti Extreme contact next.

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At first the G Max AS-05's did well but now that half the tread is gone they are terrible in the rain. When taking off from a dead stop even if I barely press on the accelerator the tires will spin when its wet. In fact, yesterday driving on the interstate at 65 MPH in the rain if I pressed the accelerator more than halfway then my tires would start spinning. Too darn scarey. I guess I will be buying the Conti Extreme Contact's by winter.

I ended up buying the General Altimax RT 43 215/55 R16 tires. At first they were great but after a couple of months of tread wear I can now get the front tires to spin on a straight and flat stretch of road in the rain when doing 50 MPH in 4th gear. Not good at all. I guess my next set of tires will be Conti Extreme Contacts.

Generals are soft, I get ~35k out or them. I paid $360 for my last set.
Hey, cheap insurance IMO. You must be pushin' 'em. Traction vs

longevity, and that's the way it is. Rotate frequently.



Bite the bullet and get an LSD. And my bet is you could use a complete suspension refresh.

What is an LSD?

I recently had all this work done to my suspension.

Koni STR.T+ Lift Springs Kit (A4)
- Front Strut Mounts:
- Shock Bump Stops:
- Strut Bump Stops:
- Rear Shock Mounts:
- Installation Bolt Kit
Rear Shock Boot / Dust Covers Pair
Seat Cupra Rear Axle Bushing Pair
Front Strut Bearing
Front Strut Boot/Covers
Sway bar bushings
Ball joints

About the only thing I didn't do was the control arm bushings. Since I had added the TT bushings to them a couple years ago they were in good shape.

Limited Slip Differential, read the whole thread again. There's about
4 different brands mentioned. I've a got a Peloquin.


Lol, if after all that on the front end, and you're still sliding around,
remind me not to ride with you. {;o)


Is there a reason for that cop car in your nick?

Seriously I can be comfortably driving 50 to 70 MPH in the rain in my A4 ALH on a flat straight stretch and still get my front tires to spin by pressing the accelerator down just over half way. Its really bizarre so maybe an LSD will help me. All I can assume is that I have done a few too many mods and its just too much torque. I have been told that with my rocket chip 3, deleted EGR, 11 mm injection pump, turbo thruster muffler, race pipe, removed catalytic converter & Garrett VNT-15 Turbocharger that I am probably over 150 horsepower and over 300 foot pounds of torque.

The cop avatar is something I once saw on a message board and decided to add it to my sig on here. Want to read something even more bizarre that happened to me with the GMax AS05's you have after I upgraded my suspension? Click this link below to another thread.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=484930&page=3

Red,

Read the link. It wasn't the cruise control, it was the operator.

You're driving too fast for conditions, simple. The junkyards, and graveyards, are full of hot cars that people can't handle.
Learn to drive within the car's limits. Just because it can go fast doesn't mean it, or you, can handle it.

Having driven for a livin', I've seen lots of drivers that are just an
accident waiting to happen. Slow down!

RedTDIowner said:

I have been through multiple tire brands such as: the Michelin MXV4's (which it came with and were terrible)

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woah really? i upgraded from bridgestone ecosomethings and it felt like a major improvement, are they really terrible

Rrusse11 said:

Red,

Read the link. It wasn't the cruise control, it was the operator.

You're driving too fast for conditions, simple. The junkyards, and graveyards, are full of hot cars that people can't handle.
Learn to drive within the car's limits. Just because it can go fast doesn't mean it, or you, can handle it.

Having driven for a livin', I've seen lots of drivers that are just an
accident waiting to happen. Slow down!

Click to expand...

Yes that is good advice. However, when you are driving under the speed limit in the rain and people are passing you because your going so slow and then you try to speed up but the tires lose traction and start to spin the problem is clearly the vehicle and not the operator.

OlyTDI said:

Just to add some data to a tire traction thread...

My last set of tires were the Michelin Primacy MXV4. They were fantastic and I mourn the fact that they're discontinued. I got well over 100,000 miles out of them. They were good for fuel economy, really good with wet traction (except not so good with hydroplaning) and smooth, relatively quiet tires. I would have bought them again.

Click to expand...

The new generation of that tire type is called "premier A/S". it looks pretty well exactly the same with a few minor changes it might be worth a shot for me because i pretty much live in the rain capital of canada.

I'm a little mystified by the OP's issues. I have a car with similar power mods, and have been running General Altimax RT43s for the last year or so (snows right now), in 15" size so with a narrower section width than the 16s. I've been very happy with these tires. I like them better than the Michelin Exaltos they replaced (NLA), and far, far better than the Michelin Energy Savers I've had on the car in the past. They're comparable to Bridgestone Ecopias I have on my "99.5 Golf. I find them very resistant to hydroplaning, and are even good in wet snow.

I avoid using cruise in heavy rain because it can cause the front wheels to break traction at high speed. Otherwise, I suspect something is up with the OP's alignment (perhaps related to the lift) or some suspension component that is causing the issues he's experiencing. I don't thnk it's the tires.

If you need traction, you need softer rubber. Retreads were our favourite budget drag tire. if you've spent the $ to get that kind of power, spend a wee bit more on a LSD. Or was that some LSD...
cheers,
Douglas

IndigoBlueWagon said:

I avoid using cruise in heavy rain because it can cause the front wheels to break traction at high speed. Otherwise, I suspect something is up with the OP's alignment (perhaps related to the lift) or some suspension component that is causing the issues he's experiencing. I don't thnk it's the tires.

Click to expand...

Agreed....


If the tires are fresh, the grip provided should be adequate, if power is used responsibly, even under poor road conditions.


Use of cruise control in conditions where traction may be compromised is a very bad idea.


Misalignment can create a situation where road feel is pretty good on dry pavement, but gets twitchy when the road surface is wet or slippery.


Does the car track straight under all conditions, or is there any tendency to pull to either side when losing traction?

HPsenicka said:

Agreed....


If the tires are fresh, the grip provided should be adequate, if power is used responsibly, even under poor road conditions.


Use of cruise control in conditions where traction may be compromised is a very bad idea.


Misalignment can create a situation where road feel is pretty good on dry pavement, but gets twitchy when the road surface is wet or slippery.


Does the car track straight under all conditions, or is there any tendency to pull to either side when losing traction?

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I had the alignment done over the summer when I installed the new struts. I then had it checked again in the fall when I installed new tires. I also had it done again last month after I had the left front hub replaced. I've got a lifetime alignment warranty so typically I get it checked at least 2 times per year.

What does the report say? It's hard to get a lifted car in spec for camber and caster. Both affect steering response, and the car's willingness to rotate when it loses traction.

Here's a thought, his turbo's spiking. If it's a 15, that could be

breaking his tires loose at half throttle.

That seems doubtful. His setup isn't going to break tires loose in top gear, except perhaps on ice.

Maybe it's his diff then. Worn splines on the axles?

Turbo adjustment?

No I have not read through the entire post, but one thing that seems to make sense to me is having not only good tires, but wider tires as well. Currently, my TDI is all stock engine wise. I have some 225/40 r18 bridgestone's. Not a bad tire, but not my favorite. On my highly modified 91 gti g60, i have 205/40 r16 nitto neogen's which i really like for all season driving. The nittos grip better than the Bridgestone's do, but i can also break em loose under full throttle in 4th gear in the rain. Being a tire wxpert, I will say that the wider the tire, the better and the lower the tread wear rating the stickier they will be.

Interesting thread as I'm going to be getting new tires and a stage 4 tune this spring I suppose I need to consider finding some 16" rims for better tire selection. I wonder though why the op is having such traction issues, I could understand some wheel slip here and there with his setup but it seems over the top. Overfuelling?