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Engine Specific Info and Questions => IDI Engine => Topic started by: srivett on December 07, 2004, 08:45:39 pm
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Sudbury just had a bunch of snow dumped on it so I took my Bridgestone (Exploder Special) Touranza Ts out for a run. These are the 175s on a Golf 1.6D.
The only thing they did good was stop quickly in deep snow. I rate these tires poorly for the following: Stopping and going on ice, accelerating in deep snow, and control in deep water.
Yeah, I started to notice that these tires suck a few months ago as you hydroplane all over the place in deep water. These tires are pretty skinny so they should work well in water but they don't. If you're pulling out into traffic on ice you'll be in 3rd gear before the car starts to move, and it takes too long to stop on ice from 40 km/hr. With 3-5" of snow on the ground I figured I'd have trouble but not this much. I got stuck going up a steep hill so in disgust I smoked the tires for over 3 minutes to dig myself up the rest of the way. I guess this is a good way to test your rad fan as my temp went to 3/4s and the fan came on. :)
Steve
ps. My brother has the WalMart winter tires on his '89 Golf and he says they are really slippery on wet pavement and like to lock-up. It could be because his front tires are half worn out but I'm not so sure.
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I have cooper "weathermaster" snows 175/70-13's on my '97 jetta. Can't say enough good things about them. Excellent snow performance and decent on wet or dry pavement. They utterly transform the car in the snow. 2 seasons on them so far and they still have good tread.
I haven't had a chance to put them on yet this year and I can tell you first hand that my cooper "cobra" (195/60-14) summer tires suck royally in the snow. You only have your favorite prayer to get you stopped... My suggestion for snows is to mount the skinniest thing you can find to get some pressure on the contact patch, helps to cut through the snow and slush.
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I have Michelin Arctic Alpin (185/65R14).
Worst winter tires ever.
Ok on ice, but slush, and worst snow and they become slicks.... :roll:
Bad tires for Montreal winters.
They would work great in BC or southern Ontario, but not here.
Next winter, Nokians with studs please. :D
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I'm on my 3rd or 4th year of my Dayton Wintertrax 185/65R14's.
They're...decent tires. Not magical by any stretch of the imagination, but acceptable. Ok in deep snow, and...excellent on ice due to...additions I made... :lol:
The local tire guy here is a pleasure to deal with too, can't do enough for ya. That clinched the deal.
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i am pretty happy with my winter tires. I always go for a taller narrower tire. I'm using 187/70r13 canadian tire motomaster wintertracs. (not icetracks) I'm not a firm believer in unstudded ice tires. I figure, if you're hit a patch of black ice, it's going to be slippery as heck, regardless of what tires you have, so you might as well get the kind that work best in snow.
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I second the Cooper Weathermasters. Been using them for three or four years on an 84 Jetta (gasser) and my wife's 87 Fox (gas). Waiting for a set of four for the new wheels (92 Jetta TD).
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I've got 195/60R14 Michelin Artic Alpin's and they work pretty well. I don't really push my car hard when conditions are bad. Of course there are those moments where spirited driving is necessary and so far these tires have been up to the task. By the way, I only drive in the GTA so most of the snow turns to water by the time it reaches the road.
Rammstein, do you have the tires pumped up to their maximum inflation pressure (for maximum fuel economy :lol: )? If so, have you tried lowering the pressure to see if you get better traction.
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I've got Yokohama Snow 320 tires. I'm a very 'conservative' driver in the snow, but these tires drag me through deep snow with no problem, but I can't say I've done any panic maneuvers yet.
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Hey Quick TD,
I was cautioned against using 13" tires on my A3. I was told it would not handle well. Sounded like malarky to me, but who am I right? Anyway, I'm interested to know how the 13" tires handle. They're a lot cheaper, and I have 13" wheels so it'd be a lot cheaper for me to go 13" if possible.
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I went out for another drive today and found that my front discs were frozen up and my wheels were full of ice too. The ice in the brakes went away after 50 km of driving but the ice in the wheels did not. I've got the flying saucer style 13" wheels on my car and I've thrown away those big rings that come on them...are there any better wheels for winter driving? This is the second time I've had the shakes from my wheels being jammed full of ice so I'd like wheels that can clear themselves out a bit better.
ps. I was at Canadian Tire tonight and they only put OEM sized tires on your car. They wouldn't sell me 155s instead of 175s so I'll look elsewhere. They also only give you a 6 month waranty on batteries if you want a non-OEM size.
Cheers, Steve
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I put 175/65R14 on my 95 Golf (summer 195/60R14). They are Nordic Icetracs. Pretty good for the money. Better on slippery roadsthan deep snow
BTW, I heard on the radio this AM, that studs will be legal in Ontario within 2 years!
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Hey Quick TD,
I was cautioned against using 13" tires on my A3. I was told it would not handle well. Sounded like malarky to me, but who am I right? Anyway, I'm interested to know how the 13" tires handle. They're a lot cheaper, and I have 13" wheels so it'd be a lot cheaper for me to go 13" if possible.
It isn't exactly on rails when wearing the 13's, but thats the trade off. The snow traction is far better than with 14's so I put up with the loose handling. Pulling big G's in the winter is not a priority.
The cheaper CL versions of the A3 cars came with 13's and there is inflation data for 13's on my tire sticker so I would assume it's OK. I'm not sure I would run the 4.5 inch wide rabbit wheels but the 5.5" 38mm offset ones from later golfs and jettas seem OK.
Be warned, you can't use 13's on all models of A3 golf/jetta. The 1.8 CL and the GL turbo diesel models are the only ones with 9.4" brakes, which are small enough to accept the 13's. TDI's, 2.0 and VR6 gassers have 10.1" brakes that will not fit inside the 13's.
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Farkman, I have to check them, we got snow for the first time this year a week ago and I presume they are still around 40-42 psi all around...
I guess I'll lower them a little, let say 35.......
My air pump (the one I carry in the car) is broken, so I'll try to fix it before modifying the air pressure, just in case... :wink:
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175/70-13 studded on all four corners of the bunny. They work very well in the snow and ice.
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snow and ice?
what are those?
oh yea, those are the things you have to go to the mountains to see here :D
When they say "all season" radials here, they really mean it.
tall and narrow, 50 psi, and lots of tread for cutting through the puddles that are in the tire grooves.
( by the way its 60* and mostly sunny here today.)
I love the Pacific Northwest.
Ken
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Ok, so they were at 41 all around...
So I went to 35 front and 32 back (sway bar).
Big difference.
I still hate the bastards, but they are better now. :twisted:
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Yokohama Guardex non-studded 175/70R13
30 all around on mk2 1.6D
I just love them
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Went down to Wally World and bought some Dunlop DS1's today as I don't want to have to pick a pedestrian out of my grill any time soon. They were cheap enough at 275 taxes in plus another 184 taxes in for the wheels. The bizarre thing is that they don't include balancing as part of the installation...that's another 10 bucks a tire! So, I'll be taking the valve stems and getting them put on by a mechanic I know. Their summer tires are only 40 bucks each! Gotta love the 13" rims.
mmm, does anybody have an online part # finder for generic steel wheels? The girl wrote down my car as a Volfswagen and spelt my name wrong twice....just want to make sure 899108 is the correct part # for the wheels. hehe
Cheers, Steve
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wally world
195/65-14 studs [3th year]- works fine - but I have driven for 27 years - and the only tow job was for a blown time belt this summer.
195/75-14's [3 yr] on rear of other machine - 185/60-14's front[new]
audi springs in rear of both - kind of a rally look!
brings the seat closer to my butt when I sit down in it.
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Have you had a wheel alignment with the tall springs. Is it possible to have one? These cars really suffer from ass dragging syndrome. Actually, all cars do and it's really annoying due to the reality of public roads.
Steve
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Hmm, just did a bunch of reading and I may have solved the vibration problem. Apparently bridgestones get flat spots on them in the cold and my bumpiness has been worse in the cold (and the snow that comes with it). I felt like a rodeo clown driving home the yesterday, that's how bad the shake was, but it was gone this morning. The Turanza T is no longer available but the problem persists on 2003 Honda Accords.
Steve
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Pirelli winter sports on my Golf TD 95 and in my opinion... bull$hit! always spinning on startup (must let go the cluch without hitting fuel :roll: ), have to slow down a lot in curves cause the car always want to go straight... at least they are quiet on highway speed! so, one star out of five!
Studded ones next time!! someting like nokian :twisted: I don't even know why I quit the studded world for those tires...
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wally world
195/65-14 studs [3th year]-audi springs in rear of both - kind of a rally look!
brings the seat closer to my butt when I sit down in it.
Two questions
1) where do you live that they let you run studs? We can't in Ontario!
2) What did you order for the audi springs? model/year and/or part number. Just put a 92 TD jetta on the road (512,000km and counting) and the rear sags enough that it annoys me. Went through this with my 84 Jetta, and new springs (the right ones ) only fixed it for about two years.
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Nokkian' Hakka@'s, you can't get better. :wink:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/DieselConverted/VentoGTD_mics/DieselConverted_VentoGTD-011-NokianHakka2s.jpg)
:twisted:
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Studs - New Brunswick!
Second - 1984 Audi 4000 - Rear springs - very tall - must use a spring compressor to put on the top nut. -
Third - 1985 89 - Audi 5000 rear springs - off a front wheel drive.
take all of the strut parts in both cases - you need a pair of rabbit top spring keepers to capture the Audi4000 spring on top - drill it out to lower over the washer stop on the shock - the shock gets tightened down till the oem topmount settles with the nut against it
Trust me - I never look like I am draggin my butt around -
63 cm from the fender to the ground - both sides even!
junk yards! - Centurion
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1) where do you live that they let you run studs? We can't in Ontario!
"Can't" and "aren't supposed to" are two entirely different things... :twisted:
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You can in La Belle Province... :wink:
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Well considering that I did a roadwarrior trip through La Belle Province and saw carnige once I hit the 401 heading into TO - I would say - well you know! - read the sign language!
Ramm - Nice area your in -!
sweetie and I spent a day running all over the island - and then headed for the hills - to find that lit cross - I think it was off route 40?
Cheers - C
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Well, over 3 weeks later and I finally have the winter tires on. The walmart rims never showed up so I had them put their tires on a set of Canadian Tire rims. This cost me an extra 25 bucks but walmart wouldn't throw in a few free wheel balances or anything. What a bunch of fools, I bought 11 new tires, 2 used tires and 7 rims in the last 12 months. I expect to be driving for atleast another 50 years but I'll never be dealing with walmart tire and lube EXPRESS again.
On the bright side, for the first time this winter, I was able to get up my driveway on the first try.
Have fun out there, Steve
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Studs - New Brunswick!
Second - 1984 Audi 4000 - Rear springs - very tall - must use a spring compressor to put on the top nut. -
Third - 1985 89 - Audi 5000 rear springs - off a front wheel drive.
take all of the strut parts in both cases - you need a pair of rabbit top spring keepers to capture the Audi4000 spring on top - drill it out to lower over the washer stop on the shock - the shock gets tightened down till the oem topmount settles with the nut against it
Trust me - I never look like I am draggin my butt around -
63 cm from the fender to the ground - both sides even!
junk yards! - Centurion
If you're too tall you can always trim off a coil or two a little at a time until you get to where you want. I went through this on the FRONT of my 84 Jetta. Got sent the wrong springs, taller with a heaver wire but the right diameter and ends. Supposed to be on an A2 maybe? just kept trimming a 1/2 coil at a time until the suspension sat where it should. It's a LOT stiffer now, and corners like it's on rails!
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Nokkian' Hakka@'s, you can't get better. :wink:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/DieselConverted/VentoGTD_mics/DieselConverted_VentoGTD-011-NokianHakka2s.jpg)
:twisted:
me too.
rico
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Thanks for the tip Patrick - but I would never clip a spring - tosses ou tthe spring rate too quick! - also - I run the car with heavy loads sometimes - and need this capacity to carry the load!
Sometime I have to run over a scale loaded and see what I am pullin.
C
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Actually, when you cut the spring it gets stiffer. This is a lot better (and safer!) way to do it thanjust heating the spring in the car and letting it sag. Seen it done, wouldn't do it! The front end of my 84 Jetta is actually too stiff now, but that's the way I like it anyway. Just go a little at a time, 1/2 a coil or so, and start with one that's too much. If what you've got works for you, leave it alone! Cheated (short term fix) on the back of the 84 a couple of weeks ago and bought some of the twist in rubber bumpers to fix the sag. helped, but not the way I like to do things. Rather find another spring (stiffer) that fits the A1, but only found one listed in the book. They wouldn't happen to be the same diameter as the A2 springs, would they? I'll have to check when my wife gets home from work with the 92! (Audi springs in the 92, 92 moved to 84?)
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Here in Alaska, I am sold on Bridgestone Blizzaks. Also known as Winter Duelers in the light trucks. Not mounted on a VW. My VW has 39.5x18 boggers :D. I have a set on my Expedition, on my Contour, I talked a friend into mouting a set on her Taurus wagon. Her response to them was"How long have these tires been around? Why haven't you told me about them before!?!". Ice racers make them the non-studded standard. And the "magic" outer layer has lasted 3 seasons, might go 4 or 5 before becoming a "normal" all season radial - AND they are just as good as new for as long as there is any of that layer left, while a 2 or 3 year studded tire is not nearly as effective as when new. If you can't run studs, run these. I can run studs, and I like these better. Today, with rain on packed snow and ice, they are marginal (so slick you can't stand up). But so are the studded tires, several cars with studs in the ditch this morning on my commute. Really, I should just mount chains. But the rest of the time, I think they are superior to studded tires. Perhaps if you could get the "magic" rubber compound on a studded tire, you would be even better. But they are the best I have found by a wide margin.
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Could you post some pictures of your boggers? They are very rare, even in Northern Ontario. Well, they are becoming common for ATVs but not for regular vehicles. You must really drive slow with boggers and chains on your cars.
You don't think studs don't help that much on Ice? Or is it just the drivers? I crashed into a snowbank yesterday, with my new snow tires (non studded), but it was my fault. I was actually just trying to park the car but there was 20 feet of glare ice hidden under the snow. hehe, it was fun riding that one out, I didn't slow at all until I hit the snow bank.
Steve
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Studs are the BEST< except for Blizzaks. I guess I assumed everyone was at least familiar with the name.
Chains - if the Blizzaks aren't sticking, the conditions are BAD BAD BAD< studded or not, it's slip slidey time. So I was saying if the Blizzaks aren't doing the job, you should be chained up. Today, in Ancharage, it's like 40 degrees and raining on ice. That's as bad as it gets. I still haven't chained up, I should, but haven't. My daily driver is a Jeep Cherokee or a Ford Contour, depending on who needs which car. The Contour has been getting around fine, once in a while it's nice to have the 4x4 Cherokee. The Cherokee still only has 4 wheel stop, however, just like everybody else, 4x4 or not. The 4x4 can instill a false sense of confidence. Most the cars in the ditches are 4x4, often with standard all season tires.
Blizzaks:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Blizzak+WS-50
(http://www.tirerack.com/images/tires/bridgestone/bs_blizzak_ws_50_dir_ci2_l.jpg)
The magic is not in the tread pattern, but in the rubber compound. It's a "sponge layer", that actively absorbs the microscopic layer of water between the ice and the tread. It has siping, of course, and a good tread pattern, and works well on wet pavement, but the "magic" has to be felt to be believed. Braking in heavy snow and packed, glazed intersections at stop signs and such is greatly improved over most any tire, studded or not.
Those Nokia tires look pretty damn good, tho, and I have't tested a high caliber studded tire back to back with my Blizzaks, just a Sears brand winter studded on another Cherokee my friend owns. In most conditions, the Blizzaks out perform the studded tires ( on their 2nd season, at least). I haven't had a chance to compare them in the conditions of the past few days, but my friend reports he doesn't have much traction - neither do I. It's been scary on the side streets.
Boggers
My VW is mounted in my Suzuki Samurai , currently getting redesigned again. Not getting driven chained up. Or even driven lately. Big ol' intercooler will make turning those big ol' tires that much more fun :D
Erik
(http://www.kyrias.com/deepmud/zukfab10_23_2004%20063small.jpg)
(http://www.kyrias.com/deepmud/zukfab11_14_2004%20001small.jpg)
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hey deepmud I thought that you were going to post a pic of the tracks when the ultimate snow "tire" was posted.
So it looks like you decided to go single link in the rear and I can't tell by the pic for the front is it single as well or a three link?
Your going to need a giles pump a twins to keep the 40's spinin like the 35's :twisted: , regardless it will be fun once its going again.
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Yeah, doin' the "onelink" front and rear, coils, big ol' Saab intercooler, and..... hmm. Giles pump may be in my future all right. The Axles got swapped too, 4.88's, locked front and rear, should kick butt.
Y'all may not know it, but the 1.9td is a seriously awesome off-road motor :twisted:
I may get to hold off the Giles pump for at least awhile, the 1.9td pump seems to have a lot of fueling ability. Maybe one of those mechanical TDI setups would be the eventual goal, I wouldn't mind 150 horse or so.
And the tracks.....getting modded to bolt on the Toy axles, you betcha!
I miss 'em.
(http://www.kyrias.com/deepmud/tracks11-24-02%20002m.jpg)
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Nokkian' Hakka@'s, you can't get better. :wink:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/DieselConverted/VentoGTD_mics/DieselConverted_VentoGTD-011-NokianHakka2s.jpg)
I have the same tires Nokian Hakapelita 175/70 R13. Goes like SUV ;D