Help with tyres please

[carbon8ed]

Hi all, first post so be gentle

I recently purchase a 1998 Sharan TDII and was told it is the 115 bhp engine.

Recently had my 1st MOT and advisories on 4 tyres, fronts are even but low, spare is damaged (as is wheel), and rear left tyre is only 91V and as such not reinforced for the weight of the car (all others are 95V).

Tyres size is 195/65/R15 95T which according to the owners handbook in the car is under winter tyres.

All online etailors seem to list 205/60/R15 or some have 16" tyres and wheels. All sharan's I've seen in UK and continent have seen 206/60's or 215/55's on 15" and 16" wheels.

It looks like I am going to have to buy a minimum of 4 tyres (if I buy 195/65's) and a steel wheel, or 4 x 195/65/15" tyres on 4 15" alloys and I can use the best tyre on the car as the spare.

BUT for not much more I have seen 100's of alloy packages on the web, 15", 16" 17" and even 18" being listed for the sharan. Lots of the tyres don't confirm they are rated for the weight, but some must

Questions:
a) What is correct tyre size for the sharan on 15" wheels?
b) What is minimum load rating, 4/5 tyres are 95, last is 91, I know 91 is not enough, but lots of tyres are 92, is 92 OK or 95 minimum?
c) Hardest question - without spending >£600 what would knowledgeable peeps spec for wheels and tyres, I'm looking for sizes rather than designs - but could be swayed. I want all weather tyres which are good in the dry and wet, am open to 15"-18" alloys and would welcome specific advice from those who have after market wheels and boots.

PS, could the narrow tyre, be wire the car is going through tyres in <5000 miles especially on the fronts?

Thanks in advance peeps

[carbon8ed]

Update, I spoke with the local VW garage and they quoted me the following as the stated tyre for my Sharan.

255/35/15 97V. Went on the internet, and yup no such tyre.

Anyways, have purchased some 17" RS6 style shod with 225/45/17 94Y Toyo Proxes T1-S. Await arrival and see how they perform.

[kimandsally]

Update, I spoke with the local VW garage and they quoted me the following as the stated tyre for my Sharan.

255/35/15 97V. Went on the internet, and yup no such tyre.

Anyways, have purchased some 17" RS6 style shod with 225/45/17 94Y Toyo Proxes T1-S. Await arrival and see how they perform.

Please let us know how you get on, I'm very interested myself.

[cookaboorra]

@ CARBON8ED:

255/35/15 97V..... DO THEY EXIST ?

I can say you this winter I had your exact problem for winter tyres.
I ended in buying 215/55/16 , very large IMO, but NOKI*N makes very good M+S tyres. Just perfect to move full family over Alps roads with 5+ cm of snow.

But here the BIG problem is not the load rating, it is the COMFORT of your driving and that one of your mates!!

The more you shorten the W/H ratio of your tyres, the more the vehicle will react in a "sporty" way, producing:

1) uncomfortable driving through the curves; ( you drive a
1,8 Tons vehicle, not a kart )

2) very uncomfortable feelings from the road, especially from the
back of your Sharan, it will bump as a fiat panda 4x4 here and
there, a pain in the *** as soon as you take a more than 5 miles
trip..

3) if you're going to purchase some 17" wheels, you'd realize my dream too!! VERY VERY NICE on the Sharan, and all driveability probs will vanish no matter what tyre you are putting on, believe me!!

GREETINGS FROM ITALY.

[cookaboorra]

U-HU !

I'm sorry, I just misread your post!

225/45/17 94Y

Bigger, better, faster, more !!

[carbon8ed]

Update

Wheels arrived Tuesday, got 20 bolts with them but no locking nuts. All indivudally wrapped and unwrapping revealed not Toyo Proxes T1-S but the newer Toyo Proxes T1-R (has extra shoulder tread for quieter motoring (so I was told).

Anyway jacked up the car and swapped them over, torque for these is 140N/m on steel wheel up to 170 N/m for the alloys.

First 100m thought mmm noisy, got after that nice a quiet.

I'm sure most of this is due to fact that the tyres are new, but first impression are:

Car rolls less in corners
Feels much more stable on these wider tyres that the 195/65's, feels like I am sitting in the car, rather than perched up high?
Smoother travel, less skittish on little bumps in the road (ie absorbs small impacts)
Does need a little more oomph to get going (an excuse to be heavy on that gas LOL), but also has a lot more momentum once it's going.
Only a couple of small journeys, but I don't think I can detect any perceptable change in economy.
tbh the '45' profile hasn't made the ride harsh, just more precise. I'm glad I didn't go woth the 18's as the aspect ratio for gearing was 35 or even 30 and I think this would have been too harsh for an MPV, maybe fine for a golf etc, but not my bus

Everyone who's been in says the ride feels good.

Best of all it looks marvellous, the new wheels really finish it off. I went with RS6's because I didn't want it to look racerish and RS8's would have taken too long to clean.

This is the first time I have bought alloy's for a car and first time I have increased the tyre size and I'm pleased I have. I am getting the allignment checked today cos I have noticed a pull to the left which I never noticed with the old tyres on (they were old, when I got the wheels off, the old tyres looked and felt plastic rather than rubber!).

10/10 for the wheels and tryes (glad I went expensiveish)
10/10 for service

I can recommend the 225/45/R17 94Y on the 17" rs6 alloys for the sharan. There is enough tyre that it looks like standard 16" alloys around the wheel arches, but just look better than the 16's if you know what I mean.

So go for it peeps, sharan plus 17" wheels = good LOL

PS: Edit - Another little drive tonight and best description is quiet and sure footed, do feel a lot more confident, seems to handle much more positive and predictable.

[kimandsally]

Update

Wheels arrived Tuesday, got 20 bolts with them but no locking nuts. All indivudally wrapped and unwrapping revealed not Toyo Proxes T1-S but the newer Toyo Proxes T1-R (has extra shoulder tread for quieter motoring (so I was told).

Anyway jacked up the car and swapped them over, torque for these is 140N/m on steel wheel up to 170 N/m for the alloys.

First 100m thought mmm noisy, got after that nice a quiet.

I'm sure most of this is due to fact that the tyres are new, but first impression are:

Car rolls less in corners
Feels much more stable on these wider tyres that the 195/65's, feels like I am sitting in the car, rather than perched up high?
Smoother travel, less skittish on little bumps in the road (ie absorbs small impacts)
Does need a little more oomph to get going (an excuse to be heavy on that gas LOL), but also has a lot more momentum once it's going.
Only a couple of small journeys, but I don't think I can detect any perceptable change in economy.
tbh the '45' profile hasn't made the ride harsh, just more precise. I'm glad I didn't go woth the 18's as the aspect ratio for gearing was 35 or even 30 and I think this would have been too harsh for an MPV, maybe fine for a golf etc, but not my bus

Everyone who's been in says the ride feels good.

Best of all it looks marvellous, the new wheels really finish it off. I went with RS6's because I didn't want it to look racerish and RS8's would have taken too long to clean.

This is the first time I have bought alloy's for a car and first time I have increased the tyre size and I'm pleased I have. I am getting the allignment checked today cos I have noticed a pull to the left which I never noticed with the old tyres on (they were old, when I got the wheels off, the old tyres looked and felt plastic rather than rubber!).

10/10 for the wheels and tryes (glad I went expensiveish)
10/10 for service

I can recommend the 225/45/R17 94Y on the 17" rs6 alloys for the sharan. There is enough tyre that it looks like standard 16" alloys around the wheel arches, but just look better than the 16's if you know what I mean.

So go for it peeps, sharan plus 17" wheels = good LOL

PS: Edit - Another little drive tonight and best description is quiet and sure footed, do feel a lot more confident, seems to handle much more positive and predictable.

Can you post a link to where you bought them?

BTW super write up made me want some.

[carbon8ed]

Thanks kimandsally, hope this helps

http://www.wheel-base.co.uk/proddeta...rod=17Rs6Style

I went for the 'performance tyre' and am well chuffed. Slight pull top the left is evident, local tyre place checked tracking/alignment (all spot on) and then put fronts on back and backs on front. Pressure set for 39 for front and 37 for rear - feels great and no pull either. They said slight offset in the tyre or different batch etc.

I love driving again LOL

[hobbit]

Hi, I have a 1996 sharan 2.0l gl and am in need of 2 new front tyres, also I have just noticed that the rear tyres are not reinforced, how vital is it to have reinforced ones?
thanks in advance!

[carbon8ed]

Hi, I have a 1996 sharan 2.0l gl and am in need of 2 new front tyres, also I have just noticed that the rear tyres are not reinforced, how vital is it to have reinforced ones?
thanks in advance!

hi - apparently the MPV needs re inforced because of it's height as much as its weight. Height is the problem with strain on the walls in cornering.

Having said that I have seen loads without - me peace of mind won out for me.

What size are your tyres?