Mk 7 Golf R - Changing 19s for 18s
Discussion
My wife has a 67 plate Golf R estate which has does not the adjustable Dynamic Chassis Control. It's on 19 inch Pretoria wheels and while my wife loves it, the ride is diabolical and I can't stand driving it or even being a passenger, which is a problem as it's our family car. To add to this, we've just had to replace a cracked alloy (we live in the country, so the roads are terrible).
As she doesn't want to change the car and it's otherwise an excellent all round car - I was wondering whether changing the existing 19 inch wheels for 18s with less low profile tyres would make any noticeable difference to the ride?
It would be expensive (though at least we could sell the existing wheels and tyres) however I have no idea how much real difference it would make?
Any got any ideas or alternative strategies?
As she doesn't want to change the car and it's otherwise an excellent all round car - I was wondering whether changing the existing 19 inch wheels for 18s with less low profile tyres would make any noticeable difference to the ride?
It would be expensive (though at least we could sell the existing wheels and tyres) however I have no idea how much real difference it would make?
Any got any ideas or alternative strategies?
)JC06 said:
Very marginal in my experience.
I have 19 inch Pretoria's with 235/35 R19 Michelin PS4S's as my summer wheels and 18 inch Pretroria replicas with 225/40 R18 Vredestein Wintrac Pro winter tyres and I can't say I notice any different in ride comfort between them.
Thanks, really good to have real life feedback, albeit perhaps not what I wanted to hear!I have 19 inch Pretoria's with 235/35 R19 Michelin PS4S's as my summer wheels and 18 inch Pretroria replicas with 225/40 R18 Vredestein Wintrac Pro winter tyres and I can't say I notice any different in ride comfort between them.
JC06 said:
I have 19 inch Pretoria's with 235/35 R19 Michelin PS4S's as my summer wheels and 18 inch Pretroria replicas with 225/40 R18 Vredestein Wintrac Pro winter tyres and I can't say I notice any different in ride comfort between them.
The latter (18s) have a sidewall 9.4% greater than the former. Ride comfort has several variables: spring rate, damping, anti-roll bar stiffness and tyre sidewall (amongst others), so here you'd be keeping all the variables the same apart from the last one (adding 9.4% sidewall). The cumulative effect on the whole will be substantially lower then a subjective 9.4% improvement in ride, in fact probably closer to a 1% overall ride improvement.Olivera said:
The latter (18s) have a sidewall 9.4% greater than the former. Ride comfort has several variables: spring rate, damping, anti-roll bar stiffness and tyre sidewall (amongst others), so here you'd be keeping all the variables the same apart from the last one (adding 9.4% sidewall). The cumulative effect on the whole will be substantially lower then a subjective 9.4% improvement in ride, in fact probably closer to a 1% overall ride improvement.
But you'd run the 18s at lower pressure than the 19s. Looking at the manual for my car, the 225/40 R18 is recommended to have 34PSI, the 225/35 R19 wants 39PSI. I would have thought that would be noticeable?I have a 2018 Golf R which had Pretorias on originally - I went through the same issues.
It's currently on its 17" winter wheels which are a set of cheap black Borbets bought from Mr Winter Wheels for less than VW wanted for one Pretoria - it has 235/45R17 Hankook Kinergy 4S all season tyres on.
I have to admit I'm in no rush to put the summer wheels back on - the ride comfort is greatly improved and it's much less of a worry on pot holed roads (all roads).
I can't tell you what 18"s are like but it's a fair assumption somewhere in between - I'd suggest checking out 17" options
It's currently on its 17" winter wheels which are a set of cheap black Borbets bought from Mr Winter Wheels for less than VW wanted for one Pretoria - it has 235/45R17 Hankook Kinergy 4S all season tyres on.
I have to admit I'm in no rush to put the summer wheels back on - the ride comfort is greatly improved and it's much less of a worry on pot holed roads (all roads).
I can't tell you what 18"s are like but it's a fair assumption somewhere in between - I'd suggest checking out 17" options
Edited by djone101 on Tuesday 18th April 16:13
Similar but not the same - I went from standard 245/30/20 to 245/45/18 on my Civic and would say the improvement is pretty large. Haven't had a bent or cracked wheel since, no torn kerb-protectors / damaged tyres from potholes.
Ride hasn't changed dramatically, but sharper impacts are softened. Tyres are vastly cheaper, and it's quieter too.
Pair your smaller wheels with comfort biased tyres for the greatest benefit - A premium touring tyre will be a bit softer than UHP's and in the grand scheme of road driving, won't be much of a loss in raw performance.
Alternative strategy is to consider larger sidewall tyres on the existing alloys - I managed to squeeze 255/35/20 onto the standard wheels which had some benefit to comfort without having to fork out for new wheels as well.
Ride hasn't changed dramatically, but sharper impacts are softened. Tyres are vastly cheaper, and it's quieter too.
Pair your smaller wheels with comfort biased tyres for the greatest benefit - A premium touring tyre will be a bit softer than UHP's and in the grand scheme of road driving, won't be much of a loss in raw performance.
Alternative strategy is to consider larger sidewall tyres on the existing alloys - I managed to squeeze 255/35/20 onto the standard wheels which had some benefit to comfort without having to fork out for new wheels as well.
budgie smuggler said:
But you'd run the 18s at lower pressure than the 19s. Looking at the manual for my car, the 225/40 R18 is recommended to have 34PSI, the 225/35 R19 wants 39PSI. I would have thought that would be noticeable?
I'm surprised that the 19" tyre is as much as 5 psi higher. Again the devil is in the detail, is that because the OEM choice of 19" is a run flat or a different tyre/brand/compound all together?It's clear that when you do the maths a 1" drop in wheel diameter (on any car) cannot possibly have more than a marginal effect on the overall ride quality, which is made up of many variables. It's mostly placebo: "I've gone down a diameter so my ride is now better". Of course when you start going down 2" or more in diameter (and increase the sidewall) the effects are more pronounced.
Olivera said:
I'm surprised that the 19" tyre is as much as 5 psi higher. Again the devil is in the detail, is that because the OEM choice of 19" is a run flat or a different tyre/brand/compound all together?
It's clear that when you do the maths a 1" drop in wheel diameter (on any car) cannot possibly have more than a marginal effect on the overall ride quality, which is made up of many variables. It's mostly placebo: "I've gone down a diameter so my ride is now better". Of course when you start going down 2" or more in diameter (and increase the sidewall) the effects are more pronounced.
Nah, the OEM 19 wasn't a run flat, just an XL spec P Zero. I don't know what the OEM supplied 18 inch tyre was though.It's clear that when you do the maths a 1" drop in wheel diameter (on any car) cannot possibly have more than a marginal effect on the overall ride quality, which is made up of many variables. It's mostly placebo: "I've gone down a diameter so my ride is now better". Of course when you start going down 2" or more in diameter (and increase the sidewall) the effects are more pronounced.
I'd be interested to know if this helps - I have got DCC with 19s (2019 car owned since new) and until the last couple of years thought it was fine - the roads near me (Cheshire) have really deteriorated and there are so many potholes and broken up road surfaces it is pushing me into doing something
I had a Mk8 Golf as a loan car with 16 inch wheels and it was such a pleasure to drive - wonder if I could go to 17 inch wheels ?
I had a Mk8 Golf as a loan car with 16 inch wheels and it was such a pleasure to drive - wonder if I could go to 17 inch wheels ?
Absolutely fine on 18s with passive suspension. I did 33k miles on a 64 plate 3dr manual and 23k on an 18 plate wagen. More comfortable than my E46 330Ci on 18s and my current F40 M135 on 18s plus 987.1 on 18s.
Mk7 Golf R UK Facebook group was full of reports of owners with 19” wheels buckling alloys. Similarly those with F40 M135s and 19s report many issues with bulging / destroyed tyres. Very rare to hear of any issues on either car with 18s.
Mk7 Golf R UK Facebook group was full of reports of owners with 19” wheels buckling alloys. Similarly those with F40 M135s and 19s report many issues with bulging / destroyed tyres. Very rare to hear of any issues on either car with 18s.
Tyre choice makes a big difference.
My mum’s GTD rode pretty badly on the Bridgestones it came on. When they were dead I got her some PS4 tyres all round - they transformed the car. More grip, more comfort, a lot less road noise.
I use Goodyear F1 Asym. 5 on my summer wheels (235 35 r19 on a Leon) and I think the ride is very nearly as comfortable as the car is on my 17” winter wheels. For sure some big bumps are a bit more jarring but it’s not terrible. The difference is not anywhere as big as one would think; and that’s from 19” to 17”.
Maybe think about tyre choice rather than new wheels? All other things being equal, I don’t think going down one wheel size will change the ride that much. Going from OEM test-friendly hard tyres to something with more give may help more.
My mum’s GTD rode pretty badly on the Bridgestones it came on. When they were dead I got her some PS4 tyres all round - they transformed the car. More grip, more comfort, a lot less road noise.
I use Goodyear F1 Asym. 5 on my summer wheels (235 35 r19 on a Leon) and I think the ride is very nearly as comfortable as the car is on my 17” winter wheels. For sure some big bumps are a bit more jarring but it’s not terrible. The difference is not anywhere as big as one would think; and that’s from 19” to 17”.
Maybe think about tyre choice rather than new wheels? All other things being equal, I don’t think going down one wheel size will change the ride that much. Going from OEM test-friendly hard tyres to something with more give may help more.
Jazzjames said:
Tyre choice makes a big difference.
My mum’s GTD rode pretty badly on the Bridgestones it came on. When they were dead I got her some PS4 tyres all round - they transformed the car. More grip, more comfort, a lot less road noise.
I use Goodyear F1 Asym. 5 on my summer wheels (235 35 r19 on a Leon) and I think the ride is very nearly as comfortable as the car is on my 17” winter wheels. For sure some big bumps are a bit more jarring but it’s not terrible. The difference is not anywhere as big as one would think; and that’s from 19” to 17”.
Maybe think about tyre choice rather than new wheels? All other things being equal, I don’t think going down one wheel size will change the ride that much. Going from OEM test-friendly hard tyres to something with more give may help more.
I have had ps4/5 and now have GY Eagle f1 Ass6 and they are quieter and smoother than the M PS.My mum’s GTD rode pretty badly on the Bridgestones it came on. When they were dead I got her some PS4 tyres all round - they transformed the car. More grip, more comfort, a lot less road noise.
I use Goodyear F1 Asym. 5 on my summer wheels (235 35 r19 on a Leon) and I think the ride is very nearly as comfortable as the car is on my 17” winter wheels. For sure some big bumps are a bit more jarring but it’s not terrible. The difference is not anywhere as big as one would think; and that’s from 19” to 17”.
Maybe think about tyre choice rather than new wheels? All other things being equal, I don’t think going down one wheel size will change the ride that much. Going from OEM test-friendly hard tyres to something with more give may help more.
I've got a Golf R on 18s with the passive suspension and generally find the ride surprisingly supple for this kind of car, certainly better than a GTi and far better than a mate's Civic Type R.
I've not tried the 19s, though, and everyone has a different idea of what's acceptable or not.
Maybe try and get a test drive in one on 18s.
Mine came on Bridgestones and was incredibly noisy on some surfaces (notably that section of the M25 between Chertsey and the M23), the Goodyears (F1 Asyms) I now have are a fair bit quieter, but I can't really recall a dramatic change in ride quality.
Some of the potholes, though, still make the car feel as though it's stopped dead, but I think that's more a reflection on the roads than the car.
M
I've not tried the 19s, though, and everyone has a different idea of what's acceptable or not.
Maybe try and get a test drive in one on 18s.
budgie smuggler said:
...you'd run the 18s at lower pressure than the 19s. Looking at the manual for my car, the 225/40 R18 is recommended to have 34PSI, the 225/35 R19 wants 39PSI. I would have thought that would be noticeable?
The manual for my car says 40PSI for the 18s.Mine came on Bridgestones and was incredibly noisy on some surfaces (notably that section of the M25 between Chertsey and the M23), the Goodyears (F1 Asyms) I now have are a fair bit quieter, but I can't really recall a dramatic change in ride quality.
Some of the potholes, though, still make the car feel as though it's stopped dead, but I think that's more a reflection on the roads than the car.
M
Edited by marcosgt on Sunday 23 April 17:03
marcosgt said:
The manual for my car says 40PSI for the 18s.
Mine came on Bridgestones and was incredibly noisy on some surfaces (notably that section of the M25 between Chertsey and the M23), the Goodyears (F1 Asyms) I now have are a fair bit quieter, but I can't really recall a dramatic change in ride quality.
Some of the potholes, though, still make the car feel as though it's stopped dead, but I think that's more a reflection on the roads than the car.
M
What's it say for the 19?Mine came on Bridgestones and was incredibly noisy on some surfaces (notably that section of the M25 between Chertsey and the M23), the Goodyears (F1 Asyms) I now have are a fair bit quieter, but I can't really recall a dramatic change in ride quality.
Some of the potholes, though, still make the car feel as though it's stopped dead, but I think that's more a reflection on the roads than the car.
M
Ps. i know i wrote mine came from the manual, but i meant under the filler cap. 2.4 bar for 18/40 and 2.7 for 19/35. It's an oct vrs.
Edited by budgie smuggler on Monday 24th April 10:24
Living in Devon I've had all sorts of nightmares with punctures and buckled wheels. I had a Golf R 7 on 20" wheels and cracked 2 or them and lost count of how many tyres I got through. I was researching 17s and and 18s - I even bought a set of 17" steels for the winter but from memory they wouldn't fit over the front brake calipers?? Got rid of the car in the end. I've spend the last couple of years ragging around the lanes in an Audi A6 BiTdi - came with 20s, they came straight off and bought a set of used 18s off eBay for not much. Going from 20 to 18 made a really noticeable difference. I still take it steady over the bumps in the lanes and I've managed not to crack any of them (although one got a slight buckle solved with another £60 eBay purchase).
Similar story with the Mrs' Transit Campervan. That came with sexy looking 20s but I took them straight off and put on a set of original Ford 16s. This time going from 20 down to 16 is profoundly better. The Mrs flies over potholes now and has the cheek to tell me I'm a bad driver for cracking so many wheels in the past :-)
Similar story with the Mrs' Transit Campervan. That came with sexy looking 20s but I took them straight off and put on a set of original Ford 16s. This time going from 20 down to 16 is profoundly better. The Mrs flies over potholes now and has the cheek to tell me I'm a bad driver for cracking so many wheels in the past :-)
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