# VRT's: Traction on the street/Tires



## slcturbo (Apr 19, 2010)

I'm running some 205/50/15 Falken Azenis RT-615's and they aren't bad when it's warmer out, but as it gets colder these things spin 2nd at only ~10psi. Basically I'm just looking for more traction overall in a wider variety of temps.

It's a fwd Corrado, ~400whp, stock 3.647R&P, gear based boost so less in 1st and 2nd. 

Considering going to a bigger wheel 215/40/17's or putting a 225/50/15 Mickey Thompson ET street radial on the front. I've heard good things about Dunlop Z1 Star Specs and the new Falken RT 615-k as well.

What tires are you guys running? Need more traction:beer:


----------



## MiamiVr6T (Jul 24, 2004)

Don't mess with anything that's not at least a drag radial. For your power I would recommend the MT 225-50-15 you mentioned.


----------



## vwgolfracer26 (Nov 3, 2003)

I got the 225 50 15 mickeys recently on my jetta and they definitely hook. If you heat them up they are sticky as ****. Plus they are wider and an inch taller so you will have a little more gear to hook up with. DO IT :thumbup:


----------



## -:VW:- (Jan 27, 2006)

I have the Azenis' on my GTI-Vr6 Turbo in a 215/45 R16. They aren't too bad but ya... fwd + lots of power = spin... What are you using to set boost differently per gear an EBC I'm assuming?


----------



## DannyLo (Aug 2, 2006)

I know what you mean, i'm only running 8psi right now and my BFG t/a kdw2s don't grip at all in the cold.

At least now with the snow tires the car is driveable, but not on WOT.

Gotta find a nice extreme tire i can run on my 18" summer wheels next summer.


----------



## slcturbo (Apr 19, 2010)

Thanks for the replies guys:thumbup:

I'm running an apexi AVCR boost controller. I run ~15psi in 3rd and 4th in the cold. Still dialing it in, but ~10psi is the lowest I've been able to set it in 1st and 2nd and it's nothing but spin. Trying to get that down to 7.5psi which is what the WG spring is.

To the guys running MT 225/50/15 ET streets. How are they in the cold? 30's-50'sF? Also how do they handle? My BFG DR's were pretty bad. Not looking to take turns on the street like a maniac, but I don't wanna feel like I'm turning on marshmallows either.


----------



## slcturbo (Apr 19, 2010)

Lieutenant Dan said:


> Gotta find a nice extreme tire i can run on my 18" summer wheels next summer.


I don't know if they come in the size you want, but the Dunlop Z1 Star Specs and new Falken Azenis RT615-k's seem to be the clear favorites for value in an extreme performance summer tire.
Still at ~400wtq the little 205's don't stand a chance. Much better above ~60F degrees though.

I was holding traction pretty good at 10-12psi in 2nd gear when it was hot out.


----------



## dasbeast3.0 (Aug 15, 2007)

I run Direzza Star Spec's, 215/40/17 on a 8.5" wheel. Similar setup: Corrado vrt @ 26psi... .82 hotside: T60-1. Also, I have the AVCR w/ gear based boost. Only difference (yes a fairly big one) is I run a 3.38 r/p and code "EWW" 02j gearstack. 
The Direzza's are pretty sticky and take a lot before they break traction. 
At 22 psi (gear based was off), first gear spun, second broke loose around 4,500.. 3rd got a bit squirrely but hooked up, 4th and 5th hooked right up. 
With gear based on, I ran 12, 12, 19, 26 26.. squeaked 2nd (didnt break loose), and hooked up in all 5 gears. Only downside to the Direzzas is they get pretty noisy when they wear, they howl like a bad wheel bearing. Other than that, Star Spec's are a great tire. I'm very happy with them performance-wise. You can fit 225 45 17's on a C without rubbing issues (et 35) providing the car is at a reasonable height. They don't look "scene" but function well for traction.


----------



## slcturbo (Apr 19, 2010)

IM sent:thumbup:


----------



## 98rzvr6 (Nov 12, 2005)

Does anyone actually run 235 wide tires? I have a 8 inch wide wheels so i know they fit but would it look weird on a mk3?


----------



## TBT-Syncro (Apr 28, 2001)

98rzvr6 said:


> Does anyone actually run 235 wide tires? I have a 8 inch wide wheels so i know they fit but would it look weird on a mk3?


not many options in that width.

hell, i cant even get a suitable tire in anything wider than a 225.

to the OP. i have my start boost set low. this way my boost is low in the mid rpm, and gets higher through the rpm range with target boost rigth before red line.

:laugh:


----------



## vwgolfracer26 (Nov 3, 2003)

I feel that the mickey thompsons handle good. Ive even driven the car in heavy rainstorms and they seem to handle great. I didnt get any hydroplaning on the highway. Just keep the tires at 30 psi. In the cold 30F I am breaking the tires loose in 1st 2nd and 3rd hooks up after a little spinning 4th and 5th no spin. That is on a ccm with 3.94 r&p. (i know 3.94 is retarded on boost but i built this tranny pre boost and im changing it back to stock gearing soon.)If you heat them up with a burnout before a run they are much much stickier though.


----------



## slcturbo (Apr 19, 2010)

TBT-Syncro said:


> not many options in that width.
> 
> hell, i cant even get a suitable tire in anything wider than a 225.
> 
> ...


Good advice. Still tuning the AVCR:thumbup: Unfortunately I got it hooked up right as it was getting cold. It's hard to tune when you are spinnng even 7-10psi in 1st and 2nd.


----------



## slcturbo (Apr 19, 2010)

vwgolfracer26 said:


> I feel that the mickey thompsons handle good. Ive even driven the car in heavy rainstorms and they seem to handle great. I didnt get any hydroplaning on the highway. Just keep the tires at 30 psi. In the cold 30F I am breaking the tires loose in 1st 2nd and 3rd hooks up after a little spinning 4th and 5th no spin. That is on a ccm with 3.94 r&p. (i know 3.94 is retarded on boost but i built this tranny pre boost and im changing it back to stock gearing soon.)If you heat them up with a burnout before a run they are much much stickier though.


Thanks. I'm sure the MT 225/50/15 will be my best option straight line traction wise. Approved rim width is 6-8" so I could run those on my stock speedlines as well:thumbup:


----------



## vwgolfracer26 (Nov 3, 2003)

i have mine on a borbet type s 7.5" wide. They bulge a little bit. Goodluck on your quest for traction.


----------



## GinsterMan98 (May 19, 2008)

Yeah, I don't drive my car much on the street, it will spin third now on Toyo Prada spec 2's. Oh man does it feel good now that its cold. Glad you got your boost control working. I want to maybe do something similar.:thumbup:


----------



## DannyLo (Aug 2, 2006)

slcturbo said:


> I don't know if they come in the size you want, but the Dunlop Z1 Star Specs and new Falken Azenis RT615-k's seem to be the clear favorites for value in an extreme performance summer tire.
> Still at ~400wtq the little 205's don't stand a chance. Much better above ~60F degrees though.
> 
> I was holding traction pretty good at 10-12psi in 2nd gear when it was hot out.


I'm thinking that next summer I'm going to go with either MT or BFG Drag radials. They make them in 245/40-R18 which is the perfect size for my wheels...and it's that much more traction I can get now, plus then I can just drive to the track and drive home 

It's something I have to deal with since I don't want to give up my big brake kit. I'll make the best compromise i can make


----------



## slcturbo (Apr 19, 2010)

Lieutenant Dan said:


> I'm thinking that next summer I'm going to go with either MT or BFG Drag radials. They make them in 245/40-R18 which is the perfect size for my wheels...and it's that much more traction I can get now, plus then I can just drive to the track and drive home
> 
> It's something I have to deal with since I don't want to give up my big brake kit. I'll make the best compromise i can make


:thumbup:It's always a compromise with a street car.

I'm honestly considering just running the MT's at the strip as well. Will be nice to just drive to the track and drive home(hopefully). The slicks will give you a better ET, but packing up the slicks, jack, tools, different lugs, wheelspacers, etc. swapping them on at the track and then taking them off at 10pm in the dark gets to be a bit of a pita. Guess I'm getting old I just want to drive it there, run, and drive home.

Leaning towards the 225/50/15 MT's. If they suck on the street I'll just run them at the track.

I ran 205/50/15 BFG's and they definitely gave more traction than street tires, but I've heard time and time again that the MT ET street radials are ALOT better.


----------



## pimS (Jan 7, 2009)

Are you running an lsd? without my peloquin i was spinning in 5th on a cold highway

At the moment i'm running 21psi on 93 octane, turbonetics T04E, stock 2.8, 7.6:1 CR with peloquin lsd.

Still using uber-budget nankang ns2 tyres.
Does alsmost nothing in 1st, pulls like mad in 2'nd spinning 2 wheels, and hooks up in third without squirming.

i'm switching to federal FK452's in 215/35/17 on 8.5x17 wheels, should give me a lot of extra grip


----------



## slcturbo (Apr 19, 2010)

Peloquin LSD has been in the car for 5 years. Alot of it is the tires in the cold honestly. Yesterday it spun 2nd as soon as I hit ~8-9psi. It was about 39 degrees out. I can feel the tire is really hard and slick, almost shiny. I've read that about the old Falken RT615's. They aren't as good as some other extreme summer tires in the cold. 

The other thing is the ring and pinion/wheel combo. A 3.65 R&P with a 16lb. 15" wheel is gonna spin more than a 3.38 with 17's or 18's. That 3.65 really helps me at the track though and the 50 series tires make driving the car tolerable. I'm ~2miles from Philly and our roads are horrible.


----------



## PjS860ct (Dec 22, 2002)

Ive became a fan of the MT drag radials when I first used them 2 years ago. First I had the 205/50/15s on and they were awesome... still spins 1st gear but hook good after that (pushing 14-15psi back then on my PT-61 turbo). Then I upped the psi to about 20 and it will spin to 2nd when cold, but once you do 1 or 2 passes on them it hooks 2nd ok on the street. I had 14psi tire pressure in them when Im having fun on the street and racing (dig races) 

around September this year I bought the 225/50/15s MT radials and I love them! The extra tallness gives me more mph up top which is nice in 3rd and 4th gear reving to 7k... cleared my coils with it mounted on stock pina rims and my car is dropped a little... it gets so much traction when its heated that I stripped my 3rd (again :banghead lol... 

225 = left 205 = right




































:beer:


----------



## dubbinmk2 (Jan 15, 2008)

your an animal when you drive lol....  but it's all good that's whats it's all about. ahahha...


----------



## MiamiVr6T (Jul 24, 2004)

98rzvr6 said:


> Does anyone actually run 235 wide tires? I have a 8 inch wide wheels so i know they fit but would it look weird on a mk3?


I used the 235/60/15 MT and it was a good tire. Only thing was that rolling in 3rd gear will put you at 70mph at a decent rpm using the stock 3.39 r&p. I am trying out a new tire about the same size that should be stickier. Only this time I'll also be using a very nice boost controller


----------



## [email protected] (Aug 25, 2010)

finding a decent tire in this cold ass weather is a pain with FWD....my poor 8v just shreds the tires in 3rd gear even at 20psi....kinda sucks when all the damn stg3 s4's wanna play with me:banghead::laugh:


----------



## PjS860ct (Dec 22, 2002)

put some lead blocks on the front to keep it down  i also love snacking on s4's with my carat


----------



## slcturbo (Apr 19, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> finding a decent tire in this cold ass weather is a pain with FWD....my poor 8v just shreds the tires in 3rd gear even at 20psi....kinda sucks when all the damn stg3 s4's wanna play with me:banghead::laugh:


Is it ever. What it will hold(boost) in 2nd/3rd in 80-90 degree temps is almost double to what I can run when it's in the 30's. I don't remember it being this bad last year. Seems like the Falken 615's have gotten harder/more slick.


----------



## [email protected] (Aug 25, 2010)

slcturbo said:


> Is it ever. What it will hold(boost) in 2nd/3rd in 80-90 degree temps is almost double to what I can run when it's in the 30's. I don't remember it being this bad last year. Seems like the Falken 615's have gotten harder/more slick.


 right! my friend has the toyo R888's on his mk2 vrt at 10psi and those were hooking good even in 2nd down to around 50* but below that...it was just sad.


----------



## slcturbo (Apr 19, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> right! my friend has the toyo R888's on his mk2 vrt at 20psi and those were hooking good even in 2nd down to around 50* but below that...it was just sad.


Heavily leaning toward a 225/50/15 DR. I just don't think a 205/50/15 street tire is ever gonna cut it at this power level.

Look at what power fwd cars OE engineers put them on. 170-225 hp cars. Our Volvo S60T-5 which is 247hp I think got 235's and that's with torque reduction in 1st gear. That car has ~half the power I do and was designed with a 30mm wider tire.


----------



## zwogti (Jan 11, 2004)

best tires will be the MT 225-50-15 , run around 14PSI on them, with temperature below 60* you will have a problem to warm up any tires to make them hook, my car used to hook ok till Florida got the temperatures below 60*, now I don't have traction in 3rd gear at 100MPH, the main problem is the weather not the tire, work on the boost control and lower the boost down. no metter what tires you put on your car, with the cold weather up there, the tires are not going to warm up. its just too cold.


----------



## sleepin gti (Jan 21, 2011)

not tryin to thread jack here but in my vrt im runnin roughly 20lbs right around 500whp and im also wonderin if theres a tire that you guys would suggest for western pa summers. i dont drive it in the winter and only in rain when i get caught far from home lol.... any suggestions are appreciated. 

thanks guys


----------



## slcturbo (Apr 19, 2010)

sleepin gti said:


> not tryin to thread jack here but in my vrt im runnin roughly 20lbs right around 500whp and im also wonderin if theres a tire that you guys would suggest for western pa summers. i dont drive it in the winter and only in rain when i get caught far from home lol.... any suggestions are appreciated.
> 
> thanks guys


 What size wheel? 

Gonna be tough to beat a MT 225/50/15 DR for dry traction. 

Extreme summer tire, the Falken 615-k and Dunlop Z1 star specs get great reviews for the $$. 

What was said above is correct though. I remember doing some 15psi pulls in 95 degree weather this summer and I had traction in 2nd gear. Making less power + sticky tire. 
40 degrees out the car spins 2nd at 8psi.


----------



## sleepin gti (Jan 21, 2011)

last summer and fall i was runnin 17" fat fives with beyond bald kumho 205/40/17 tires. obviously with the power stated above 1st and 2nd were a joke and 3rd would catch about mid gear but had less traction as the temps dropped gettin closer to winter. i was lookin into drag radials but my buddy has a built lexus and he didnt suggest runnin them all the time. my vrt isnt a track car or anything like that its just my weekend warrior more or less just to take out on the highway and beat up on all the college kids with more money than taste lol... 

thanks for the help man :thumbup:


----------



## PjS860ct (Dec 22, 2002)

Im always on my MT radial all year last year and the year before... But i do get a new set of tires every year bcus by the end of september my drag radials r close to bald


----------



## R32Smoker (Oct 21, 2010)

I'm running 235 Michelin PS2's on my Jetta VRT w/ 17x8 ASA AR1's. I've been spinning like mad in 1st and 2nd at only 10 psi lately, but it's been in the 30's for forever. 3rd has been gripping perfect at 18 psi though. I'm really looking forward to some warmer weather. :snowcool: 

I'm actually scared to run anything grippier since the first time at the track my tranny grenaded upon launch on my street tires :banghead: How are your guys trannies holding up with so much traction on drag radials?


----------



## PjS860ct (Dec 22, 2002)

Trans has never granaded at the track.. U need to pre load the gears/axles... But i did stripped 2 3rd gears on the street last year on 2 different trans with quaife.. But i think thats due to not seeing a crack or bump on the highway... Or maybe even letting the clutch out to quickly n the gear hasnt fully engaged yet...


----------



## ALLGORIMSHOW (Jul 1, 2002)

Hoosier 17310 :thumbup:


----------



## sleepin gti (Jan 21, 2011)

anyone have any experience with the bfg kdw tires? 

thanks guys


----------



## GinsterMan98 (May 19, 2008)

*edit*

worng thread, sorry.


----------

