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Pothole resistant tires?

Sooz

Ready to race!
Location
NJ
I've only had my '09 GTI 4-door for about a month (maybe less) and I've already blown out a tire on a pothole (I hit it avoiding another one at night in wet roads).

I love my 18", but New Jersey is riddled with potholes and I'm a little nervous about how many more times I'm going to have to deal with NOT having it covered under roadside assistance and having to change my tire in the mud. Obviously if I were stronger and able to hold the tire in place while I put it back on, it wouldn't be a big deal. :p but there aren't even bolts to stick out and mount the tire on. so cheap.

my question is,

are there any tires out there that are thicker and more durable in the face of potholes for an 18" wheel? (my tires are the all-season sport, but I'm not sure the name. they came stock)
 

MDgti08

Go Kart Champion
Location
California
im sorry to hear that. same thing happen to me. i had to buy the tire which cost me 204. i recommend i get the road hazard warranty with your next tires. its like 20 bucks a tire and they will replace it for free if they cant fix it. and for tires im going with some tokohama sdrive.
 

VancouverGTI

Go Kart Champion
Location
Vancouver
Be careful about road hazard warranties, as not all include pothole damage! You might be able to get the city to pay for damage though. Take a photo of the pothole, take note of the date and how long the pothole has been there, and then send a copy of your receipt.

As for a more resilient tire, I wish I had some advice to offer beyond going with a 17" set of wheels and tires for the winter months.
 

MDgti08

Go Kart Champion
Location
California
^ yeah i sent a claim into cal trans but those ppl try their best not 2 pay. i went to american tires and they cover it. and best of luck op
 

g_berserk

Smartass in Training
Location
Mexico
Car(s)
SEAT Ibiza FR
Runflat tires are probably the most sidewall resistan out there, but they're not cheap.

But if you still have the missfortune of blowing one of them to the point of it being destroyed and not able to move the car to a sfer, dryer location to make the change, some tire stores (like tirerack) have road hazzard programs to cover up the cost of a new one.

I also hate having lugnuts instead of studs on the disc and nuts on the wheel :mad0259:
You can put just the top lugnut on the wheel while aligning it on place and slightly tighten it by hand (just a couple turns) and it will kind of hold it in place till you put the rest.
Also try to carry a pair of mechanic gloves on the trunk :smile:

Or.... you can try Dan's solution:
http://www.golfmkv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47862
 

theholycow

Go Kart Champion
Location
Glocester, RI
Car(s)
1980 Buick LeSabre
Try inflating your tires more. Contrary to popular belief, car tires aren't like bicycle tires; they don't pop from a sudden pressure increase when they're compressed by a pothole. Instead, the sidewall gets cut by the pothole edge, or in extreme cases, it gets cut by the rim. Increased pressure makes it less squishy so the sidewall won't get cut as easily. It also helps steering response/handling in general, fuel economy, and (in my experience) wear.

The inflation rating posted on the car is the minimum required for safety with the size tires that came on the car, chosen by the marketing department to sell a comfortable ride...but more pressure is usually barely even noticable.

YMMV. If you find that it adversely affects handling or results in an uncomfortable ride you reduce it back to the pressure posted on the car. Never reduce it lower than the car's posted pressure (unless you're driving at low speeds in thick sand), and you should not exceed the pressure stamped on the tire itself.
 

DankCIA

BYOB
Location
West Chester Pa
Car(s)
2008 VW GTI FSI
With the smaller sidewall the tires are more susceptible to damage from the road. I opted for 17's because of the road conditions in PA (which are considerably better than NJ)

Generally with the road hazard packages they cover the tread and you're responsible for the sidewall. Make sure you read into the specific terms and conditions of the individual road hazard package as they vary and do not always guarantee a free replacement.

That being said, I just bought new tires and opted for the road hazard package. I'm not usually the kind of person that opts for additional warranties, but tires are an item that receives constant abuse and I'm willing to pay the extra upfront to give me (some) assistance if anything comes up.
 

DankCIA

BYOB
Location
West Chester Pa
Car(s)
2008 VW GTI FSI
Try inflating your tires more. Contrary to popular belief, car tires aren't like bicycle tires; they don't pop from a sudden pressure increase when they're compressed by a pothole. Instead, the sidewall gets cut by the pothole edge, or in extreme cases, it gets cut by the rim. Increased pressure makes it less squishy so the sidewall won't get cut as easily. It also helps steering response/handling in general, fuel economy, and (in my experience) wear.

The inflation rating posted on the car is the minimum required for safety with the size tires that came on the car, chosen by the marketing department to sell a comfortable ride...but more pressure is usually barely even noticable.

YMMV. If you find that it adversely affects handling or results in an uncomfortable ride you reduce it back to the pressure posted on the car. Never reduce it lower than the car's posted pressure (unless you're driving at low speeds in thick sand), and you should not exceed the pressure stamped on the tire itself.

Increasing tire pressure above the recommended PSI will lead to premature and uneven wearing on the middle of the tires. In addition over inflating tires can reduce grip due to less surface area touching the pavement. Any uneven wear will void any treadwear warranty the tires have and you'll end up replacing the tires well before their expected life.

You would be better off and a lot safer to just buy a tire with a stiffer sidewall instead of over inflating your tires.
 

theholycow

Go Kart Champion
Location
Glocester, RI
Car(s)
1980 Buick LeSabre
Increasing tire pressure above the recommended PSI will lead to premature and uneven wearing on the middle of the tires. In addition over inflating tires can reduce grip due to less surface area touching the pavement.

You can cite as much propoganda as you want, I have >400,000 miles experience with this issue. The fears never materialize, especially if you give a small amount of attention to getting the right amount of increased pressure (don't just pump it up to the max, try adjusting it a few times until you get it right).

I've been doing it since I discovered it in 1997 with some excessively soft tires, whose edges were wearing badly. Since then, I've compared repeatedly:
- I've only found one set of tires that has suffered from center wear when inflated to the sidewall-stamped maximum pressure (easy solution: Don't go quite that high -- like I said, back it off a bit).
- With the exception of the rear tires on my pickup needing 72psi instead of 80psi, they ALL handled better for me with additional pressure.
 

theholycow

Go Kart Champion
Location
Glocester, RI
Car(s)
1980 Buick LeSabre
Hey, wait a minute...if the OP is already destroying tires on potholes, why would he care about treadwear anyway?
 

theholycow

Go Kart Champion
Location
Glocester, RI
Car(s)
1980 Buick LeSabre
On the handling issue...here's some references that suggest it might not totally destroy your handling:

San Francisco region SCCA chapter
http://www.sfrscca.com/solo2/faq/auto.htm#115
Just before you get to the autocross site, stop at a service station and pump up your tires to 42 psi or so. It sounds high, but you will need extra air in those tires to prevent them from rolling over onto the sidewalls during hard cornering.

Tirerack's page on autocross racing:
http://www.tirerack.com/features/solo2/handbook.htm#tips
Tires: You've already read that you should put an extra 10 to 15 psi in your tires. The reason for this is to keep your tires from rolling under during hard cornering. But how much is too much? Put chalk on the edges of your tire, in three places around the diameter, and you can see how far over the tire was going during your runs. Bleed out a little if the chalk is still showing on the tread, or add a little more if the chalk has been worn off down the sidewall. The line of worn chalk to remaining chalk should be right at the corner of the tread and sidewall. Keep notes on how many psi you ran, and where the chalk line was, for your next event.

Remember that as you get better and corner harder, you'll need more air to compensate, so keep using the chalk at every event.

If it's good enough handling for autocross racing, it should be fine handling for street use.

A site for police officers:
http://www.officer.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=19&id=27281
Higher pressure results in better performance, decreased tire wear, and it lessens your chance of hydroplaning at a given speed. [...]

Many agencies maintain tire pressure at 35 psi since this is what is listed in the owner's manual and on the door placard. [...] You are not looking for a soft and cushy ride, you want performance. [...]

The tires will not balloon out creating a peak in the center portion of the tread when tire pressure is above 35 psi. There is a steel belt that prevents this from happening. Also, you are not overstressing the tire with higher pressure, and the tire will not be forced off the rim with higher pressure. [...]

If you were able to watch a tire as it travels across the ground at high speed, you would see that it deflects to one side during cornering. The faster you are going through a corner, the more tire deflection you get. As the tire deflects over onto the sidewall, you get less traction and more of a tendency to understeer or oversteer. [...] Higher pressure keeps the tire from deflecting onto the sidewall as much, which keeps more of the treaded portion on the road. A good demonstration for EVOC instructors is to have students drive a high-speed course in a vehicle with 32 to 35 psi. Then have them run the same course with 44 to 50 psi in the tires. The student will experience a marked difference in performance. [...]

Tire manufactures and the Association of Law Enforcement Emergency Response Trainers International (ALERT) have shown that tires have more of a tendency to hydroplane when pressure is low. [...]

In 1999 the San Jose Police Department realized a significant cost savings by increasing the pressure in the training fleet to 50 psi. They soon followed up by increasing the pressure in the patrol fleet to 44 psi. [...]

Tirerack even supports inflation beyond the sidewall-stamped maximum for some conditions:
In order to accommodate higher speeds, the tire size and inflation pressure recommendations are tuned beyond what is branded on the tire's sidewalls.
Even I don't recommend that!

I'm not saying that everyone should go out and shove 60psi in their tires...just that the OP, who has a problem to solve, could try a few more pounds of air on an otherwise lost cause before spending money on new tires (and maybe new wheels to go with them).
 

g_berserk

Smartass in Training
Location
Mexico
Car(s)
SEAT Ibiza FR
About pumping up tire pressure...
this is what I do most of the time (taken from a jeep site 'cause I'm lazy) but you get the idea.
for AutoX and spirited driving I put an extra 5 psi on all of them


What to do?

Checking proper tire inflation is rather simple and requires some chalk or a utility crayon.

Make a mark all the way across each tire.

Drive the Jeep for a short distance, a straight line is best.

Note the wear pattern in the chalk. If there is chalk left at the edge the tire is over inflated. Chalk left in the center means it's under-inflated. A clean pattern indicates the pressure is just right. Make a note of the pressure for future reference. This procedure would need to be performed again of different size or style tires are added.



Chalk Line



Over Inflated


Proper Inflation
 

DankCIA

BYOB
Location
West Chester Pa
Car(s)
2008 VW GTI FSI
On the handling issue...here's some references that suggest it might not totally destroy your handling:

San Francisco region SCCA chapter
http://www.sfrscca.com/solo2/faq/auto.htm#115


Tirerack's page on autocross racing:
http://www.tirerack.com/features/solo2/handbook.htm#tips


If it's good enough handling for autocross racing, it should be fine handling for street use.

A site for police officers:
http://www.officer.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=19&id=27281


Tirerack even supports inflation beyond the sidewall-stamped maximum for some conditions:

Even I don't recommend that!

I'm not saying that everyone should go out and shove 60psi in their tires...just that the OP, who has a problem to solve, could try a few more pounds of air on an otherwise lost cause before spending money on new tires (and maybe new wheels to go with them).

From Tirerack http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=1
"Disadvantages of Overinflation

An overinflated tire is stiff and unyielding and the size of its footprint in contact with the road is reduced. If a vehicle's tires are overinflated by 6 psi, they could be damaged more easily when encountering potholes or debris in the road, as well as experience irregular tread wear. Higher inflated tires cannot isolate road irregularities as well causing the vehicle to ride harsher and transmit more noise into its interior. However, higher inflation pressures reduce rolling resistance slightly and typically provide a slight improvement in steering response and cornering stability. This is why participants who use street tires in autocrosses, track events and road races run higher than normal inflation pressures."

Autocrossing =/= daily driving. What is fine for the track is not always what's safe for the street. If you autocross you car you're more concerned with steering response and stability not treadwear or pot holes.

Better tread would give her (OP) a little more of a chance of driving around the pot holes, which should be everyone's goal! I don't want to meet the nut job who goes pot hole hunting in a GTI :yikes:
 

theholycow

Go Kart Champion
Location
Glocester, RI
Car(s)
1980 Buick LeSabre

From the same page:
However, higher inflation pressures reduce rolling resistance slightly and typically provide a slight improvement in steering response and cornering stability

Better tread would give her (OP) a little more of a chance of driving around the pot holes, which should be everyone's goal! I don't want to meet the nut job who goes pot hole hunting in a GTI :yikes:

You're right. Instead of trying something different, those tires should be discarded right now and replaced with new tires that may or may not be better.
[/sarcasm]

I can even assemble the tirerack quote from your link with your own words: "a slight improvement in steering response and cornering stability" "would give her (OP) a little more of a chance of driving around the pot holes", for free.

I know that the article says that it could cause a blowout, but I'm here to tell you that increase resistance to blowouts and damage is one of the big advantages I've experienced in long-term use of increased inflation pressures. Have you tried it with lots of different tires on lots of different vehicles over the course of hundreds of thousands of miles? I have.
 

DankCIA

BYOB
Location
West Chester Pa
Car(s)
2008 VW GTI FSI
That sentence explains why people overinflate their tires for autocross. You are just picking specific sentences and taking them out of their context to fit your opinion.

I haven't spent hundreds of thousands of miles driving - I appreciate your experience, but I would consider Tirerack way more of an expert on tires and if you look at the WHOLE article you can tell their opinion on the matter.
 
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