Fitting 15" Rims To Mkii Galaxy

[pandaf]

Hi all, I have recently (6 months ago) managed to find a low-mileage MkII Ghia TDi 130 on '04 plate in near-perfect condition  :)  :)   :) , which I intend to keep for as long as possible. I have previously owned 3 galaxies or equivalents and been very v. happy with them, but this latest seems to have a lot harsher ride  :(  - which I am putting down to    ( a ) the appalling state of our roads  :angry2:     ( b ) my aging body not coping with being bumped about  :wacko: &     ( c) this latest Galaxy having 16" rims (not 15" as fitted to my previous cars).

 

I have some old 15" steel rims to which I had previously fitted winter (M&S) tyres so tried one on  - and lo it fitteth not :glare: !   I understand from research that this is most likely Because I have the upgraded larger brake discs etc that were fitted to the majority of MkII's. So am I stuck? Or is there a solution? (that does not involve major rework, cost or downgrading my lovely car).

 

Why oh Why do car companies insist on fitting lower profile tyres? We are not all racing types or delighted by the "rubber band on aluminium" looks - - surely, for the vast majority of drivers and passengers, practicality is more important? Never mind the cost of replacing damaged alloys and tyres because road bumps and skinny tyres do not mix .........

 

Thanks, Phil (aka pandaf)

[BrianH]

What size tyres do you actually have on it? My MKII is on 215/55/r16 97y and I can't say as its any worse than the MK1 (which was on 15" alloys 195/65 r15 95v tyres). Neither are the skinny rubber band type, and are the recommended sizes for the car (yours should be on a sticker inside the fuel filler cap door if you haven't found it already).

 

I still have the mk1 wheels and tyres, but haven't got round to seeing if they will fit mine yet (hope they will, as there were 4 relatively new tyres on them).

 

I've also had cheap tyres on the MK1 and can confirm they can be bloody awful - Much worse than other cars when cheaper no-name make ones are fitted even if they are upto the correct load rating (the load rating if your not already aware on these is higher than most tyres of those sizes, and if they aren't upto the required load rating the handling suffers somewhat, they also don't last as long as they will wear unevenly).

[pandaf]

What size tyres do you actually have on it? My MKII is on 215/55/r16 97y and I can't say as its any worse than the MK1 (which was on 15" alloys 195/65 r15 95v tyres). Neither are the skinny rubber band type, and are the recommended sizes for the car (yours should be on a sticker inside the fuel filler cap door if you haven't found it already).

 

I still have the mk1 wheels and tyres, but haven't got round to seeing if they will fit mine yet (hope they will, as there were 4 relatively new tyres on them).

 

I've also had cheap tyres on the MK1 and can confirm they can be bloody awful - Much worse than other cars when cheaper no-name make ones are fitted even if they are upto the correct load rating (the load rating if your not already aware on these is higher than most tyres of those sizes, and if they aren't upto the required load rating the handling suffers somewhat, they also don't last as long as they will wear unevenly).

Hi Brian, thanks for reply -

 

the current tyres, bought with car,  are Michelin Primacy (2 well worn will need changing soon) 215/55 16 extra load (97) variously H V & W at the 4 corners; I tend to run them towards the high end of the recommended pressure ranges - partly to save fuel, and partly 'cos I never know what I'll be carrying - I know that this can make the ride harsher but it beats constantly adjusting them as loads change.....

I do know that they are not "skinny rubber bands" but the 15" rims  would give an extra 5/8" (about 15%) of rubber/air between metal and road ......... maybe it's not enough to make a significant difference, but I thought I'd try it since I had the wheels anyway ............

 

Thanks again, Phil 

[BrianH]

 

What size tyres do you actually have on it? My MKII is on 215/55/r16 97y and I can't say as its any worse than the MK1 (which was on 15" alloys 195/65 r15 95v tyres). Neither are the skinny rubber band type, and are the recommended sizes for the car (yours should be on a sticker inside the fuel filler cap door if you haven't found it already).

 

I still have the mk1 wheels and tyres, but haven't got round to seeing if they will fit mine yet (hope they will, as there were 4 relatively new tyres on them).

 

I've also had cheap tyres on the MK1 and can confirm they can be bloody awful - Much worse than other cars when cheaper no-name make ones are fitted even if they are upto the correct load rating (the load rating if your not already aware on these is higher than most tyres of those sizes, and if they aren't upto the required load rating the handling suffers somewhat, they also don't last as long as they will wear unevenly).

Hi Brian, thanks for reply -

 

the current tyres, bought with car,  are Michelin Primacy (2 well worn will need changing soon) 215/55 16 extra load (97) variously H V & W at the 4 corners; I tend to run them towards the high end of the recommended pressure ranges - partly to save fuel, and partly 'cos I never know what I'll be carrying - I know that this can make the ride harsher but it beats constantly adjusting them as loads change.....

I do know that they are not "skinny rubber bands" but the 15" rims  would give an extra 5/8" (about 15%) of rubber/air between metal and road ......... maybe it's not enough to make a significant difference, but I thought I'd try it since I had the wheels anyway ............

 

Thanks again, Phil 

 

If you have them it makes sense to try though as you've found they won't fit yours unfortunately. I'd expect them being branded tyres and the right rating would be ok. It may be down to suspension wear, which the MOT would probabbly highlight if severe enough once its due. Might be worth checking drop links.

 

It might be worth dropping the pressures a bit otherwise to see if it improves, colder temperatures and higher pressures would make the tyres much less flexible?

[pandaf]

 

 

What size tyres do you actually have on it? My MKII is on 215/55/r16 97y and I can't say as its any worse than the MK1 (which was on 15" alloys 195/65 r15 95v tyres). Neither are the skinny rubber band type, and are the recommended sizes for the car (yours should be on a sticker inside the fuel filler cap door if you haven't found it already).

 

I still have the mk1 wheels and tyres, but haven't got round to seeing if they will fit mine yet (hope they will, as there were 4 relatively new tyres on them).

 

I've also had cheap tyres on the MK1 and can confirm they can be bloody awful - Much worse than other cars when cheaper no-name make ones are fitted even if they are upto the correct load rating (the load rating if your not already aware on these is higher than most tyres of those sizes, and if they aren't upto the required load rating the handling suffers somewhat, they also don't last as long as they will wear unevenly).

Hi Brian, thanks for reply -

 

the current tyres, bought with car,  are Michelin Primacy (2 well worn will need changing soon) 215/55 16 extra load (97) variously H V & W at the 4 corners; I tend to run them towards the high end of the recommended pressure ranges - partly to save fuel, and partly 'cos I never know what I'll be carrying - I know that this can make the ride harsher but it beats constantly adjusting them as loads change.....

I do know that they are not "skinny rubber bands" but the 15" rims  would give an extra 5/8" (about 15%) of rubber/air between metal and road ......... maybe it's not enough to make a significant difference, but I thought I'd try it since I had the wheels anyway ............

 

Thanks again, Phil 

 

If you have them it makes sense to try though as you've found they won't fit yours unfortunately. I'd expect them being branded tyres and the right rating would be ok. It may be down to suspension wear, which the MOT would probabbly highlight if severe enough once its due. Might be worth checking drop links.

 

It might be worth dropping the pressures a bit otherwise to see if it improves, colder temperatures and higher pressures would make the tyres much less flexible?

 

Hi Brian, thanks again for your thoughts, has anyone else got anything to add I wonder ..... specifically  indeed any way to solve the 15" rims onto the later MKII front brake discs & calipers ??? surely someone else must have tackled this (and I hope resolved it!). Phil

[BrianH]

 

 

 

What size tyres do you actually have on it? My MKII is on 215/55/r16 97y and I can't say as its any worse than the MK1 (which was on 15" alloys 195/65 r15 95v tyres). Neither are the skinny rubber band type, and are the recommended sizes for the car (yours should be on a sticker inside the fuel filler cap door if you haven't found it already).

 

I still have the mk1 wheels and tyres, but haven't got round to seeing if they will fit mine yet (hope they will, as there were 4 relatively new tyres on them).

 

I've also had cheap tyres on the MK1 and can confirm they can be bloody awful - Much worse than other cars when cheaper no-name make ones are fitted even if they are upto the correct load rating (the load rating if your not already aware on these is higher than most tyres of those sizes, and if they aren't upto the required load rating the handling suffers somewhat, they also don't last as long as they will wear unevenly).

Hi Brian, thanks for reply -

 

the current tyres, bought with car,  are Michelin Primacy (2 well worn will need changing soon) 215/55 16 extra load (97) variously H V & W at the 4 corners; I tend to run them towards the high end of the recommended pressure ranges - partly to save fuel, and partly 'cos I never know what I'll be carrying - I know that this can make the ride harsher but it beats constantly adjusting them as loads change.....

I do know that they are not "skinny rubber bands" but the 15" rims  would give an extra 5/8" (about 15%) of rubber/air between metal and road ......... maybe it's not enough to make a significant difference, but I thought I'd try it since I had the wheels anyway ............

 

Thanks again, Phil 

 

If you have them it makes sense to try though as you've found they won't fit yours unfortunately. I'd expect them being branded tyres and the right rating would be ok. It may be down to suspension wear, which the MOT would probabbly highlight if severe enough once its due. Might be worth checking drop links.

 

It might be worth dropping the pressures a bit otherwise to see if it improves, colder temperatures and higher pressures would make the tyres much less flexible?

 

Hi Brian, thanks again for your thoughts, has anyone else got anything to add I wonder ..... specifically  indeed any way to solve the 15" rims onto the later MKII front brake discs & calipers ??? surely someone else must have tackled this (and I hope resolved it!). Phil

 

 

The only thing i can think of is if its down to misalignment causing your harsh ride - Either due to incorrect tracking etc, or worn bushes somewhere on the suspension.

 

I can tell you the manual for the car does say not to use the older wheels on the mk2 though it doesn't say why, but obviously if the brake assembly is too big to fit inside the wheel (and its close with the mk1 on a 15" wheel to the outside of the caliper anyway) then I doubt it would be possible.

[howey]

Apparantly if your pads are over 50% worn 15"wheels will fit the mk2 fronts with 300mm brake discs but never tried myself!

I have gone for VW T5 16"commercial tyres. Slightly modified my wheel arch liners and on the odd occasions rubs slightly on full lock going down a gradient. Suits the car far better than any car tyre I have tried!

[BrianH]

Toyo tyres (Proxis i think they were called) appear to be pretty good from my experience, Maxxis aren't bad either.

[antzatgalaxy]

Just wanted to confirm (as I think that this was the original question), that 15" rims do not fit on the front of the galaxy MK2 due to brake assembly. I would not try and "resolve" this. You can get them on the back... but suggest, as others have, that this is not your ride issue....   Low profile tyres are fitted on 17" rims. Mine has 225/45R17 94Y XL on, though still wouldn't say they where quite the rubber band type...  Wheels came with car... Like you I also have 15" rims in garage.... why can't I let go......