15X6 wheels in ITB?

[chewy8000]

Looks like I can run these on my 84' GTI? I believe the new rule states you can move up to 15X6 wheels. They come in 4X100 patterns. Any pros or cons running them. Not an upgrade anytime soon but I like having options. They are fairly cheap and tires prices are about the same for this size.

http://www.performance-cafe.com/product_in...b784b6cfc62d2c8 (http://www.performance-cafe.com/product_info.php?cPath=255_256&products_id=1512&osCsid=8e4621ab4ad794829b784b6cfc62d2c8)

Tristan

[Knestis]

I'd tend to think that shorter tires would be better. What brand/size tires are you thinking about, and how big are they? I'd also be curious how much those weigh.

K

[JohnRW]

15x6's will slow down your Rabbit. Too heavy, and more tire than you need. Stick with 13's...your laptimes will thank you.

[chewy8000]

Got it. Thanks for the advice. I guess I really don't need to spend money on stuff I already have and functions.

[ScotMac]

Yep, if you go w/ the 15's, you will still have to go w/ the same size tires, to fit them on the 6" wheel (the smaller profile typically are 7/7.5"+ width wheels), which will increase your ride height and add weight.

However, finding the 13 or 14's is a complete pain in the a$$ (see my other thread!)...could be a bit easier for you, since you are 4x100 bolt pattern, right?

[shwah]

The ITB Rabbit only has the option of 14 or 15" wheels, as the Rabbit GTI was only ever offered with 14" wheels. This is not a bad thing, as wheels and tires are very available in that size.

[Eric Parham]

I've run 13", 14" and 15" on my ITB and ITC Sciroccos. The order of my use was 13, 14, 13, 15, so I can only really compare the 14 and 15 to the 13, and not directly to each other. All wheels were 6" wide, and weighed from 8-13 lbs without tires. I've already accounted for gearing, so that can be neglected in the results.

13" with Hoosier R4/R5 225/45-13. With a MacStrut limited car like the VWs, the 13s do have the advantage of getting the car lower. The small diameter tires still available can also help with gearing for ITC. The 13s were actually not my lightest wheels, but the tire/wheel combo was lighter than the others (although significantly heavier than with the old Hoosier Street TDs). Unfortunately, both the feel and ultimate grip of this combo fell short of the others. The drag of the wider tire also seemed to be a factor at faster tracks.

14" with Goodyear GSCS in 195/60-14. Responsiveness (turn-in, etc.) was much better than the 13s, but ultimate grip seemed only slightly better (too close to call since different brands). Drag was greatly reduced at faster tracks compared to the wider 13s. These were faster than the 13s, but a bit less forgiving (surprisingly).

15" with Hoosier R5 205/50-15. Responsiveness was excellent -- I consciously had to delay turn-in compared to the 13s, and ultimate grip was even better. Lap times fell by roughly 1 sec compared to the 13s. These were actually more confidence-inspiring than the 13s, at least after they were warmed up (which did take longer).

Without a doubt, I'd definitely recommend the 205/50-15 for ITB, especially if you're currently using a 14 that's wider than 205. There's more grip, less drag, and really no down side that I can think of. It's a tougher call for ITC, but only due to gearing issues.

[racer_tim]

Eric, I can imagine that you only used 2-3-4 in your 5 speed box with both the 14" and the 15" tire?

I know that when I ran my GTI in ITB, running the Toyo 205-55-14 I NEVER used 5th gear, but since I converted to GP, and run the 20x8x13 slick, I only use 3-4-5 at the same tracks.

This is with a stock close ratio 020 box, with a 3.94 R&P.

Bottom line, if you change your R&P to a 4.50 or 4.83, go with a "taller" tire, other wise, it depends on the track and the overall diameter of the tire/wheel package.