How do these wheels look? (I'd settle for OK-ish)

"4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30" (4muddyfeet)
08/02/2016 at 08:05 • Filed to: None

I’m about to replace the rubber all-round with either Eagle F1 AS2s or Pilot Sport 4s on the Skoda, but I also want a set of wheels for just the front wrapped in Nankang NS2-Rs for when the dirty diesel gets gas lighted into producing 450 Nm torques so I can have lots of extra grips on a dry summers day.

Do these A8 D2 18"s look OK? I know they’re in shit order but I’ve found a set in good condition, and ignore the wheel arch height, the car hadn’t settled after test fitting. I like them, but I wonder if I’m blinded because the vRS Spiders are hard to get and these are one of the only wheels that will fit correctly without buying new.

DISCUSSION (26)

CalzoneGolem > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
08/02/2016 at 08:09

They look good to me mate.

Flavien Vidal > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
08/02/2016 at 08:14

Forget the eagle f1, it sucks, get the pilot sports. As far as wheels are concerned, sorry but the rear looks much better to me...

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Flavien Vidal
08/02/2016 at 08:21

I wouldn’t say the Eagle F1 sucks. I haven’t used the non-track focused PSS yet, but the Eagle F1s are very good street tires and great in the rain. Not saying it’s better, just saying that sucks is overstating it dramatically. If you want a tire that sucks look at the Firehawk Wide Ovals which are noticeablyy worse than any cheapo all seasons I’ve used.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
08/02/2016 at 08:22

I figure you want to use these with the Nankangs? I think they are not the worst looking wheels, and if they are only used occasionally, the looks shouldn’t be that much of a problem.

Flavien Vidal > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
08/02/2016 at 08:27

Well as far as performance tires go and considering how expensive they are, I think they suck. Very predictive, but the lack of grip compared to other street performance tires is appalling. Had a set of eagle f1 supercar on my Corvette. Not going anywhere near those ever again lol...

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
08/02/2016 at 08:36

The wheels look OK-ish.

Are you sure the PS4s won’t hold up to your abuse? We’ve got PS3s (harder, less grip) on our GTI, and save for some slip when flooring it in first, I haven’t really managed to get them to break traction in the dry/hot.

I’d be wary for changing grip balance as well: the PS4s/F1s should be grippy from cold, while the fronts will go through quite a change from cold to hot (if you drive spiritedly enough to get them hot, that is).

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Flavien Vidal
08/02/2016 at 08:38

Didn’t realize that they made a performance version of them. I’m used to them being more of a normal street tire. The ones I used years ago were some higher rated all seasons (Eagle F1 Asymetrical) and as far as AS tires go, they were incredible. Wear was a bit quicker than usual, but the Firehawks wore even worse except had zero grip or sidewall strength (seriously, I did an accidental burnout leaving the tire shop in my Mazda 3 because they had that little grip and they would roll onto the sidewall even at low speeds). I guess we should be finding out which specific model he’s talking about since Eagle F1 and PSS are all names that span many different models of tires. If going the route of performance summer tires, I’m still a huge Direzza fan.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
08/02/2016 at 08:40

Occasional summer use, fun drives etc. They just need to do a job and not look hideous :)

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > Flavien Vidal
08/02/2016 at 08:42

A bevy of reviews would disagree with you. They happen to be superb in the wet/damp which is my main reason for considering them. They are cheaper than the PS4s by about Ł20 per corner too.

Flavien Vidal > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
08/02/2016 at 08:45

F1 supercar are also rated all season, but were useless if temperatures were too low, not even talking about snow or ice of course lol.

But yeah you’re probably right, PSS have many different types of tires, so those Eagle f1 might be very different from what I had to deal with :)

As far as I’m concerned, for an awesome price/grip/predictability ratio, Yokohama A050, A048 or AD08 are where it’s at :)

Obviously, they are not all season though..

functionoverfashion > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
08/02/2016 at 08:46

Both wheels look good, the fronts look right to me because when I look at that car I see an Audi anyway.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
08/02/2016 at 08:52

Minus the edge chipping, they’re in much better shape than my wheels. A little sanding or some such and they’d be perfectly alright, I’d say. The overall look is good.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
08/02/2016 at 08:55

Will grip balance (if both sets grip well) matter that much on 230hp fwd? In my mind the fronts are under more stress so the more grip the better.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > functionoverfashion
08/02/2016 at 08:58

Your username is particularly apt for this discussion. It’s a Skoda built from a Golf that looks like an Audi. Well done VAG.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
08/02/2016 at 09:13

The problem is not the balance itself (ESP will save you 99% of the time), but rather the change: not sure about the Nankangs, but most track-oriented tyres are quite sensitive to temperature/heat, so you might go from understeer when they’re cold (very little grip in the front) to more oversteery when hot. Nothing dangerous probably, but something to be aware of while driving.

Again, this assumes that you’re flogging it hard enough to get heat into the tyres, otherwise the PS4s will almost certainly provide better grip.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
08/02/2016 at 09:40

There’s two compound options available on the Nankangs, track 120 and street 180, and it’s the 180 compound that I’ll be going for. I will get some heat into the tyres, but it’s not being flogged, just driven spiritedly. The reviews for the Nankangs (few and far between) didn’t mention any issues when cold and nobody has made any notable comments about them needing to warm up. For a company that normally makes really shitty rubber the NS2-R s have fantastic reviews for a road tyre, and considering their bias they’re even B rated for the wet.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
08/02/2016 at 09:49

These were in really poor condition, but I’ve found some on eBay in better nick.

Kinja'd!!!

Although it means a trip to Middlesbrough to collect. Grim.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
08/02/2016 at 09:53

Ah, should be allright then!

The wet rating is not very relevant actually, it’s only a measure of braking performance on a wet road, so you could still aquaplane in the slightest puddle.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > CalzoneGolem
08/02/2016 at 09:59

Dude I knew you’d have my back.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
08/02/2016 at 10:00

One whole hour of driving to get there? I did worse just to go look at that Cadillac the other day. #AmericanDrivingPerspective

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
08/02/2016 at 10:03

O_0 I had no idea. Varied reviews about the Nankangs in the wet, but the forum users seem to get muddled up with the NS2 which by all accounts is a really shitty tyre.

So do they not measure overall wet performance on tyres? Seems like a silly overcite. ‘Oh yeh you’ll stop well enough in a straight line, but don’t try going around corners'.

CalzoneGolem > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
08/02/2016 at 10:04

You need to do something about the Audi rings though. That’s just not right.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
08/02/2016 at 10:04

It’s not the journey. It’s the destination. Seriously, parts of ‘boro are an absolute shithole.

CalzoneGolem > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
08/02/2016 at 10:05

I drove an hour to test drive a Mazda 6 wagon.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
08/02/2016 at 10:06

Noted. I’m assuming not the entertaining kind of shithole either.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
08/02/2016 at 10:22

Yeah, the EU tyre label is very limited, just rolling resistance, wet braking distance and outside noise. Your best bet is to check some magazine/website reviews (or even better: comparisons), they often cover stuff like dry/wet G-force, durability and feel.