Improved steering feel ?

[Daniel43]

I still have the stock Potenza S001s on my 2017 R (18" Cadiz - covered about 5.3K miles) but do not get much in the way of steering feel/feedback. I wondered if changing the tyres would improve this or would it be down to bushes, camber angles, etc. I also find the Potenzas noisy and lacking in the fuel economy department. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[PhilC22]

Change the tyres anyway! Potenza's are pretty awful in most regards. It's really poor form that VW and Audi fit them to new cars.

As for "steering feel" (weight, feedback, etc) , changing the tyres won't help much I don't think.

It's the way VAG cars are set up (Audi's are arguably worse).

Steering is very light and can only be improved slightly by selecting 'sport' driving mode.

 

 

[Daniel43]

Cheers Phil. I am thinking the MPS4 tyres would be a better choice going by the tyre thread.

[Andygo]

Absolutely, get them on!

 

I put 4 new MP4s's on my 19" wheels (7.5R, Prets) to replace my worn, but still quiet and super grippy worn out MP4s's.

 

Reminded me just how just ridiculous the grip is, even in cold conditions from these boots!

 

My son has them on his previously Dunlop equipped 7.5r. He loves' em!

[Daniel43]

Cheers Andygo, as I have the 18 inch cadiz wheels I have to go for the MPS4 tyres. Are they much different from the MPS4S on the 19 inch wheels ?

[goodbadboy]

15 hours ago, Daniel43 said:

I still have the stock Potenza S001s on my 2017 R (18" Cadiz - covered about 5.3K miles) but do not get much in the way of steering feel/feedback. I wondered if changing the tyres would improve this or would it be down to bushes, camber angles, etc. I also find the Potenzas noisy and lacking in the fuel economy department. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

MPS4's...

[golf7.5r]

Changing tyres to the MPS4S will help a bit, but you should really get a 4 wheel alignment done if you haven't already - make sure it's a reputable place, preferably with the hunter alignment kit. Fit a rear ARB too.

 

You can change the way the steering feels with vcds or OBD11 - it firms up the steering and takes away that very light feel.

[Booth11]

It’s a shame that MPS4S aren’t available for 18” wheels but MPS4 aren’t shabby by any means, still a great tyre and will be night and day to your Potenzas.  As others have said, start with swapping the tyres which should make some noticeable difference to the feedback and not least give you a much improved ride and much less road noise than your current tyres.  Try the steering in Sport mode which makes it a little heavier but it suits some driving scenarios better than others.   Does your car have DCC?  As changing the DCC setting can also slightly improve the steering feel.  A Hunter 4 Wheel alignment is always worth doing especially after a winter of potholes taking their toll. 

[Daniel43]

Cheers goodbadboy but MPS4S not available on 18s. I have not noticed any steering issue that would require alignment (uneven wear, car wondering in straight line, etc) but will not dismiss, only do 2k miles a year so would be surprised if it was out. Would you get VW to do alignment ? Cheers golf7.5r, would really prefer to keep car stock whilst still under warranty (and I don't know what the ARB, vcds or OBD11 are). Cheers Booth11, seems like general view is to change to MPS4 tyres and yes, I do have the DCC.

 

One question I have is, how do you put your car details in at the bottom of posts ?

[gregozedobe]

If you want to stick with 18" tyres it might be worth checking out the new Goodyear F1 Supersport tyres (not the track-biased variants).  These have had some very good reviews, and I'm considering fitting them to my Octavia (18" wheels). 

 

I found the 18" MPS4 tyres were very good when new, but once they got to over 2 years old the grip in the wet had dropped off a bit (they still had plenty of tread depth).  Mind you, this is on my Octy which has a bit too much power for FWD to cope well.

[Booth11]

16 minutes ago, Daniel43 said:

Cheers goodbadboy but MPS4S not available on 18s. I have not noticed any steering issue that would require alignment (uneven wear, car wondering in straight line, etc) but will not dismiss, only do 2k miles a year so would be surprised if it was out. Would you get VW to do alignment ? Cheers golf7.5r, would really prefer to keep car stock whilst still under warranty (and I don't know what the ARB, vcds or OBD11 are). Cheers Booth11, seems like general view is to change to MPS4 tyres and yes, I do have the DCC.

 

One question I have is, how do you put your car details in at the bottom of posts ?

Seems sensible to start with a change of tyres and see what improvement that gives.  If you do decide to get the alignment checked out, have a look here to find a place in your location that does the Hunter 4 Wheel alignment https://www.alignmycar.co.uk

 

 

For setting a signature at the bottom of your posts (only visible when using full desktop site) you need 25 posts first then the option comes available.  Have a look in this thread for how to set a signature up once you have the 25 posts. If using a desktop/laptop then the menus will be accessed slightly differently but essentially in the same place under your profile account settings.  

 

 

[Daniel43]

On 02/03/2020 at 10:02, gregozedobe said:

If you want to stick with 18" tyres it might be worth checking out the new Goodyear F1 Supersport tyres (not the track-biased variants).  These have had some very good reviews, and I'm considering fitting them to my Octavia (18" wheels). 

 

I found the 18" MPS4 tyres were very good when new, but once they got to over 2 years old the grip in the wet had dropped off a bit (they still had plenty of tread depth).  Mind you, this is on my Octy which has a bit too much power for FWD to cope well.

Cheers for this suggestion Greg. I think these might be the ones at some point (still got about 4mm left on all tyres). It is between the MP4S and the GY F1 SS. I think the side wall is stiffer on the GY so will give more feedback but reduced ride comfort compared to MP4S. The DCC takes care of the comfort. Not sure about the side wall stiffness of the BS pots but never liked BS pots (used to have them on an old CTR EP3 - awful lack of grip in wet). Will eventually get the GY F1 SS I think, but many months to go before really needing them. Only just past 6k miles now and car will be three in Dec.

[dj219957]

or use obdeleven to disable "straight line running" in control unit 44. This will give you the feedback you crave. 

[DustyBones]

On 02/03/2020 at 10:02, gregozedobe said:

I found the 18" MPS4 tyres were very good when new, but once they got to over 2 years old the grip in the wet had dropped off a bit (they still had plenty of tread depth).  Mind you, this is on my Octy which has a bit too much power for FWD to cope well.

 

WOW 😲 you have had tyres that have lasted over two years. I am lucky to get just over a year due to the miles I do. PS4 are a pretty good tyre though and certainly will out perform the now very old Potenza's - OP would certainly see an improvement.

[gregozedobe]

37 minutes ago, DustyBones said:

WOW 😲 you have had tyres that have lasted over two years. I am lucky to get just over a year due to the miles I do. PS4 are a pretty good tyre though and certainly will out perform the now very old Potenza's - OP would certainly see an improvement.

 

Two years is nothing.  I once had an old Holden V8 ute with tyres that were over ten years old, by that stage all they did was keep the rims from touching the ground, looking for traction as well was definitely way more than they could deliver.  It did teach me quite a bit about power oversteer, but hard braking in the wet was something to be approached with caution (light rear end, no ABS, old tyres = a bad combination)

 

These days I have bit more money so I always replace tyres when they get more than 5 years old, or sooner if the mood takes me, the R's Conti 5Ps didn't even make 16,000Km before a set of MPS4S's went on.

 

Yes, I don't do that many miles any more, so don't wear tyres out, plus I mostly drive gently, resulting in less wear and tear on tyres, brakes and everything else.