Tire Question-OK to Put 185s on front?

[Jim Ed]

In A Mid America Motorworks product video
http://www.mamotorworks.com/vw/ProductVideos
Richard says to put 165 tires on the front and 185s on the back for best balance.
Is it ok to put 185s on the front and back?
TIA!

[Piledriver]

It's really not bad advice.

The car has a 30/70 F/R weight bias.
165s and 185s will allow you to run a reasonable air pressure up front from a rolling resistance and tire wear standpoint.
If you ran 185s F/R and ran the same 30 PSi air pressure F/R it would try to swap ends just going down the road.

165 will also fit/not rub under the fender easier.

I'm running 205/60s on 5.5s F&R, 24/28 PSI pressure stagger, but I have a t3.

[KentT]

One of the issues is that many of the better handling tread designs are directional tread. If you run different sizes front and rear, you can't rotate your tires, because you can't swap sides with them, and you can no longer swap front to back...

I've always heard that you don't want to swap radials side to side, any way -- but I've heard others say that it is not an issue. With directional tread designs, the argument becomes moot -- you couldn't do it any way...

[Jim Ed]

I have a ’73 Type I.
What about using 185/65s on 5.5 rims on the front and 205/60s on the rear or what about using 185s on 5.5 rims all around with 30 psi in back and 25 psi in the front?
It has coil over shocks that raise up the front so there should be plenty of clearance.
TIA!

[KentT]

185/65s on the front will make it harder to turn the steering wheel at very low speeds, such as parking. I have 185/65s all around on my kit car on stock 4.5 rims. But, it is so light in the front that I don't really notice any harder steering...

Not sure if they'll stay, but they're OK for now...

IMO, those tire pressures are way too high, unless you're heavily loading the car or taking long, high-speed trips. Try 16-18 in the front, and 24-26 in the rear... It will ride much better. Then if the handling feels soft, increase a little bit from there.

[Marc]

185s really shouldn't be on a rim less than 5½" wide, but KentT's car is so light up front that normal rules don't hold much sway. On your Bug, if you can fit them under the fenders on 5½" rims and run ~17psi they should be fine. I've had 195/60s under stock front fenders on a slightly lowered front end, and with the right backspace didn't even need to limit the turning circle by cranking in on the Pitman arm stops to keep the sidewalls from rubbing on the beam at full lock.
165s are really all that you need up front as Piledriver said; 185s are going to be a little more prone to hydroplaning and won't be as good in the snow as a skinny tire, but if you can satisfy the above requirements they'll be "OK".

[andy198712]

i run 185's all round on my empi 8's in a 72 bug, there something like 55 or 50 profile though and i don't like the huge air gaps in the front fenders...

[andy198712]

Sorry its 195/55/15's

[stealth67vw]

I ran 185/65/15s with 5.5" 8 spokes all the way around on my 1970 Ghia and a 1969 bug with zero issues. Both had 13" Formuling France steering wheels too.

[Mike T]

MAM says run a 165 on the front. Which 165? They sell a 165/80-15, a 165/50-15 and a 165/45-15.
The only 185 tire they list is a 185/65-15. Matching the 165/80-15 tire with the 185/65-15 would make the front tires nearly 1" taller than the rears. That wouldn't be my choice. The other two seem a bit short. 196/65-15 rear and 185/65-15 front are sizes I have used before with good results. Close to stock diameter and fills the fender gap nicely yet clears everything.

Mike T

[Jim Ed]

I think I will go ahead and try 185's all around and be careful then it rains and when it first begins to rain.