Guys, I think you need to think long and hard about lowering your tyre index without supporting information from VW, you are just asking for trouble
![fighting2 :fighting2:](https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/Smileys/newsmileys/fighting2.gif)
from your insurer if you cannot justify your rational with hard evidence.
On my Audi A4 I went from a load index of 95 XL to 94 XL when I fitted winter tyres last winter, Audi UK couldn’t give me a definitive answer when I emailed them
![stupid :stupid:](https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/Smileys/newsmileys/stupid.gif)
(maybe I got the wrong person or dept.) A local dealer helped out; interestingly the Audi website now have a useful online tyre configurator
http://www.audi.co.uk/owners-area/audi-tyres/online-quotation.html that shows different spec’s depending on wheel size/tyre size (which I think is similar to what the dealer used to confirm my tyres were suitable)
My car came with 235/40 R18 95Y summer tyres. However, If I drop to 17” it recommends 235/45 R17 93W but also recommends a load index of 94W on a couple of brands (because I was fitting winter tyres I went with a slightly thinner tyre 225 which is good practice and allows for snow chains to be fitted)
If I drop to 16” it recommends 205/55 R16 91V but also 215/55 R16 93V (for the wider tyre) If I drop to 15”
![driver :driver:](https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/Smileys/newsmileys/driver.gif)
(not sure they’ll fit over the brakes?) it recommends 195/65 R15 91H but also 205/65 R15 95H (wider tyre)
So there is variance on the load index issue; that said it appears to increase as the width of the tyre increases, I’m happy with the information I’ve got from Audi that I can safely run a 225/45 R17 94 winter tyre on my Audi A4.
I just think you’ll have a battle
![fighting :fighting:](https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/Smileys/newsmileys/fighting.gif)
on your hands with any insurer trying to convince them that using a lower Load index of 88 instead of 92 on your golf Gti/Ed30 when the width of tyre and size of wheel, are not being altered.