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Audi A6 Tires and Wheels
I recently purchased a '07 A6 and am loving it, but would like a little better "footprint". I am wondering if anyone knows if wheels and tires from a RS4 would fit. I like the larger 19" wheels and the width of the 255's, but want to be sure they will fit under the wheel wells. My dealer can't seem to confirm the offset of the bigger wheel will fit for sure. Their suggestion is to have one installed and see if it fits
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I have an 05 4.2 with 18" wheels and have 255s. So they fit.
You do not need to go to a 19" wheel/tire combo. Of course you may go to that if you like. Be certain you understand the effects in terms of ride, sound and weight. Also be certain you understand what tire makes and models are offered in the new size as well as the availability of purpose driven tires (summer only, winter, all-season, speed ratings, etc.)
I have read that 265 wide tires will fit. An apparently benign upgrade on the factory 18" wheels is 255 x 40(%).
The 19" upgrade typically seems to drop the sidewall to 35 -- which may or may not yield the results you are seeking.
The 18" 255 (40 series) will change the circumference a small amount (a bit bigger.) Since folks are doing it and the cars continue to run fine and the speedos apparently are not adversely effected, well that would seem a good compromise. Might be more tires to choose from in 18" size too.
Don't forget things like "offset" if you do use different wheels.
I put RS6 wheels on my allroad and had to use what are called spacers since the wheels were not a perfect match to the allroad factory wheels.
I went from factory 17"s to RS6 replicas w/spacers and 245 x 45 x 18" tires (up from 225 x 55 x 17".)
Never looked back.
Personal pref -- I don't want to go lower than a 40 series, for despite the improvements that can come with lower and wider, there are often one or two (or more) negs that creep up:
- bent wheels are more likely
- tires are noisier and generally more expensive
- ride harshness may increase
- tires may need to be changed more often due to shorter treadlife of these typically highest performance tires in these sizes
There are many other pos reasons that may offset these negs for some folks not for others. After driving the new Q7 with the optional wheels, I found it quite convincing to consider 20" wheels to no longer have the negs I used to associate with them (other than the fact that they look cool.) :surprise:
I found Audi (of AMERICA?) perhaps like all Euro cars imported stateside equips their cars with compromise tires (the S and RS cars may be the exception) because Americans seem to get steamed if they have to change their tires for summer and winter duty AND Americans, even when purchasing $50K cars seem to "resent" buying new tires annually or every 18 months.
My wife is not a sports car driver - right now she is driving a Jaguar S-type which is near the end of the lease (and which has been pretty good to us with only minor issues) but we are thinking about changing to an Audi A6.
I called both my local dealership and Audi USA to see if they could tell me what suspension components I had on the car so that I could see if I could modify it for a some-what softer ride. (The dealership suggested that I purchase regular springs for the A6 but I did not want to do that.) I was wondering if anyone out there knew who makes s-line suspension components so that I could contact the makers (Eibach, H&R, Koni, Bilstein?) directly to see what they have as an alternative component that would allow my car to still have an aggressive look and a somewhat softer ride...I didn't want to just purchase something from Koni, etc...and end up with the same ride (most of the after-market items seem to be marketed to those who wish to stiffen their vehicle).
Thanks for any advice,
Mike
It turns out that the dealer neglected to remove the shipping blocks/stops from the springs and struts during dealer prep. Once they were removed, the ride was smoother...
If you buy one, expect alignment and balance problems...($300 to align and rotate every 5-6000 miles).... serious cupping of the shoulders of the tires, eventual rounding of the shoulders and exposing of the belts and replacement every 15-18,000 miles. At a cost of $1300 to $1500.
In fact, Dunlop does not make this tire any longer and Audi WILL NOT give you a recommended alternate. My research shows that only two Mfrs even make this size any longer.
SORRY AUDI... fool me once shame on you... let you do me again and shame on me. No wonder Audi finished dead last this last year in customer satisfaction!!!! :lemon:
Anyone else out there with a similar story to share?
Please help me save $300
I found a set of 4 for $455 brand new and I would like to buy them but. . .
Thank you,
hungryford
For example I'm running 235/40/18 Nitto 555 extremes on my 02 4.2 and notice no drop in performance but I get a bump in fuel economy. The Nittos are a very sticky tire. I'll probably go to Michelin Pilots next with 255/35/18's. But I'm also running EBC drilled/slotted brakes with red pads and Koni fully adjustable shocks to account for the wt diff.
Good luck \m/
Also, mileage (meaning wear) is in direct opposition for traction (especially wet traction) and fuel economy.
So now that you know how this works, you should be able to explain to a local dealer what level of compromise works for you and they can show you what's avaliable in your area.
If you want to do research before going to the loacl dealer. Tire Rack is an excellent resource.
A comment was made about using spacers, I current use them on my mustang and love them but wonder do they impact the quattro feature? Audi puts a lot of emphasis on consistency with wheels/tires etc and leads me to wonder if they have a position on spacers. Also, can you use spacers on rear only or must you use the same for all 4? Any input would be greatly appreciated!
I have a 2000 Audi A6 4.2L (same as S6) and would like to put 245/45 R17 tire on. Because 255/40 R 17 are stock configuration, I am a little worried that the
245/45 R17 tire would rubbing the fender lip, when turning the wheels to maximum.
Any problems with this issue?
thanks,
Jure
For anyone that has the 20's sport package from Audi, how is the ride? Is it harsh? Also would you suggest to not get the sport package and just buy the 20" rim/tires separately, so as I will still have the regular suspension.
Thoughts/Comments would be appreciated.