Tyres...

[rngDeadeye]

Ok, I know I'm in the minority when I can feel soft tyre walls so I'm interested if any of you are also weird when it comes to tyres.

Admittedly I've only 40 miles but tyres are horrible.

Does anyone else notice that if you're on a dual carriageway doing 70 and you weave the steering wheel left and right it feels like the back of the car isn't connected to the front?

I know it's the tyres as I've taken plenty of sets off after 50 miles because I mistakenly took other's advice.

I guess another question is, do they get better?

I have a sneaky feeling I'll be putting Michelin PSSs on in BMW * rating.

 

[rngDeadeye]

Just been out to check the sizes and noticed they're Bridgstones. I thought these came with Pirelli PZeros

265/35 front and 245/35 rear, is that correct?

 

[Charlie Farley]

They are the factory fit items and sizes are correct

 

[Charlie Farley]

I've found Bridgestone Potenza's to be a somewhat hard compound tire with stiff sidewalls, very noticeable if coming from some other tires.

 

[flybynite]

I guess another question is, do they get better?

All new tyres need time to scrub in, 40 miles may not be enough, you are driving on all the casting ridges and not the flat tread, I am always careful for first couple of hundred miles. Try to scrub them flat (acceleration/deceleration and normal driving as opposed to hard cornering) Also play with the pressure, more does not always make the tyre feel stiffer.

 

[HM3P]

Just been out to check the sizes and noticed they're Bridgstones. I thought these came with Pirelli PZeros

265/35 front and 245/35 rear, is that correct?

265 /30 fronts.


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[rngDeadeye]

265 /30 fronts.


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Yep, my mistake.

 

[Daggerit]

EvilGT also found that the geometry was off from new and described similar symptoms. Don’t know if that’s also a shout?


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[garethdj]

EvilGT also found that the geometry was off from new and described similar symptoms. Don’t know if that’s also a shout?


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I had difficultly getting anywhere none Audi to check mine. No geo specialist locally that I could find and all the usual suspect wouldn’t touch it because all the adaptive cruise etc should be recalibrated in theory.


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[Charlie Farley]

Why the wider front tyres ?
265 is a fair bit up from 245 on the rears.

 

[flybynite]

Why the wider front tyres ? 265 is a fair bit up from 245 on the rears.

Hang over from the days when they had iron-block engines and a hastily applied band-aid because they understeered off corners at 9/10 round the Nürburgring. (previous gen was 255/235 not 265/245)

IMHO not needed on alloy engine cars on the public roads and needed even less on the 8Y which is supposed to have the slidey rear diff that magically removes understeer?

 

[HM3P]

Why the wider front tyres ?
265 is a fair bit up from 245 on the rears.

Always been the way with the RS3.

On the 8V they used them (255) supposedly to try quell the understeer.

They still felt the need on the 8Y but went wider whilst increasing the rears from 235-245.


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[Charlie Farley]

Thanks for clarifying that chaps.

 

[Kevmoz]

Just been out to check the sizes and noticed they're Bridgstones. I thought these came with Pirelli PZeros

265/35 front and 245/35 rear, is that correct?

Mine came with Pirelli PZeros and they’re OK. I wouldn’t say that the sidewalls feel soft but I don’t drive anywhere near the limit. On a couple a spirited drives I could feel the car rotate as the rear differential worked its magic but it felt planted. As said, give them time to bed in.

 

[RS03???]

EvilGT also found that the geometry was off from new and described similar symptoms. Don’t know if that’s also a shout?


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Makes me wonder, if PDI was properly performed by whoever Audi uses, to set the tyre pressures correctly for handover, did they fully remove all the suspension blocks ?

 

[Daggerit]

Makes me wonder, if PDI was properly performed by whoever Audi uses, to set the tyre pressures correctly for handover, did they fully remove all the suspension blocks ?

Don’t know, but every Audi I’ve ever collected has always had high tyre pressures for whatever reason.


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[HM3P]

Don’t know, but every Audi I’ve ever collected has always had high tyre pressures for whatever reason.


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Pressures are always increased from factory.
Helps especially if cars are stood around for ages.


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[RS03???]

Don’t know, but every Audi I’ve ever collected has always had high tyre pressures for whatever reason.


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Luckily, not experienced so far by me.

 

[rngDeadeye]

Makes me wonder, if PDI was properly performed by whoever Audi uses, to set the tyre pressures correctly for handover, did they fully remove all the suspension blocks ?

I do know that my car never reached the supplying dealer. It was registered at the dock and PDI’d at some “centre” in Corby.

Girl who delivered it picked it up from BCA in Corby.

It felt a little better with a bit less pressure yesterday..

it’s a cracking car though and I know I can fix the tyre issue.

 

[RS03???]

I do know that my car never reached the supplying dealer. It was registered at the dock and PDI’d at some “centre” in Corby.

Girl who delivered it picked it up from BCA in Corby.

It felt a little better with a bit less pressure yesterday..

it’s a cracking car though and I know I can fix the tyre issue.

Good to know, its getting better with correct tyre pressure.

 

[DangerMouseUK]

I had an S3 8Y and an RS3 8Y that both threw a please check all tyre pressures yellow warning message shortly after getting them and the pressures were all 2-3 psi above what was on the door card (39 psi front, 35 psi back from memory) wondering if something needs to be set at PDI time as I had two of them throw that error after 50-60 miles of driving after collecting. After correcting the pressures and storing them in the MMI never got another message so no idea what was going on there!

 

[HM3P]

I had an S3 8Y and an RS3 8Y that both threw a please check all tyre pressures yellow warning message shortly after getting them and the pressures were all 2-3 psi above what was on the door card (39 psi front, 35 psi back from memory) wondering if something needs to be set at PDI time as I had two of them throw that error after 50-60 miles of driving after collecting. After correcting the pressures and storing them in the MMI never got another message so no idea what was going on there!

Storing them gives the ECU a datum figure to work from.


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[Baby Boss]

Michelin P4S i found to be best all round street/track tyre

 

[jaypers777]

Slightly different tyre question……still have original Bridgestones on mine. Front have 3.8mm of tread and rears 3.3mm. Change all 4 or just the rears for now?

 

[flybynite]

Slightly different tyre question……still have original Bridgestones on mine. Front have 3.8mm of tread and rears 3.3mm. Change all 4 or just the rears for now?

Not sure what the limits are on the 8Y but on the 8V there were limits set in ErWin and ELSA. Dealer had to change all 4 of mine to comply when I bought it Approved Used. Under 8V rules you would need to change both axles, especially if you fit a tyre like Michelin with a high tread depth. Some like Pirelli IIRC are only 7mm new so you may get away with it.

Don't have the 8Y ErWin files to hand as I don't think I will be going 8Y or 8.5Y. Any stealer would confirm if you are worried.

 

[JKP]

Slightly different tyre question……still have original Bridgestones on mine. Front have 3.8mm of tread and rears 3.3mm. Change all 4 or just the rears for now?

The difference being that small, I definitely wouldn't change just one pair even if it was possible tech-wise. It only makes a situation where you'd be changing the remaining tyres quite soon but still also having already worn tyres on the another axle. So you're swapping pairs of tyres occassionally, never having evenly worn tyres on your car. And also the situation before changing the another pair would be that there's a huge difference in wet grip between the axles.

 

[doncarlyon]

Run all 4 for another couple of thousand miles, then swap the lot. They wear fairly even and are all ok for a bit longer.

 

[Japper_ARS3]

Run all 4 for another couple of thousand miles, then swap the lot. They wear fairly even and are all ok for a bit longer.

Potenza Sports are only 5.6mm from new so he has a good few miles left in these really. Unless the swap is because he prefers different tyres. Had Pirelli’s on my G80 x-drive and find the Bridgestones better in all areas.

 

[Daggerit]

Potenza Sports are only 5.6mm from new so he has a good few miles left in these really. Unless the swap is because he prefers different tyres. Had Pirelli’s on my G80 x-drive and find the Bridgestones better in all areas.

I swapped from them to the Michelin PS4S's with only a few thousand miles on them and found I preferred the Michelins in all conditions. The most noticeable thing for me was that they handled the cold significantly better than the Bridgestones I found, to the point that a hard frost or bit of slush made the Bridgestones almost unusable but in similar conditions the Michelins performed much better. I know neither are a winter/all-season tyre so can't expect a lot, but the difference was significant.

 

[Japper_ARS3]

I swapped from them to the Michelin PS4S's with only a few thousand miles on them and found I preferred the Michelins in all conditions. The most noticeable thing for me was that they handled the cold significantly better than the Bridgestones I found, to the point that a hard frost or bit of slush made the Bridgestones almost unusable but in similar conditions the Michelins performed much better. I know neither are a winter/all-season tyre so can't expect a lot, but the difference was significant.

Luckily I never have to travel in snowy conditions. However, I have found the Bridgestones to be epic in wet and very wet conditions so no complaints. Likely will try the pzero R’s come replacement time though.

MP4S’s have a very soft tyre wall which I don’t personally like. Maybe that’s why they are better in really cold conditions ?

 

[Daggerit]

Luckily I never have to travel in snowy conditions. However, I have found the Bridgestones to be epic in wet and very wet conditions so no complaints. Likely will try the pzero R’s come replacement time though.

MP4S’s have a very soft tyre wall which I don’t personally like. Maybe that’s why they are better in really cold conditions ?

I actually felt like they turned in more quickly than the Bridgestones for some reason. I know people have commented the sidewalls are softer, but at road speeds they felt sharper (to me).

The Bridgestones weren't bad in wet conditions at all, but I still noticed there was less ABS and traction control happening if having a faster drive in the wet when using the Michelins. Not night and day in that regard though. I think they're both good tyres, the Michelins were just more to my personal preference was all.

 

[doncarlyon]

Are you doing trackdays or just driving on horrendous roads?

Don't think I've ever had the ABS kick in (other than in snow) and only seen the traction control light once or twice.

 

[flybynite]

MP4S’s have a very soft tyre wall which I don’t personally like. Maybe that’s why they are better in really cold conditions ?

I actually felt like they turned in more quickly than the Bridgestones for some reason. I know people have commented the sidewalls are softer, but at road speeds they felt sharper (to me).

The MP4Ss do have a softer sidewall if you press on the tyre but the cross-linking of the belts makes it torsionally stiff giving it a positive turn in. That is why they have been the go-to tyre for modern suspension for a while now (including for me )

 

[Daggerit]

Are you doing trackdays or just driving on horrendous roads?

Don't think I've ever had the ABS kick in (other than in snow) and only seen the traction control light once or twice.

Only when it was very wet, like I said in that sentence. Not like I drove round at a million mph everywhere, but on occasion I drove more quickly in the wet and could definitely get ABS and TC to activate.

 

[Daggerit]

The MP4Ss do have a softer sidewall if you press on the tyre but the cross-linking of the belts makes it torsionally stiff giving it a positive turn in. That is why they have been the go-to tyre for modern suspension for a while now (including for me )

That makes sense, at least it wasn't all completely in my head!

 

[NOJ’S TOY]

Just wondering how's the rim protection on the MP4S's?

 

[Daggerit]

Just wondering how's the rim protection on the MP4S's?

I don't remember it being much different to the Bridgestones, maybe slightly less?

 

[doncarlyon]

Only when it was very wet, like I said in that sentence. Not like I drove round at a million mph everywhere, but on occasion I drove more quickly in the wet and could definitely get ABS and TC to activate.

That's strange

 

[Daggerit]

That's strange

Once the ceramics were dry they were quite powerful, don't know if that had any influence on it.

 

[sheraa]

Luckily I never have to travel in snowy conditions. However, I have found the Bridgestones to be epic in wet and very wet conditions so no complaints. Likely will try the pzero R’s come replacement time though.

MP4S’s have a very soft tyre wall which I don’t personally like. Maybe that’s why they are better in really cold conditions ?

Anyone running with pzero R’s in the UK? Read somewhere that these should only be used in dry (summer) or track. Interested in feedback especially in cold/wet conditions.


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