I decided to move up to 19" wheels shod with 255/40R-19s on my '04 4.2 Allroad. Mistake. Driving home there was a horrible vibration that started at around 60 that felt like a rear tire was out of round. The feeling was definitely more in the seat than the wheel. At lower speeds it would smooth out. I returned to the shop where they double checked balance and it was perfect. The hub adapters sent with the tires were wrong so I had the old tires remounted and sent for new adapters. In the meantime I had to take a trip to Phoenix (from San Diego) and cruised smoothly across the desert at 80 on my old wheels.

The adapters came and I returned to the shop today to have the new wheels and tires put back on. Although balance checks out as perfect, the vibration is still there. The shop says there is absolutely nothing wrong with the tires and wheels and came up with a laundry list of suspension and driveline problems that could be the culprit including play in the front left axle, worn control arm bushings, and play in the driveshaft center bearing. I saw that the axle boot was torn and the grease was on the wheel (as opposed to the CV where it should have been) and I know at 128k the control arm bushings are tired so no surprises there. But why would new tires cause this vibration? FYI, the old tires wore perfectly flat with no sign of any type of alignment issue.

Could the axle and control arms which cause no problem with the stock wheels transate to a bad vibration because of a little more rubber on the ground? The drive shaft bearing makes more sense because it definitely feels more like a rear wheel problem and I could see where traction and bias shift could cause that. But at nearly $2k ($1600 for the part alone) I'm hesitant to jump on that fix alone not knowing if that is a critical concern. Is there a way to replace the bearing without buying an entire new shaft special order from Audi?

After the new wheels and tires I can't afford to put another $3300 into the car. I have to have the control arms and axle done fairly soon but I'm not sure they will fix this problem either.

Thanks. Your expertise and opinions would be greatly appreciated. I keep arguing with mylself and losing.

Bob
2004 4.2 Alload
2002 225 TT

 

Tell me something, go over what you did with the hub adapters again? Is it possible the new wheels have too big of a center bore so now you're lug-centric? If so, you need the hub adapter so you go back to being hub-centric. You're going to need a 66 - 57.1 adapter.

 

The original adapters were 57.1 to 66. The wheels are 73mm so the new adapters are 57.1 to 73 and it still vibrates. I've put 2500 miles on the stock rims in the past 2 weeks with absolutely no vibration but the new wheels shake like crazy.

 

Just for clarification (if already mentioning decimals): 57.1mm and 66.7mm are the 2 dimensions.

To the vibations issue: I went from stock 225/55/17 to 245/45/18 (not 255 like yours). And I noticed increased vibrations (very tolerable, but still there). I can only assume that the jump to 255 and 40 series tires just magnifies any underlying issues even more.

- wheel bearing play
- upper control arms
- lower control arms
- tie rods
- sway bar links
- worn shock absorbers
- play in drive shafts (I read somewhere that excessive vertical play of the shaft coming out of the transmission can lead to vibrations)

How much play do you have in any of those? When were they last changed (or how many miles are on them).

Are vibrations more pronounced with load on the engine vs. cruising?

More pronounced in left or right turns (outer wheels more loaded)?

Regarding hubcentric rings: since some of them are made from plastic (and cannot be meant as 'load bearing' at all; those from aluminum are obviously also NEVER be able to be 'loaded'), it supports my opinion that their only purpose is a 'mounting aid'. They are also not very high precision machined (way to sloppy sitting on the hub) to center the wheel.

So centering is still done through the lug nuts.

With that said: I found it helps minimize vibrations by
- putting the wheel on the hub, insert the bolts
- handtighten the bolts while wiggling the wheel

- with wheel still off the ground, handtighten the bolts with wrench (cross pattern)
- only then let the wheel down until touching the ground, but still not loading with full weight
- torque to specification (cross pattern, 2x times)

Regarding balancing: I make it a habit to watch the wheel when on the balancing machine to check for any side wobble. Some machines give the operator indication, but the typical 'quick and out' tire junky may not pay attention to it. My twin spoke AR wheels for example were balanced 'right' (twice), but still caused vibrations. Third time around, I was watching, and sure enough found one with 'side wobble'. Replaced that one, good ever since.

 

I am told the allroad doesn't play well with 19s and if done, requires the car go thru a full, 4-wheel alignment at whatever ride height level you drive the most.

 

Thanks to everyone for the responses. It all helped me determine the culprit.

The bottom line was that the second set of adapters were suppposed to have been 57.1 inside, 73 out but they were actually 71 outside and the wheels would still not center on the hub. I ordered hub adapters from a different supplier and the vibration is history! I did wind up with replaced control arm bushings and 4 wheel alignment before finally getting the right adapters. The car now handles much better than it did but probably due more to the new Hotchkiss sway bars I also had installed. But I love the look of the 19's so I guess it was worth it. I have 4000 miles on them now including a 1000 mile trip to San Francisco and smooth as silk.

Thanks again.

 

Would love to see a photo of your allroad with the new wheels. I have been contemplating doing the same thing. If you could also let us know where you ended up getting the correct adapters.

thanks

 

On another of my Allroads:
245/45x18. 66.67 to 57.1mm adapters. Balanced. Re-balanced.
New rotors (to eliminate as a factor).
New upper controls arms (to elimate as a factor).

Last resort, new drive shafts and new lower control arm bushings.
Good now.
Actually suspect lower control arm bushings as the culprit (likely in combination with other 'slop'?).

2nd AR: 245/50x18 (borderline diameter, slightly touching inner fender when going backwards under certain steering angle). USED tire, new wheel. 66.67 to 57.1 hubrings. No issues.

3rd AR: 245/45x18, new wheels, new tires. custom made 66.67 to 57.1 adapters (to eliminate need for hub rings). No issues (slight brake wobble).

Still unsure what the real issues are. The hubrings, spacers or just overall worn components.