Hello I just bought an 1999 audi A6 that has Zeon 235/40R18 low profile tires on it. The ride is great but the road noise is getting to me. The tires are like new and the guy I bought it from said he always had them balanced when he changed them for summer. I have the original 16 inch set for winter, but I love the look of what is on the car now. Is there another brand of low profile tires that will run quiet? The sound is like a humming or roaring sound. Any suggestions would be appreciated..thanks
Posts: 2660
Joined: 5/25/2003 From: United States Status: offline
Welcome to the forum coolwind1!
This is a great site. We keep the dialogue friendly and the attitude positive. The info is well received by all and we are here to help anyone with the need. I hope you find it to your liking as well.
If you're not familiar with this forum, please click the START HERE! link. There you will find a forum vocab list, an Audi forum terminology list and an Audi lexicon list. They should be very helpful to you if you're not familiar with the jargon.
Please feel free to ask any question, but double check the archives first. Many questions have been archived and, quite often, the answers are comprehensive. ====================================================================================== Michelins and Bridgestones may be a better choice for reduced road noise, but it's always relative to the tread design. All-season tires will usually be noisier than an equivalent summer tire. It is relative to the sidewall tread - larger blocks with large siping will typically make more noise. You might want to see the reviews at Tire Rack for road noise comparos.
Hello this may be a dumb question, but here goes. Since this is my first car with low profile tires do all low profile tires tend to have a lot of road noise? Is it possible to get a good ride with very little road noise with a low profile tire? Winter is coming and am sure when I put the stock wheels on they will be a lot better noise wise. I would like to plan for this coming summer either with a different tire or wheels etc. I sure do like the looks of the 18"rims, just need to get rid of the noise..thanks again..
Posts: 858
Joined: 8/30/2004 From: Orange, California Status: offline
'd be willing to put up with A LOT of road noise for the look of those wheels and tires. WOW! I've got the stockers. Want another set? Seriously, you might want to search around on the web for 'tire talk" ...see if you can figure out what tread pattern is better for low noise. Those tires look uni-directional (can only go on one way), which is usual for high performance rubber. Another suggestion, when you're ready to put your summer rubber back on, go "car shopping" and drive other cars with high performance tires - note which ones seem quieter to you. Also - I've never heard of "Zeon" tires - you might want to go for a more known brand.
Printable Version
Low Profile tires noise - 
