Ok guys I have a question. I got an A6 Quattro and one of the tires is gone bad. People at Big-O-Tires and several others tell me I really need to replace all (without looking at other 3 tires). Thread on the others looks descent to me. What should I do? Please advice.

 

It's recommended that all the tires be within 2/32 of an inch of each other, otherwise things will be torqued improperly. I don't think anyone has 100% confirmed this, so I bet if you're looking at like 3/32 of an inch difference then it won't be a big deal. If it's much more and heaven-forbid nearing a quarter of an inch, you'll probably have some problems down the road.

 

If the others are in good SAFE condition and you are looking to save money due to our wonderful economy you can do just one. or how about putting two new up front and put the best of the others in the back which is done all the time. Have someone you trust look at your tires and tell you how much life is left in them . Not the tire guy. Bunch of idiots. The only thing they want to do is leave a BIG-O in your wallet.

 

The 2/32 inch is the general rule; i.e. if the other tires have more than 10,000 miles you need to change all 4. The tires are cheaper than the tranny.

 

My A6 manual indicates that from left to right, the tires should be the same, but there is tolerance front to back for differences in tire wear. I wouldn't worry about the left right thing if, as guys mentioned above, you are within 2/32 of an inch, but at least replace two if you are beyond that, with the EXACT SAME brand, model, size of tire. The same size tire from two different makers can and will have differences in size.

 

Thanks Kevin that is correct.

Diameter of the tire will affect your drive train. I didn't notice the Quattro. I have no faith in tire centers. I recently had different size/ weight range tires installed on a vehicle and the guy told me I'll be fine as he handed me the bill for 1100.00. I won't say what I told him.

Basically if one tire is larger in diameter than the others it will spin faster than the others and put stress on your drive system, especially at higher speeds. All wheel drive cars need to pay special attention to this. This is also the reason you need to check your tire PSI once in a while.

Nobody can accurately access your tires without looking at them. Since your asking, it would be best for you to have someone you know is knowledgeable take a look at them and help you weigh out the difference. The tire center will not know anything about an Audi drive system or care about your finances. They just do what the Poster on the wall tells them to do and installing four new tires is the only way for them to avoid making an educated decision.

 

I just love conversations like this one.....

Just what does the 3/32 rule apply to?
Diameter? tread depth? circumference? Other thing?
Where and how do you measure it?

I wonder how matched two or four tires of the same design/manufacturer are when new!
(don't give me the BS that they are the same - I race cars and know differently)
What affect does air pressure have?

Why would tires with 10,000 miles on them be different than new ones?

If rolling radius is critical - what are the real requirements side to side and front to back.

What happens if you get a flat and have to put the little donut on?
Can you drive at 50 MPH?



PS My Quattro needs all 4 tires - I once tried 3 and the corner without the tire dragged on the ground...

 

just to clarify some of the points, not that i agree or disagree. i am an agent of fact. lol

2/32 means tread depth. you umm.. measure the tread... umm.. at the tread?

tires from the same manufacture batch should, in theory, have the same (drawing a blank trying to remember the word for rubber hardness), and be within the same tolerances. those tolerances are close enough to constitute an identical match in rolling diameter to the drivetrain. different maufactures, different (insert above mentioned word) and even different batch runs can lead to different specs.

you race cars and are asking what effects tire pressure will have on the tire? umm.. i'm going to leave this one alone for now, if you really want me to answer with some boring facts on diameters, pressure changes and diameter elongation at speed (which you should be well aware of as a driver) i can. same thing with the 10,000 miles question... points back to tread depth.

requirements side-to-side and front-to-back would differ from system to system, setup to setup. typically, there is enough built in play in the front/rear disbursement to makeup for minor differences in size. side-to-side differences greater than 2/32 of tread depth on otherwise identical tires can result in damage to the rear differential, and could pop traction and abs codes, and possibly damage to the abs system. not to mention instability under heavy braking.

the donut is for emergency travel only. it is meant to get your car out of the way of danger. it is not meant to be driven on for any distance.


i tried the 3 wheel thing once as well.. i didn't even make it to a corner without dragging. lol

 

compound is the word that was escaping me...

 

LOL Try durometer for rubber hardness --


Compound is the recipe for the ingrediants that make up the tire

I will attempt to respond to th rest when I have more time.