JLogan

I believe so. They appear to be aluminum hub centric rings. Unfortunately, the ASA documentation and help is sparse, so there is still some concern. I can say that the tires originally had plastic hub rings, and I wondered if they were supposed to be used or not.

I'll be putting the winter setup back on within the next month (once the temps get down consistently), so we'll know for sure pretty soon!

JLogan

thanks for the vote of confidence noservice! I've got my fingers crossed.

tenspeed

Not all dealers have the same package. My local dealer was offering snow tires at a sale price in the spring so I called the parts dept for more info. They told me the specs and said that they got their wheels and tires from Tirerack. I checked Tirerack and could buy them for around $300 less than the sale price. I think that if you go through the dealer, they install them for you and store the off season tires. There's a value to that service if you need it. They also will sell you new tires when you wear out the old tires. The danger is that they might lose or damage your off season wheels.

The new Audi OEM wheels will cost more than new aftermarket wheels. As you found out, the dealer didn't buy the top of the line tires to go with them.

There's many places to check snow tire performance. Sites like car magazines or Consumers Report probably are less biased since they are not in the business of selling tires.

Typically, snow tires are narrower to cut through deep snow. If you drive in mostly urban areas, you could go with the stock size. Snow tires will give you the best traction in snow but they also will take longer to stop in the dry and wear out sooner because there is less rubber on the road surface.

You may be able to use all season tires if your area is subject to light snow that is plowed.

I live in a rural area of western New York. We get an average of ten feet of snow yearly. If I didn't have snow tires, I couldn't get out of my driveway. I try to find a empty parking lot during the first snow and get used to the reduced traction. Do a few hard stops and tight turns. Stay away from light poles and curbs. Get used to recovering from a skid. Let it be a learning experience.

If you need to slow down for a curve, do it while going straight. If they lock up, you will be going straight anyways and it costs less to have road under your wheels.

Which ever wheels and tires you choose, slow down if it's snowing. Speed is not your friend if there is no traction.

Maverick61

Sorry for bumping this old thread. But a question for those of you who purchased a set of 4-225/50R-18 Michelin X-Ice Xi3 XL tires and 4-18x8 moda MD11 BDC rims from Tire Rack

Can you tell me how you liked both the tires and the wheels? How did they perform for you this winter

While my A6 is not even here yet (another 2 weeks ) Tirerack has some winter tires on closeout and I was thinking about buying them now rather than waiting til next winter

Looking at Pilot Alpin PA4, X-Ice Xi3 and Blizzak LM60

Thanks

Dmmdtm

I have the blizzaks on my a4 and live in co with a fair amount of snow. They have been awesome and I plan on doing the same on my a6. Fwiw.
Derek

pjsingh

I am about to take delivery of a S4 with summer tires. Will the OEM winter wheel and tire set synch with the cars tire pressure monitor? Also, is there a feature in the wheel that sends RPM data to the sport differential? In other words, do I need to buy the winter wheel and tire set from Audi to take full advantage of the car's capability?

Maui19

These are really good snow tires. I've run them a lot in the snow and they perform very very well. If I still lived in the snow belt, these are what I would get.

Sportstick

Glad the Dunlops worked out for you, but there are far more capable winter tires. Those Dunlops are only performance winter tires which are highly compromised on snow/ice to favor dry, albeit cold, roads. The Blizzak WS80 (not the LM series) or Michelin XIce xi3 (not the Alpin) are far more capable, as "studless winter" tires on snow/ice, although with some less dry road performance capability. These are trade-offs which should be considered depending on what winter conditions you encounter.

BTW, not sure about winter tire advice from a guy named, "Maui"!!

NABS4

There are no tire pressure sensors in the wheels which means any properly sized wheel/tire combination will work. You just have to ensure that the tire pressure in each tire is correct and there is a screen in the MMI to accept the tire pressures. The wheel speed sensors for the ABS can determine if the rotational speed of any tire has changed, which would indicate an under inflated tire. Works well and easily facilitates the changing of wheels between winter and summer. There is nothing special about Audi wheels that would force you to buy from the dealer.

Maui19

Fair enough, but in my experience (27 years of driving in Northern New England on many different kinds of snow tires), the Dunlops were the best snow tires I've run. IMO it is a big mistake to discount dry weather performance, since so much of one's winter driving is on cold, snowless roads. The Dunlops excel in both snow and dry conditions.