bobster1121

I managed to get hold of a set of audi R8 V10 Spider alloys and have fitted new tyres.They look fantastic and suit the car.
The only thing is they are 18inch by 8:5J and they dont fill the gap as much as i think they should...
Now the A8 i believe can be fitted with 20inch and 9J wheels without problem so i am by my reckoning around 12mm short of what can be fitted without strain on the components.
Ok now my way of thinking is i need 12mm spacers just to take it to the Audi manufacturer delivery tolerance that the car can come with and that still leaves a good gap so by adding an extra 8mm so in total 20mm each corner i would not be altering the tolerances by to much ?.
So in lay mans terms who uses spacers and what width have you fitted and is my plan flawed!.
i really want to fill the gap under the arches without to much compromise to handling.
ideas comments welcome
thanks bob

richard-tx

Spacers present a whole new set of issues and I avoid them if at all possible. If it were mine, I would put on the genuine Audi rims and call it a day. Forged rims are stronger than cast. As such, I will forego a little bling for safety.

Don't forget to adjust the computer, etc for the difference in tire sizes from stock.

dvs_dave

OEM R8 V10 wheels are 19", not 18", so guessing you have replicas?

Anyway, 15-20mm rear, and 12mm front spacers are a common choice for many board members (including me) using the stock wheels. No apparent ill effects as long as you use hub centric spacers.

Some good info on the topic here:
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a8-...heels-2886787/

Shark_V8

Need to know the offset that you have along with the rim width. I think 18" are too small for the A8. I was looking at guys with 22's on youtube last night. What would be cool is a 10" wide 20" rim and stretched tire if that was possible.

according to wheel size.com
R8 18's: 8.5Jx18 ET42
A8 V8 : 8.5Jx19 ET45 -- 9" for the W12/ S8

But rule of thumb you can take a yardstick or plumb-bob, drop that from the fender lip to pavement. Then measure your distance to tire edge. That will ~ equal the spacer you can run.

In fact have made spacers out of Acetal to test fit (and drive) before ordering up on Ebay - for the Porsche.

With stock 19" wheels, or my 18" Michelin Pilot A/S I run a 25mm spacer on the rear and also have a 10mm spacer I can run for the front. I could go 15 -20mm for the front as well, but I want the "stagger".

For my summer setup the wheels I got already have a low offset of 25mm to begin with. So I can run just the 10mm on the back.

25mm is a bolt on spacer. 10mm or 15mm you use longer bolts (typ supplied with the spacer). Of the three setups I have - best handling are the 20's, followed by the 18's. Worst is the stock Pirelli P6 on the 19's.

MP4.2+6.0

Happy to fill in more, but for OP first lets get the right info.

Are these legit Audi OE from an R8, or replica's? The 18" sounds wrong as already mentioned. Most are 19's. Plus, the R8 is big time staggered, with rears hugely different and beyond typical D3 sizing. Staggered is a performance subtract for all Audis basically, other than R8 which of course is rear mid and completely different design than typical pig heavy engine hung out way front Audi design.

Many R8 wheels are also forged--and light--but it has to be among the correct wheels.

18's do fit D3's fine, even the W12 and S8 larger brakes if correctly designed. Baseline A8 wheel was a 5 spoke 18" in 8 ½. I ran a set on my W12 for a thousand miles or so while getting my W12 wheels refinished.

Shark_V8

I have 18's too but I think the wheel is just too tiny for looks wise = barf. 18"s are listed for the R8 OEM in Audi R8 - Specs of wheel sizes, tires, PCD, Offset and Rims - Wheel-Size.com

Check these out !

dvs_dave

18's are listed as the base wheel size for R8 V8. Base wheel for R8 V10 is 19".

Bigger wheels look good on A8, but of course at the expense of ride quality and probably handling too. In many instances cars with the smaller OEM wheel size actually handle a little more sweetly than they do with the big wheel option due to the greater compliance in tire/wheel/suspension setup meaning the suspension doesn't have to work as hard.

bobster1121

Thanks guys great info, i may have it wrong but they are genuine R8 maybe not the V10 but look superb.As mentioned though the A8l is so big they make the 18s look tiny had i known i would have just bought so 20s and fitted tyres but now that im already invested in new tyres i will try spacers to see what results i get.
I have purchased some h&R spacers as these seem to be the best out their and have measured my gap with a home made plumb.
The gaps at the front are 30mm and at the rear 35mm not precise but close enough.
I have ordered 5mm under at 25mm and 30mm so that should sort out the stance but the height is a small issue and not to important as it does look quite good in dynamic mode but is it true i can lower a little with vcds?
Thanks again for everyones input.

bobster1121

They are awsome and i will be buying some 20-21-22 at some point but i bet the tyres are pretty awsome price also

dvs_dave

What size wheels does it have on it right now? That would surely have been a good pointer as to what size you would prefer? OE sizes in the US are 18, 19, or 20".