KnappAttack

I have almost 20,000 miles on my 275/40/20 Goodyear Eagle Sports, they have not even worn down 2/32" so far from new, but are they getting out of round! Think I have two that are just going bad. They are good up to 60 MPH, but then start shaking all the way to 80 MPH, 70 is horrible to drive at and 80 on up they smooth out again, go figure.

They have been road force balanced by two different Audi dealers to no avail. Two of them are just to out of whack. Seems every single set I've ever bought from Tire Rack just can not hold a balance for long or stay round.

I put my 265/40/20 Conti3 summer tires and wheels on, (which have the "AO" on the tire for Audi Origionals) and they are just so smooth with no shaking or vibrations at all. (They are also down a little less than 2/32nds from new). Maybe there is something to be said for "AO" tires and the rigid specifications the makers have to meet.?????

That said, I sure don't like the way the Conti's tramline and can't hold a line as well as the Goodyear Sports. The Goodyear's go right down Broadway with no extra input, the Conti's take constant steering input to keep the car inline and tracking, you swear the car was out of alignment and I know its not. Also the stock 265's look so narrow compared to the wider 275 Goodyears. I'm going to take the Goodyears to an authorized store to see about getting warranty on the two that are out of round and shaking.

Anyway, just wanted to share what I have learned so far in the difference between the two brands, and start conversation on the thought's of the "AO" rating on tires for our Audi's.

I know one thing for sure, I'm done purchasing tires from Tire Rack anymore unless they are "AO" tires, I think they must get second rate tires there, at least my history with them they sure seem to! I just can't stand the shaking anymore!

Baloo588

I am very very picky like you too and I have had bad sets of tires that wont balance but it doesn't solely get blamed on the OE or non-OE specs. Goodyears tends to have high road force numbers no matter where they come from (Tirerack or not). I have bad out of round COntientnal DWS with road force 20 lbs plus and could never get replacements to get below 10 lbs and my BMW would vibrate like crazy at 70 mph plus. I have the Michelin Pilot Sport AS3 19 inch size on my A8L right now and they are smooth as glass with road force 8 lbs and lower. Same goes with my 2016 Audi A7 on the 20 inch rims and Pilot Sport AS3. I had a bad set of pirellis p6s on my older 2006 A8L and they could never stay in balance.

Please dont blame tirerack for this. Its not their problem. Its nothing to do with the A0 status of the tires too. I do 28k miles a year and we replace tires on our cars with tires from tirerack every year and had probably 2 bad sets out of 8 in the past 5 years. Its the brand name you buy and also the production dates of the tires. I had a bad batch of Michelins Primacy MXM4 with production dates older then 1/5 years and they were all out of round so I always request fresh new batch 9 months or newer so that they dont settle in storage.

If you bought your goodyears from tirerack try to get them to take the tires back since its less then 2/32 tread depth and you are still getting vibration and go with the Michelin tires as they dont tramline for this heavy car like the contis. Trust me I have dealt with tire rack with 2 bad sets before even after 2-3 months of having them with vibration they were kind enough to get them returned and refunded and I get a new set of different brand. Tirerack is amazing, just give them a call and return the goodyears for good.

KnappAttack

I put 8 sets of tires on my 05 Sport Pack A6 from Tire Rack, and not one set would hold a good Audi dealer Road force balance. Every set was a different brand. Yokohama, Pirelli, Contis, Michelin, Goodyear, Nitto's, Hankook, & Kuhmo. I agree that Michelin's are the preferred, but I have also come to love the Hankook's just as much.

I put one set of Michelin Pilot Sport AO takeoffs on the A6, and they were as smooth as glass their entire life! Unlike the sets of tires bought from the TireRack.

I have come to believe that every set I get from the Tire Rack are certainly not up to the standards of the factory OEM tires and also not the quality you would get from a local tire dealer. They just seem like looser tolerances on construction, balance and roundness.

I too have returned some sets that are unbearable in shaking or holding balance to Tire Rack and it is a pain in the rear. I'm done ordering tires online for sure. From not on it will be the local tire shop or the Audi Dealer for me.

The Goodyear’s I have on my 8 are great other than a couple not being round and balanced. I plan to get those two warranted at the local Goodyear shop if they are willing to do that for me. I want to use them in a 275/40/20 size if they will stay round and consistent over their lifespan. They seem on track to run a great many miles.

RED HORSE

I've been buying tires from TireRack since 2000 and never had a bad experience for any car, Porsche, Lexus, or Audi, except for one set of Pirellis for my 911.

BigBoy11

My Audi dealer sells tires for the same price as Tire Rack and has all the proper equipment for mounting, force balancing, and choice of brands. A lot less hassle than online purchasing or having to shop tires. Just a thought.

jengram

The tire prices at my local Audi dealer are also as low if not lower than most of the tire re-sellers in my area. I was very surprised when they quoted me a set for my A4.

Also, you will never be able to purchase the same quality tire from a 3rd party re-seller as you can get from the dealer. Each tire manufacture sells their best tires to the OEM dealers and the actual car manufacturing plant. This is just how it is because they want the best set to go out on the cars when they are built.

RED HORSE

Don't know about where you are, but this simply isn't true here. We have a Tiire Rack warehouse in town and I go out and pickup my tires. I see all sorts of tire retailers there getting tires, and I've even bought tires through the dealer and had them delivered with Tire Rack stickers still on them.


My Lexus dealer has even told me to go out and get my tires and their charge for mounting and balancing is minimal. Simply no advantage to not buying at Tire Rack unless your dealer is price matching, which many will do.

KnappAttack

Its a know fact the OEM gets the first rate tires with less runout and less imbalance. The Internet retailers get what I would call the third string tires with the most runout and imbalance.

I know I'm done with Tire Rack and their third string tires. I can honestly say I have not had even ONE set that stays true and in balance on any vehicle I've ever put them on let alone an Audi.

RED HORSE

And for more sets of tires than I can count I've never had a problem with Tire Rack tires, Audi, Porsche, Mazda, Lexus, Toyota, Chevrolet, BMW and Volkswagen.

Where does your information come from that makes you so certain? I would sincerely appreciate knowing. I know my Lexus service writer advises me to go to Tire Rack.

KnappAttack

Just a little bit of research and you have an answer.

From, Tire Review's website, and they are plenty more sites out there who can also verify.

When is Road Force Balance Overkill?



What’s Acceptable?

All tire manufacturers test tires at their manufacturing facilities for uniformity, including road force variation, conicity (the tendency to roll like a cone), ply-steer (the tendency to crab sidewise) and balance. Acceptable levels of uniformity vary among manufacturers, tire lines and the planned distribution channel for the tire.

Not surprisingly, the most uniform tires typically go to the automakers for OE fitment. How much variation is acceptable for independent tire dealers versus the discount clubs is probably something that is not discussed in public.

As part of their uniformity measurements and to help with balancing, manufacturers usually place red or yellow marks (or both) on the sidewalls of their tires. The red mark indicates the point of maximum radial force variation (the stiffest point and effective “high spot”) and should be aligned with the wheel’s point of minimum radial runout (the wheel’s “low spot”), which is generally indicated by a colored dot or a notch somewhere on the wheel.

If the point of minimum radial runout is not indicated on a wheel, the weight method of match mounting should be used instead. When performing weight match mounting, the yellow mark on the tire, indicating the point of lightest weight, should be aligned with the valve stem on the wheel, which represents the heaviest weight point of the wheel. It is the heaviest point because the valve stem assembly, especially with today’s TPMS sensors, is heavier than the weight removed by drilling the hole for the valve stem.

Car manufacturers have been using road force wheel balancers for decades because even the best tires are not perfect. It’s done at the factory on every tire/wheel assembly to create that ever so important new car ride.