snagitseven

If you read my post above, you would see I just received a set of the new DWS 06 UHP A/S from Tire Rack. After having three wheels straightened (lots of potholes where I live) they were mounted and balanced on a standard balancer. I asked for my dealer to check road force on their Hunter and they were all well within spec and on the highway they are smooth as silk.

There is some disagreement about a tire manf. providing different quality tires to different retail channels. As I previously posted, I have had my share over many years of perfect and not so perfect tires from all sources including Tire Rack, tire stores and as supplied right from the car factory on a new car. I can find no data point in my 40+ years of experience or from others I know that support the claim of "better or worse" quality tires from any one source. I will say that the bad ones I've had were a small percentage - more bent wheels over time than bad tires.

RED HORSE

This, but my experience has spanned 55 years.

snagitseven

My first car was actually 51 years ago but back then I couldn't afford new tires until 4 years later.

RED HORSE

I well remember those days. At one point I had a fabulous 66 GTO that needed tires. I couldn't afford tires, but I could trade for a new 67 GTO for only $4.00/mo increase in my payments. So I bought a new car to get the new tires!!

snagitseven

At 16 in 1964 I got my first car for $50 (a '56 Studebaker with a non-working 2nd gear) from my uncle, funded by my father. I couldn't afford payments much less tires. All I could afford was gas at 25 cents a gallon assuming my friends were with me and we all ponied up some change at the pump.

KnappAttack

Well installed and running 4 new Conti DSW 06's from Tire Rack, that's 15 tires that have been on my A8 and still do not have a car that rides good! (Not counting the 4 Stock Conti's I have mounted on the factory wheels that are marked "AO" that run perfectly shake free) Rims have been checked and verified to be straight and true. Three Contis road force OK at 12, 13, 13, but of course the last one at 18 still shakes the car. Tire Rack says Conti will not warranty anything unless over 25 lbs.

Hey TIRE RACK, I used to buy every set of tires that went on my vehicles from you. Guess what, never again will I buy another tire for anything from you! I can't take your crappy out of rounds tires anymore. Somehow, given my track record I figured you couldn't come thru for me! Four round tires is just too much to ask! Rant over.

Only the Audi dealer or local franchised tire shop for me any more. There is a reason Audi specs a "AO" tire for these paint shaker Audi suspensions.

snagitseven

I'm beginners to think you have something else going on with your wheels or the car's mechanicals. 15 bad tires? the odds say that shouldn't be so. My 4 new DSW O6 were just fine out of the box No vibrations whatsoever. Either you have another problem or you are incredibly sensitive to vibrations.

superswiss

I don't recall if you stated this anywhere, but who mounted these 15 tires. Same place every time? If so, then perhaps it's not the tires, but the installer and/or faulty equipment.

KnappAttack

You sure would think with 15 tires you'd find 4 good ones! This was my concern to the Tire Rack people that if I switch to the DSW's, what if one or more of those were bad? I only need 2 decent Goodyears to complement the two good ones I got from the local franchise dealer.

Car is just fine. When I put my OEM Conti3 "AO" tires and wheels on it runs silky glass smooth.

Also had two decent Goodyears on the the car that came from the local Goodyear franchise shop that ran smooth on the front with no steering wheel shakes. All I needed was two more decent Goodyears, but the local dealer would not warranty the other two Tire Rack tires. Tried again with Tire Rack for those two and one at 17 other at 37 lbs. Now these DWS 06's and they will not run shake free over 80+ MPH like the Goodyears did. It shakes so violently up around 90 you'd think the car is coming apart, you just can't drive it there. They have to come off as the car is literally undriveable with them on and the steering wheel shakes like mad. Its like the tire is all weighted on one side up at high speed and distorting out of shape as you go faster.

At least the Goodyears smoothed out up past 80+ The Goodyears were out of round, the DWS 06 is round, or sure feels like it is, but seems to distort at speed or something. I have spent more money than one could shake a stick at to get just 4 good tires on the car that do not shake. My old worn out "AO" tires are not going to go too much longer with the tread wear, but for as long as I can remember the tires I get from Tire Rack all seem to have the shakes and/or are out of round. I had high hopes that these DSW 06's would be different with the experience you had with yours, but as of today they are the worst I have had on the car after a few miles.

The dealer is going to work with me to try and get to the bottom of this and help out. It's quite obvious its not the car, and the wheels have been checked and rechecked. Its the dang Tire Rack tires! It's every single set I get from them. I've never ever had low road force numbers with any of them. I thought the three DSW 06's would be OK, but obviously something bad is wrong with them! There is no way they are 13 lbs and less anymore after running them and 18 lbs is IMO excessive for the Audi to start with.

I just do not know what to think anymore. I know I am done with the Tire Rack. They have done their best to help but I just can not keep paying balancing & shipping cost to replace all these inferior tires. For anyone that knows what 20 LB + road force tires feel like, you know how frustrating this is to keep chasing.

For now my old raggedy worn Conti 3 "AO" summer tires are going on so I can at least drive the car.

RED HORSE

Or this poster has an ax to grind against TireRack.