Raiders85

Waiting on delivery of my new Q7 Prestige and am thinking about replacing the standard 20" wheels. I read somewhere that the standard runflat tires need special wheels with an internal rim that regular wheels don't have. Is that correct? If so the stock runflat tires would not fit on the aftermarket wheels. Also, the availability of 285/45R20 non-runflats is almost nil. Should I even consider using a Michelin 275/45R20 LPX if it is only rated at 110H? The standard runflats are rated at 112H. Both are XL tires. Thanks.

GDawgA4

Yes, for runflat tires to be effective they must be mounted on runflat compatible wheels. There's an extra lip on the bead to help maintain the tire when it's flat so it doesn't come off the wheel. You could mount the 20" runflat tires on normal aftermarket wheels but then they're effectively not runflat.

I learned this after mounting winter tires on the stock 20" wheels. I was planning on getting the Hartmann 20" version of the optional 21" wheel for the OE tires but found they are not runflat compatible. It seems to be hard to find runflat compatible aftermarket wheels. Now I probably will end up remounting the runflat tires on the stock wheels and get the Hartmann wheels for winter duty.

Mnaps

I called Hartmann myself and they don't recommend RFT, true. But both my Audi dealer and local Discount tire shop feel it's unusual. Other manufactures including TSW are ok with using the oem rubber on their standard wheels. You do need to be careful of load rating as mentioned in several threads. Many look like they "fit" but are not rated high enough for the mass of the Q. Having EH2 (extra bead) rims should not be necessary for modern RFTs. You can go into Pirelli or Goodyear sites for more info. I am going with Ace Alloy Scorpio in 20 x 9 for summer. These look a lot like the 21" optional wheels from Audi. And keeping oem 20's for winter rubber. My car arrives in 2 weeks.

Eppieguy

I used Vossen Wheels, while I have no idea about a special wheel for Runflats I had no issue with mounting my OEM 20" tires on them.

txtom

Runflats? The reason for my switch from BMW to Audi two years ago was due to horrible ride on runflats. So sad to hear Audi is now going in the same direction. It became standard for many BMW owners to purchase new wheels and tires during the first week of ownership. The vast improvement in ride and handling justified the cost to switch.

Eppieguy

Order the 21" wheel option, not run flats then.

adamvincent617

You can also get the non-run flat option with the 19" wheels...

pcaddict66

Don't knock them until you try them. Run flats have evolved tremendously since just 2 years ago. They feel great, ride very smoothly and are amazingly quiet on my Prestige. I'm at 13,000 miles and there is barely any detectable wear. Mine are Goodyear.

noxqzs

I have the Goodyear as well and just passed 14k. Tread is good and grip is tight even in this cold New England weather.

GDawgA4

I too have heard terrible stories on RFTs on BMWs. I was quite happy with the factory runflats before mounting winters. The ride was great, smooth and quiet. We'll see as they wear on.