Lain

Hello,

I just ordered a 2017 TTS with the 19" wheels.

I'm going to be getting a set of 18" Blizzak winter tires.

I've come up with 2 options and was hoping to get some opinions of which would be best.

Original Rims 19"Dx9"Wx52mm offset
Original Tires 245/35/R19

Winter Rim I'm looking to get 18"Dx8"W x 42mm offset. (found some nice used OEM Audi rims for cheap rather than replicas).


Tire Option 1
235/40/R18

Rim & Tire Size Calculator. Custom Offsets - Wheel-Size.com

9mm diameter reduction
Tire sticks out 5mm more from side
Positive Scrub Radius change of 12mm



Tire Option 2

225/45/R18
Rim & Tire Size Calculator. Custom Offsets - Wheel-Size.com

6mm diameter increase
Tire does not stick out more than original
Positive Scrub Radius change of 9mm


I'm leaning towards option 2 because there's less change and thinner tires work better in snow (and we have a good amount of snow in Southwestern Ontario).

The only thing I'm worried about is if going from the stock 245/35/R19 to a 225/45/R18 is too big of a change on the diameter & sidewall. Where the 235/40/R18 is less of a change.

I'm not sure how that will affect performance, tracking control, ect. Or maybe it will have no affect at all. (It's not like I'll be racing around in the snow either).

I also don't want the 225 to look too skinny, but safety is first concern followed by performance.


Any suggestions on which be great.


Thank you,

adg44

18x8.5 with a 245/40/18 winter tire is your size. So your tire width remains the same, but you are reducing the width of the wheel by half an inch.

Stick with the factory offsets if possible.

Vegas-roadster

Go with the 225. The increase in diameter is only about 1% compared to the OEM diameter so there will be no noticeable effect on the drive train computer and speedometer. Yeah you are going to have more flex in cornering but should have less of a "ski effect" in snow.

Lain

Thanks for the reply.

Ya, I'd definitely go for a 8.5" width with 52mm offset if I could find someone selling them used.

But I have a chance to get OEM Audi rims that are practically new (8" width & 42mm offset) for $700 for the set of 4. Which you won't pay much less than that for replicas.
So that's why I wanted to go with those rims since they are OEM.

Lain

Thanks for the reply.
Ya the 225 made sense to me for the ski effect of the wider ones. So as long as the larger width change and sidewall change (over going with the 235/40) doesn't mess anything up I think they will be better in the snow.

n828cl

As a point of reference, I had no problems this past winter in Minnesota with DWS 06s in the standard 245/35R19 size on the TTS. We do get a bit of snow here...

- Chuck

Vegas-roadster

I put a pair on the rear of my wife's MB E350 and they wore out after 10K! Seen some similar wear complaints on tire rack recently although I did not see any before I bought the tires.

I have a cabin in north Arizona that gets snow regularly, so I have all season tires on my wife's car. The car is not in snow enough to consider making snow performance a primary concern but postings I've seen on other forums seem to universally agree that narrower tires do better in snow since you get more pounds per square inch on the contact patch.

waninae39

the best winter tires are the nokian hakkapeliitta series

https://www.nokiantires.com/winter-t...kkapeliitta-8/

i have used them for over 25 years up in canada

it is best to get "-1" wheels

ie 19" summer with 18" winter

to get the same tire rotatio, the aspect ratio will change and the tires will become skinnier, that is what you want.
skinny winter tires grip better than fatter tires

use the tire ratio calculator listed above to find the right size

Lain

Thanks everyone. I think I have it sorted out what I'm going with!

Vegas-roadster

Nokian is apparently well known in the Scandinavian countries but not too well known in North America. Their winter tires and allseason tires rate at the top.