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I am definitely looking for a straight winter tire on a separate set of wheels. CT is too intense for all seasons.
Good idea, and I have been to CT!
I missed your earlier post as to whether the 19" wheels can be used with ceramic brakes, and it is a good question. Certainly the OEM 19" summer wheel, which is a 9J x 19" can be. There is no restriction noted on the OEM 19" winter wheel which is 8J x 19" ET26, and I also checked on the German site which lists the most details. The German site did say that the 19" winter wheel can be used with chains, if that matters. It is also, mounted with the Sottozero 2, around $615 excluding tax per wheel/tyre, or $2460 the set, mounted and balanced. Which seems very reasonable to me.
If Audi of America are really marking these up to $4,300, although this is an assumption, you have to ask what sort of half-baked business strategy they are running. Bringing in the car at a big discount, but then dramatically marking up a key accessory that helps deliver traction suggest lunatics at work. There is little clearance with the OEM 19" wheels over the CCB, so a big risk with after market wheels. BMW had issues with their CCB and OEM 19" wheels on the F series M3/M4. IIRC, there was so little clearance between the calliper and the wheel that small stones would get in and score the wheel to the extent it could eventually fail. There isn't much margin for error at these clearances.
My wife has all season tires (standard Continentals) on her S3 and they work just fine in ND. Biggest problem with winter is snow depth, at some point a low slung Audi will get hung up no matter what kind of tire you are using. As said, the winter wheels I used on my B8 RS5 did fit my B9 S5, but I haven't tried to put them on the B9 RS5 yet. With no help from Tire Rack, I may just have to do that and if they fit just put new winter tires on the old wheels.
FWIW, ordered a set of 4 KM 19" wheels with 35mm offset and 4 245 x 40 x 19 Nokian Hakkapiliita snow tires from my local tire shop. I had 245 x 40's on my last RS5 and worked well in snow.
I missed your earlier post as to whether the 19" wheels can be used with ceramic brakes, and it is a good question. Certainly the OEM 19" summer wheel, which is a 9J x 19" can be. There is no restriction noted on the OEM 19" winter wheel which is 8J x 19" ET26, and I also checked on the German site which lists the most details. The German site did say that the 19" winter wheel can be used with chains, if that matters. It is also, mounted with the Sottozero 2, around $615 excluding tax per wheel/tyre, or $2460 the set, mounted and balanced. Which seems very reasonable to me.
If Audi of America are really marking these up to $4,300, although this is an assumption, you have to ask what sort of half-baked business strategy they are running. Bringing in the car at a big discount, but then dramatically marking up a key accessory that helps deliver traction suggest lunatics at work. There is little clearance with the OEM 19" wheels over the CCB, so a big risk with after market wheels. BMW had issues with their CCB and OEM 19" wheels on the F series M3/M4. IIRC, there was so little clearance between the calliper and the wheel that small stones would get in and score the wheel to the extent it could eventually fail. There isn't much margin for error at these clearances.
Audi B9 RS5 19" with CCB Source: Audi CH
This is before taxes (approx $350) plus mounting/balancing ($50/tire), so $4900.
I missed your earlier post as to whether the 19" wheels can be used with ceramic brakes, and it is a good question. Certainly the OEM 19" summer wheel, which is a 9J x 19" can be. There is no restriction noted on the OEM 19" winter wheel which is 8J x 19" ET26, and I also checked on the German site which lists the most details. The German site did say that the 19" winter wheel can be used with chains, if that matters. It is also, mounted with the Sottozero 2, around $615 excluding tax per wheel/tyre, or $2460 the set, mounted and balanced. Which seems very reasonable to me.
If Audi of America are really marking these up to $4,300, although this is an assumption, you have to ask what sort of half-baked business strategy they are running. Bringing in the car at a big discount, but then dramatically marking up a key accessory that helps deliver traction suggest lunatics at work. There is little clearance with the OEM 19" wheels over the CCB, so a big risk with after market wheels. BMW had issues with their CCB and OEM 19" wheels on the F series M3/M4. IIRC, there was so little clearance between the calliper and the wheel that small stones would get in and score the wheel to the extent it could eventually fail. There isn't much margin for error at these clearances.
Audi B9 RS5 19" with CCB Source: Audi CH
I went into the dealer yesterday and ordered the winter set. It is the 19 inch 10 spoke wheels with pirelli tires. Price was $2900 and that includes them storing my tires and doing the switch-over for as long as I own the car. One less set of tires in my garage or basement. Pricey for sure but it didn't seem exorbitant...
I went into the dealer yesterday and ordered the winter set. It is the 19 inch 10 spoke wheels with pirelli tires. Price was $2900 and that includes them storing my tires and doing the switch-over for as long as I own the car. One less set of tires in my garage or basement. Pricey for sure but it didn't seem exorbitant...
That seems more reasonable vs that outrageous initial estimate. And the dealer switch and storage is the way it should be. It certainly is throughout Europe, where most people live in apartments and have nowhere to store tyres. Except here, they charge for the change and the storage, and the charges are not cheap. So you have done well.
I would have thought that Audi dealers in snow states in the US would be more attuned to providing both product and storage solutions, like yours does. But it doesn't seem that common.
Not to stray too far afield but I would rather store my own Tyres & Wheels. Granted I do have the space to do that in my garage, but IIRC, there was discussion awhile back that said the ozone created by electric motors was damaging to the rubber in tyres. I don’t know how much ozone is generated nor what the concentration of ozone would have to be to create a problem for the rubber.
My bottom line — I’m the only person who has access to my Wheels & Tyres when they are in my garage.
09-23-2018, 04:03 PM
