Ok.. I am just not quite understanding this..

Why do the parts on the TT go out so fast? Seems that everyone is complaicent with tires that last 15k miles or so.. shocks that last 7500 miles.. is that what I am to expect? Should I be ready to replace brakes after 10k miles?

Is any of this covered under the audi warranty?

 

And they're pretty damned fussy too.

Tires - The OEM's are high performance tires. They just don't last that long. You can replace them with longer lasting tires, but you'll sacrafice some handling. Not covered by warranty.

Shocks - I didn't start to question mine till about 20K. And I only really notice in hard driving thru turns. Probably wouldn't be covered by warranty because, technically, they still work.

Brakes - I have 28K on the OEM brakes. They're fine for me, and not nearly as dusty as they were new. But for those that take the car on the track, or Auto-X, the OEM's fade fast under aggressive driving. Should be covered under warranty.

Really comes down to how hard you drive the car, IMHO.

 

Thanks for the explaination..

Didn't want to buy a nice car and then go bankrupt trying to keep it up. I will probably replace some of the stock items (exhaust, brakes, tires, etc) but didn't want to be forced to do it before I was ready.

Thanks... nice TT btw, BB is the best =)

 

Yeah the stock P6000 are junk... no performance there... mushy and unresponsive... get some 18s

 

Fact: performance tires wear out fast. Thats how it goes. The RE040's that most of us have are particularily bad. You want sticky high-performance rubber, expect to replace it often. Less so if you aren't hard on the tires, much more so if you run on the track.

Stock brake pads are under warranty and will probably last a long time. Aftermarket pads create less dust, and wear out much more quickly. Personally, I'm willing to pay $150 a year in exchange for 90% less black crud on my wheels. Stock brakes are very good for most driving on the street, unless you are really hitting the twisty roads hard and braking from high speeds repeatedly. One or two hard stops from speed, no problem. Track use, where 100mph -40mph braking can happen over and over for twenty minutes, then you better have some upgraded brakes.

The stock shocks just plain suck. I don't know if they are a warranty item, but even if they are, you'll get the same crappy shocks from the dealer. (well, unless you can work something out with them, but don't count on it.)

I think the sad truth is, even though Audi is a "premium" brand, they save money where they can by sharing parts across multiple platforms, and spec'ing parts that save them (and us) money on the retail price. That sure doesn't make it right-- they could have done better on a couple key items like the DV (must have cost them a dollar each) and the shocks. But other then those items, many upgrades people make are probably "want" over "need" in most cases -- and that is a matter of personal choice.

 

Thanks!

 

Performance tires are made of a softer rubber compound for more grip. No matter which performance tire - 040s, Pirelli P6000s, etc. on which car, you're lucky if you get even 20K miles out of a set...

BTW, shocks and brakes are covered by the "Audi Advantage," I'm not sure about tires, though...

 

bounce, bounce. I feel undulation over "normal" freeway imperfections... hardly what I'd call agressive driving. Around hard corners, however, I've gotten rear wheel hop/tire chirps! I'm now at 7500 miles, and have noticed the shocks have been getting worse for a while now. My girlfriend, who is a frequent passenger in my TT even noticed the increase in bounce.

 

then I wouldn't be able to afford it. Sad but true
I'd rather have the car as is, and spend the extra money on the things that match my driving habits (tires & shocks, yes. brakes, chip, exhaust...not for a while, anyway).

 

The TT, to be frank, rides a lot like my old Jeep Wrangler as far as bumps go - largely because like my Wrangler it's a tightly sprung short wheelbase vehicle...