Don The Audiholic

they said they dont have a suspension kit out yet.....i know i could go aftermarket....but my dealer wont budge about the warranty....anyhow...what if invested in 19" tyres or something......any advice would be most welcome.....
ps: One of the guys at the parts department told me its gonna cost like £600 to get the car lowered....i told him to p!ss off!!! 600 bloody quid for lower my car, no way jose...he was like its gonna cost £200 for the suspension kit (when its released) and something like 300% on top for the labour!!!.....
i know i am practically a novice when it comes to modifying cars etc....but £600 does sound a bit steep...hence i am looking for alternative ways to give my car a meaner, more streetwise look...the rear of the car looks fine...its when i look at the front and that damn wheel gap.....apologies for sounding a bit irate...i know i should have invested in the sport pack, but i went for the SE trim......apart from the front wheel gap everything else about the car is sound.......any suggestions would be most welcome...
thanks......DON

EricPA

car unless you lower it with springs. So you gap would be gone but your car would sit at least an inch higher. If a lowered look is what you want then wait for the Audi springs or go for aftermarket.

QuattroRocket

When you get bigger wheels you get slimmer tires (shorter sidewalls) so that the overall diameter of the wheel/tire combo is the same as stock. Therefore 19" wheels would NOT reduce the gap, as a matter of fact visually they would have the effect of enlarging it, not actually just visually.

Flyin' SV

Listen to Quattro, he speaks the truth...

EricPA

the SE package in the UK comes with 16" wheels and 205/55 tires. The overall height of this combo is roughly 512.75mm. In order to compensate for the 3" (75mm) taller wheel he would need to find a tire that is 3" (75mm) shorter. If the wheel height is now 19" (475mm) he would need a tire that is 37.75mm or an inch and a half tall. There is no such tire. The the only option would be a 30 series tire. The only option I found was a 255/30/19 tire at nearly $300 a pop. It would be 76.5mm tall thereby bringing the total height with the 19's to 551.5mm which is still 38.75mm (1 1/2 inch) taller than stock. Confused yet? My head hurts. :-)

nanotech

Actually, height of the 205/55 R16 tire package is <B>631.9mm (24.88in)</B>.

16in * 25.4 mm/in = 406.4mm
205mm * .55 = 112.75mm * 2 = 225.5mm

Now, a 19" wheel would be

19in * 25.4mm/in = 482.6mm for the wheel
255mm * .30 * 2 = 153mm for the tire

for a total of <B>635.6mm (25.02in)</B> for the 255/30R19 tire package. A difference of <B>3.5mm (0.14in)</B>. Insignificant.

On the other hand, the sidewall height has decreased from 112.75mm to 76.5mm (4.4in to 3in). The car would therefore have to be lowered an additional <B>36.25mm (1.4in)</B> to make up for the visual difference, assuming you wish to have a 1:1 tire height:wheel gap ratio, traditionally the most pleasing ratio.

Check your numbers again

Oh, here's an easier way to check this out:
<A HREF="http://www.tolan-hoechst.com/cars/tirecalc.htm">http://www.tolan-hoechst.com/cars/tirecalc.htm</A>

bacccc

... or run the same size wheel with a larger tire profile? It would result in a larger total diameter which would result in a slightly taller gear overall and your speedo would also be off a bit. However, it's either that, or lower springs.

Good luck!

nanotech

Ride height would look worse than the wheel gap does now.

No free rides, you have to do suspension to eliminate that unsightly 4x4 look.

QuattroRocket

Changing the overall diameter will throw off the cars computer, not a good idea.

EricPA

We are saying the same thing. I proved how the combo would raise the ride height by roughly 1 1/2 inches. Then you say: "On the other hand, the sidewall height has decreased from 112.75mm to 76.5mm (4.4in to 3in). The car would therefore have to be lowered an additional 36.25mm (1.4in) to make up for the visual difference,..."