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I'm thinking of changing my wheels from 20" to 21". I know it doesn't sound a lot but supposedly can make major differences. So anyone have experience with doing that. What's the pros and cons for changing? I'm on standard S Line suspension. Ride, comfort, handling etc. Does it have any effect on engine, iv heard it puts more pressure on it.
I have the sport suspension and alternate between 255/35/21 and 255/40/20. I don't notice any major differences, but the 21s with the lower profile seem to handle slightly better and ride slightly rougher on less perfect roads.
I was hoping to "fill" the gap between the fairing and the tyre. I can't go dropping the suspension so this is my alternative.
So something I read, if I go with a 21", I should be dropping the height of the side wall, essentially the diameter won't change. Is this true, can I not put the same size side wall on a larger 21" so it would fill the gap between the tyre and bodywork?
The ideal is to target the same diameter and circumference of the overall tire so that speedometer and quattro system believe it all to be the same. As others have mentioned the higher profile tire the slightly smoother the ride and less road feel. From 40 to 35 for me has been noticeable but not significant.
You can use a tire size calculator to evaluate beforehand.
If you have 35 profile tires on your 20's now I believe that is already smaller than OEM diameter for the A6. My understanding is that OEM for the A6 20" wheels is 255/40-20. Long story short this would mean your speedometer is off 3.6% today. Others would need to speak to if there are impacts to this over the long term or not. I've just always tried to "match" OEM for the vehicle.
Running a 30 profile tire will increase your likelihood for bent rims etc. People do it, but you're getting into a more dangerous zone of no wheel protection depending on how your local roads are, etc.
OK so if I go from 20" 35 to 21" 30. Would that be close enough? Excluding losing ride comfort, are there any other pitfalls?
In addition to what mchltschr mentioned, the change you've proposed doesn't change the total diameter of the wheel + tire, so I don't know that it would give you the fill that you're looking for.
Yea I think the safer bet is just to stick with the 20". The speedo is defo off. GPS always shows different to the speedometer by 2 or 3kmph. Don't mind it too much. But it all seems more hassle than it's worth for just a little bit of extra styling.
In addition to what mchltschr mentioned, the change you've proposed doesn't change the total diameter of the wheel + tire, so I don't know that it would give you the fill that you're looking for.
Yea sorry this was before I knew I couldn't change the diameter. I was going to increase the diameter to close the gap but this seems to be a no no.
07-12-2023, 08:04 AM
20" to 21" Wheel Upgrade?
