sapman

We bought our '07 last June with probably 50% or better tread on all tires (Continental ContiPro Contact). When I replaced all tires this winter with snows, both rear tires will not pass inspection this spring. Put around 10,000 miles on them. I obviously should have kept closer track and swapped fronts/backs. Do A8s typically wear fast on the rear?

Thanks,
Tim

Lexdiamondz10304

Running aftermarket wheels, my rear tires did wear out rather quickly. My front tires still lasted about 5,000 miles more, but I had to replace them due to "feathering" from my vehicle being lowered, if I wasn't running a negative camber on the front, my front tires should have lasted another 8-10k miles easy. The rears wore out evenly. I don't drive hard, and I am usually easy on the gas pedal. Tires: Nitto Invo 275/30/22

mishar

It is very hard to tell how much of a tire life is still on. If they are very old and sitting for a long time they would go fast. Generally A8 is heavier on the front and fronts are working harder both cornering and braking. So they are ones that should go first. Unless your alignment is off. It should be done with every new set of tires.

Negative camber doesn't wear tires. Negative toe does.

Lexdiamondz10304

Your statement is incorrect. While negative camber does not cause even tire wear, it does cause abnormal tire wear, since the contact patch is shifted towards the inside of the tire. My alignment was dead on with toe-in and toe-out. Camber is another story since I favor a lowered ride height.

You can see in the picture that the inner edge of this tire is beggining to wear faster than the rest.

TSHong

Both of you are right. Toe wear is much faster while neg camber will wear tires, but it usually takes a long while to do so.

mishar

This is combination of negative camber, toe out, over inflated, low profile, low budget. I am driving negative camber probably longer than you are around and I never had tire like this.

MP4.2+6.0

On my W12 it is wearing almost as fast in the back as the front. Another W12 owner posted a similar observation recently.

Can't speak for the D3 4.2 directly, but figure while a W12 has more power it also has more weight over the front end. If you are accelerating on a spirited basis, right off the bat at least 50% of the power is going to the back w/ std A8 quattro split, and more if any slippage. Braking should be more front force, but the D3 suspension reduces the dive and probably allows more brake load on the rears than otherwise.

Net, mine is wearing both rear tires and brakes more relative to the front than I have seen on prior Audis, including my C5 A6 4.2 (with conventional springs/struts).

Lexdiamondz10304

How much negative camber are you running? And low buget? I found that quite amusing. What are you running a 18x8?

TSHong

I forgot to mention my F & R wear. I had to put new tires before I could would drive my car. I decided on Michelin Pilot Sport A/s+ over the Pilot Super Sports. I have about 6K on them right now and both F & R still look brand new.

mishar

Sorry, I've just noticed that you are driving 275/30/22 tires. So I was wrong. It is actually worst than I thought. Besides killing acceleration and braking because of way higher moment of inertia and killing ride quality and handling because of luck of any side wall elasticity, they are prone of uneven wear because they can't compensate camber having too stiff sidewalls. Furthermore, for the same reason, their contact patch is quite smaller additionally killing braking and handling. I was also wrong about price. They are ridiculously expensive for the performance they offer.

Back to your question, I am driving 18x9.5 with 285/40x18 DW and 19x8.5 with 255/45x19 Michelin Alpine 3, lowered 25mm and camber that comes with that. I believe it is about -1.5°, but I remember driving -3° and still having even wear. That was on a racing car.