195/65 front - 205/60 rear
04-29-2004, 07:35 AM
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195/65 front - 205/60 rear
I bought this car with 195/60 15s all the way around. The rears (used to be the front) are totally worn on the inside and need to be replaced. I doubt these tires were ever rotated!
I can't afford to do all 4 at once, besides the fronts have a lot of tread left. I'd like to start going back to the 205/60s. Could I replace just the back - making it 195/65 in front and 205/60 in the rear without any problems? I never had a quattro before. I wouldn't lock the dif. until they were the same all the way around.
BTW there's a .9" circumference difference.
-Rick
'87 5ktq
I can't afford to do all 4 at once, besides the fronts have a lot of tread left. I'd like to start going back to the 205/60s. Could I replace just the back - making it 195/65 in front and 205/60 in the rear without any problems? I never had a quattro before. I wouldn't lock the dif. until they were the same all the way around.
BTW there's a .9" circumference difference.
-Rick
'87 5ktq
04-29-2004, 07:43 AM
#2
It is best to put all the same size tire on the car.
However, you could get away with running the 205's up front, and the 195's in the rear as long as you do NOT lock the center differential. With the center being a fully open diff, it can make up the difference (you can even do SHORT hauls with either the front or rear only off the ground with the car in neutral, BTDT when there was no flatbed available but the car NEEDED to be removed from an intersection after it was hit, car was towed maybe a 1.5 miles at low speed, 20mph or so).
04-29-2004, 09:43 AM
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Re: 195/65 front - 205/60 rear
I personally think it's a bad idea.
Any all wheel drive car should have exactly the same tires. I don't know about Audi's, but in Subaru case not having the same tires around will kill the differential. Also you probably will have problem with ABS.
Any all wheel drive car should have exactly the same tires. I don't know about Audi's, but in Subaru case not having the same tires around will kill the differential. Also you probably will have problem with ABS.
04-29-2004, 10:45 AM
#5
Subie never used an open diff w/manual locking...They use viscous diffs, which is why they are
sensitive to that. Not unlike the 2nd-4th gen quattros (TorSen) and any transverse VW Syncro/4Motion (viscous or Haldex).
04-29-2004, 01:45 PM
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tire sizes are nominal...
truthfully, different brands of the same size tire can vary in actual diameter and in effective rolling diameter. In other words putting a different brand of 195/65s may not be any closer than 205/60s, especially if the remaining two old 195/65s are significantly worn. I would advise either trying to hold off until you can get a set of 4 or atleast taking a tape measure and measuring the actual circumference of the tires you are not replacing and the proposed new tires. I've seen significant variances. The one that comes to mind was on a 45,000 mile ford expedition. The owner had replaced the tires in pairs and different brands of the same size. First the transfer case (automatic) would bind up and not disengage, then the front diff bearings got wiped out. All in less than 3000 miles of mismatched tires. Measuring them found a 3 inch difference in circumference, or approximately a 1 inch difference in diameter.
