kodakbyd

I've actually heard conflicting response about running staggered wheels. Some say they won't void the warranty on the engine and some says it does. I can see how the dealership would use the wheels as an excuse for some engine problem. Anyone hear about them voiding the warranty on the engine because of the wheels.

kodakbyd

The main issue is keeping the overall height of the tire front and back the same. Cars are engineered to ride at a certain height thats why there are recommended tire sizes. Porsche C4S and BMW X5 4.8 have all wheel drive and yet have staggered wheels so I wouldn't think it should be a problem.

gd10

yea that should work

ItsDubC

I have never heard of this. Magnusson-Moss Act states that they're supposed to prove that the staggered setup had any negative affect on the engine before denying warranty work. Of course we all know this is fine and dandy in writing but the reality of going up against an automotive company in an attempt to get them to cover warranty work can consume too much time and resources to be worth it.

kodakbyd

A co-worker of mine was denied warranty on his engine when he brought in his BMW 335xi because he put staggered wheels on. They stated that the staggered wheels threw off the transmission blah blah blah. They always make excuses and play the blame game anytime they can but in reality most of the people that work at these dealership don't know jack.

ItsDubC

^Even w/ that argument, engine warranty should still be intact unless BMW treats the transmission and engine as one. Agreed tho, excuses are always made.

IAS5

i know about the overall diameters- that's why i mentioned it. Plus, you can still have staggered wheel sizes and the same overall diameter.

I am talking about the offset of the wheels, not the overall diameter.

kodakbyd

yah I'm just a little worried they will void my warranty because I put staggered wheels on an awd. You know their rationale, they will use anything to avoid fixing the car. I wouldn't worry if I was putting a non-staggered setup but I know they would point to the wheels if i ever had a problem with the transmission. To top it off I purchased the extended warranty. I think I'll just be on the safe side and switch my wheels out everytime I take it in. Going to be a pain in the *** but small price to pay to avoid the headaches that might happen.

kodakbyd

oh offset just determine how much the wheels sit in or out of the car. Offset has no factor in the performance of the car. I use to work at a wheel shop so I should know. General knowledge higher the offset wheels stick in and low offset wheels stick further out

gd10

every car is made differently, some are made for staggered setups, and some are not. The R8 for example is made for a staggered set up, the S5 is not, its mentioned several times in your owners manual that each wheel/tire must be the same exact size.

They wouldnt put it in your owners manual if it wasn't important, go to page 226 and 288.