18 or 19 inch tires on A5 and other questions

[Floptop]

Hi, everybody. My 2009 A5 should be arriving in about a month and I had a few questions. I've been trying to find resources online and asking people at other message boards but I was hoping you guys might have more definitive answers. :) Some random thoughts and questions:

- Not sure if I should keep the 18 inch tires and just get new rims or get 19inch wheels and tires. Tire recommendations in each size? I live in So Cal and thought summer tires might be cool, but really, I chose the A5 for its refined looks and awesome interior, so maybe I'm more of a comfort person. Thoughts?

- I've been noticing the forged, more expensive rims are lighter... should I get the lightest rims possible? Are 31 pound, less expensive rims risky for the A5? In case you haven't noticed by now, I know very little.

- The tire pressure sensors -- anything I should be aware of when changing the rims?

I'm sure I'll remember other questions. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

[Borg54]

The reason people worry so much about weight in a wheel is b/c it is unsprung. I wont bore you with the details, but basically taking unsprung weight off the car will make the car handle/go over bumps much much better. (a few pounds off the wheels will make a much bigger diff than a few pounds out of the car)

Doesn't sound like you are much into the performance side of things so i would just go for a quality wheel wheel that you like the looks of.

[Floptop]

^ Thanks!

Amazingly, I don't quite totally understand what you mean, but I get the part about lighter wheels means better handling.

So 18 pound wheels would be significantly better than 31 pound wheels, I take it. I wish I could feel the difference in both. Yeah, I will be driving this car like the touring car it is, only gunning it during terrifying merges on So Cal highways, so it really won't matter you (or anybody else) think?

[Floptop]

Oh, okay, looked up unsprung weight on Wikipedia:

The unsprung weight of a wheel controls a trade-off between a wheel's bump-following ability and its vibration isolation. Bumps and surface imperfections in the road cause tire compression--which induces a force on the unsprung weight. In time, the unsprung weight then responds to this force with movement of its own. The amount of movement is inversely proportional to the weight - a lighter wheel which readily moves in response to road bumps will have more grip when tracking over an imperfect road. For this reason, lighter wheels are often sought for high-performance applications. In contrast, a heavier wheel which moves less will not absorb as much vibration; the irregularities of the road surface will transfer to the cabin through the geometry of the suspension and hence ride quality is deteriorated.

Thanks for tipping me off to that term, Borg.

Though this is usually not considered important, at least in the popular literature, there is a positive effect. High frequency road irregularities, such as the gravel in an asphalt or concrete road surface, are isolated from the body more completely because the tires and springs act as separate filter stages, with the unsprung weight tending to uncouple them. This can improve overall safety.

Is this basically saying under more normal driving condition going at regular speeds, higher unsprung weight can result in a smoother ride?

[TapouTx914]

Well 19" will definately give you a better look. 31 pounds are very heavy rims so idk if you really want those but as stated this is performance reasons so if you just like the looks its really up to you. I think the rims you buy if they are designed for the a5 will be compatable with the tire pressure monitors not sure on that one though.

[Floptop]

^ Thanks.

Somebody just said if a tire blows out on Quattro, you might have to replace all four tires. Any truth to this?

[VMRWheels]

Take a look at Tirerack.com's Tech Center. You can learn a lot from this link. Im sure most of your questions can be answered in here.

http://www.tirerack.com/about/techcenter.jsp

-Charles@VMRWheels
www.vmrwheels.com

[Floptop]

^ Thanks.

[VMRWheels]

^ Thanks.

No problem!

-Charles@VMRWheels
www.vmrwheels.com

[MaverickUF]

I've heard nothing but bad things about the tires that come from the factory on the 19s.

[Floptop]

^ Well then I'm lucky to have been told "too late" when I asked for the "upgrade."

Seriously, I know resources are scattered around the internet, but if anybody has specific advice on the A5...

I live in So Cal, was wondering what kind of tires are best in terms of size and kind. Even brand. Seriously, ramble all you want. I've got 2 or 3 three weeks to make some informed decisions. :)

I want a comfortable ride so am hesitating on summer tires. Etc.

[Media Offline]

I've heard nothing but bad things about the tires that come from the factory on the 19s.

Like what kind of bad things? I'm getting an A5 soon, too. Pretty much same boat.

[MaverickUF]

I know that every S5 or A5 w/19's at my Orlando dealer has had to have the tires recalled/swapped.