Just lost 30mm but GOTS more Quattro !

[Eddie Man]

Just pluncked down on some new Winter Meats...


I ran a wider 245/45/18R V-rated Dunlop WinterSportM3's for 3 Winter Seasons and it was great as the M3's performed very well in snow & dry conditions during the winter.
Could BETTER traction be had in the snow.
You betcha.
I wanted to go to a skinny tire but opted for more meat for my 18" for that pothole forgiveness.
Not bad wear for 3 Michigan Winter Seasons




Not this season though...



Now I got the new Bridgestone Blizzaks LM-60 at a much skinnier 215/45/18R H-rated.
The Dunlops in M3 or D2 can't be had at this size so I opted for a softer compound to deliver better grip and a more optimal footprint.
Gonna also outfit the rims w/some perfectly sized hubcentric spacers for the flush fit.

Now the rig is NOW a complete QUATTRO machine :)
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I can't wait for snow (snow+quattro=fun)

[91gl]

good choice in tire and selection. funny you posted this, i was looking at new winter wheels and tires last night. last winter i was running the stock avus wheels with a 225/40/18 Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2 and loved them but wanted more. I was looking for oem wheels with a 7.5 width so i can easily fit a 215 or even a 205. MK5 gti Huffs as well as mk5 r32's are both 18x7.5, i just would need spacers to clear my porsche brakes. Looking at the Michelin X-Ice Xi2's.

What wheels are you running the blizzaks on?

[Eddie Man]

What wheels are you running the blizzaks on?

I'm runnin my Stockers (BBS CH style) in the winter.

[91gl]

nice looking good. going from a performance snow tire to a studless snow is a big jump in deep snow and ice traction. you will be completely planted to the ground with those and quattro.

[iconoclast]

better off with the narrow tire... much better off...

[Eddie Man]

nice looking good. going from a performance snow tire to a studless snow is a big jump in deep snow and ice traction. you will be completely planted to the ground with those and quattro.

Thanks for the prop...
Technically though, these are not deemed Studless Ice/Snow tires but still in the Performance Winter/Snow category, them being H-rated.
They do however though, share the same tread pattern design as the Blizzaks WS60 whicjh is a true Studless Ice/Snow tire.

[Monchichi8]

great choice.Skinner is def. going to help.

[SoCalS4Avant]

Nice grab Eddie! Where'd you pick them up? How do you expect them to hold up driving in the non-snow days during the winter? How many miles are you expecting to put on them per season...

...trying to decide on which winters I want myself. So indicisive!

[Eddie Man]

Nice grab Eddie! Where'd you pick them up? How do you expect them to hold up driving in the non-snow days during the winter? How many miles are you expecting to put on them per season...

...trying to decide on which winters I want myself. So indicisive!

Thanks Dan...
I contemplated getn them from TireRack and then drop shipn them to my local tire shop.
But opted to negotiate w/my local tire shop for a deal.
Them been good to me over the years so I thought I'd help them out too and boost the local economy at the same time.
I drive about 1900mi/month so that equates to 11,400mi/winter season.
It's def. gonna wear faster than the M3's being a softer H-rated tire but that's the trade-off.
I'm countn on getn a solid 3 seasons based on my M3s getn me 3 seasons and by the looks of it could of got me through season 4 if I wanted to squeeze'em out.

[91gl]

Thanks for the prop...
Technically though, these are not deemed Studless Ice/Snow tires but still in the Performance Winter/Snow category, them being H-rated.
They do however though, share the same tread pattern design as the Blizzaks WS60 whicjh is a true Studless Ice/Snow tire.

oh snap i thought i read ws-60, i was scratching my head till i scrolled back up and saw lm-60. still a very good choice of tire. you must post pics when you mount them

[ngng]

I'm runnin my Stockers (BBS CH style) in the winter.

CH looks style sooo good

[2PUTT]

this season will be my 3rd with the Vredestein Wintrac Xtremes. I love them!!

[vinny.dtw]

Nice Eddie, I'm not ready for Snow, so don't wish for it too soon.

[serumk]

I miss the Michigan winters. = )

[sakimano]

what's the universally best regarded winter tire (for hardcore northeast winters)?

Nokian?
Gislaved?
other?

[04v8s4]

I'm currently running 215mm wide blizzak WS-50s in the winters. Mounted on 17" A4 wheels.

I can tell you that the car handles insanely in the DEEP snow.

There were 5-6 snow storms this past winter where i was dragging the belly pan and the car solid. Nice choice.

[SoCalS4Avant]

Thanks Dan...
I contemplated getn them from TireRack and then drop shipn them to my local tire shop.
But opted to negotiate w/my local tire shop for a deal.
Them been good to me over the years so I thought I'd help them out too and boost the local economy at the same time.
I drive about 1900mi/month so that equates to 11,400mi/winter season.
It's def. gonna wear faster than the M3's being a softer H-rated tire but that's the trade-off.
I'm countn on getn a solid 3 seasons based on my M3s getn me 3 seasons and by the looks of it could of got me through season 4 if I wanted to squeeze'em out.

If you can stay local, that's definitely something I'd do as well. Of course, finding snow tires in So Cal is ridiculous! Most of the shops around here have to special order things, and jack up prices. Yikes!

In the last two years, I've only put 5,000 miles / year on the Avant...but I have to do freeway driving, so I'm needing something that's going to hold up. I think I'm probably going to end up with the M3's...

BTW - what's up with differing sizes of tires? Want to school me on why I shouldn't just put 235/40 18's on my Avus winter wheels?

[Eddie Man]

BTW - what's up with differing sizes of tires? Want to school me on why I shouldn't just put 235/40 18's on my Avus winter wheels?

Well I guess the question for just my information:
Being in Pasadena, where exactly are you encountering snow?
Your jaunts to Mountain High, etc?
That being said, I would think that a V-Rated Performance Tire sized same as your OEM summer tire may be best as dry pavement driving would be the majority of your driving.
Now if you want the ultimate snow tire experience (the other side of the spectrum) is to get a skinner tire that has relatively the same rolling diameter as your OEM summer tire size and go for a softer compound tire (say H-rated or less).

Really, the science to better snow/ice traction is to concentrate more weight on a smaller footprint with as soft as a tire you can tollerate.
The trick is to find the tire size available w/the compound (speed rating) you desire.

Any winter tire will give you superior winter grip but size & compound can be enhanced if you select carefully.
Just remember skinny & soft will be the best in snow/ice performance.
A firmer winter tire will offer a compromise to dry road performance over snow/ice performance.

[oatzel]

BTW - what's up with differing sizes of tires? Want to school me on why I shouldn't just put 235/40 18's on my Avus winter wheels?

skinny is better when it comes to snow and really rain for that matter. wider tires tend to sit on top of the snow/water while the narrower ones cut through it.

watch a World Rally Race in the snow. remarkably skinny tires.

[SoCalS4Avant]

Well I guess the question for just my information:
Being in Pasadena, where exactly are you encountering snow?
Your jaunts to Mountain High, etc?
That being said, I would think that a V-Rated Performance Tire sized same as your OEM summer tire may be best as dry pavement driving would be the majority of your driving.
Now if you want the ultimate snow tire experience (the other side of the spectrum) is to get a skinner tire that has relatively the same rolling diameter as your OEM summer tire size and go for a softer compound tire (say H-rated or less).

Really, the science to better snow/ice traction is to concentrate more weight on a smaller footprint with as soft as a tire you can tollerate.
The trick is to find the tire size available w/the compound (speed rating) you desire.

Any winter tire will give you superior winter grip but size & compound can be enhanced if you select carefully.
Just remember skinny & soft will be the best in snow/ice performance.
A firmer winter tire will offer a compromise to dry road performance over snow/ice performance.

It's actually really funny, Eddie, how often that statement comes up, and how often I need to clarify! I actually spend the majority of my weekends up in snow during the winter. Here's a pic of my weekend house last December:



As you can see from what's in the driveway, a lot of my time is spent in my SUV. It has traditional mud/snows (all-season tires though), on 17's, and handles great. It's funny, because I grew up in the snow (Lake Tahoe), and never really had these types of conversations. We all had trucks, you had big tires, and you drove. Never really much thought into what I was purchasing as far as tires went. My standard conversation: "Hey, are those 33's? How much? Great, slap them on the truck."

My concern is making sure I have a liveable tire on the Audi that allows me to hit freeway speeds in the winter and holds up well when on dry, and yet gives me ultimate traction in the snow. Oh - and fits on my 18's.

Thanks for the input guys (Dave also, even though I didn't quote you in this!).

[Sharkfin]

damn there is some meat on that tire. You will tear it up