Got the new RS7 - think I have a problem...

[sasha_p]

I finally took dlivery of my new 2016 RS7 and it is everything I expected and more.
[IMG][/IMG]
When I took it from the dealership, the car drove great. On the same day, i swapped the tires for the winter ones. It seamed fine, however, later that day, car started feeling a bit wobbly on smal steering inputs. Almost like the back is sliding out a bit and reminds me of the feeling in driving on the snow covered road.
- car details: DRC suspension
- winter rims and tires: nokian Hakapelita R2 255 35 R20 and Hartman wheels.

Had a dealer technitian test drive it and confirm something felt wrong. His superior drove it subsequntly and claims nothing wrong with the car and it is because of the tires.
Behaviour is there irrespective of the drive mode or other settings.

Question: any thoughts on this issue? Similar experiences? Do you guy think that tires could be less supportive due to warm weather at te moment (10+ celcius).

Any sugstions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[CanuckRS]

Suggestions:

1. don't believe what the dealer tells you, they'll tell you anything to get you out of there so you can't blame anything on the vehicle. this is pretty much a truism.
2. if something is this obvious to you and the dealer then something is clearly amiss. maybe take to an indy shop for a more realistic opinion.

good luck!

[Barritia]

I have heard winter performance tires feel different to summers depending on temps. I'm about to put my winter tires on next week so will know for sure then. Had new tires on my truck today too and they felt totally different too as they were different model.

[gk1]

They are studless snow tires right? Not performance winter tires. I suspect in warmer weather they would be quite "squishy". I'm sure on snow and ice they will be great but in the mean time maybe not the best unfortunately. Sorry.

[justcured]

Sasha,

It is unlikely that swapping wheels did anything to your car.

When warm, those large square tread blocks that do such a good job cutting through snow will "squirm" particularly when subjected to lateral loads. For a real thrill, drive across a metal grate bridge deck on new winter tires -- it is worse than driving on ice because the car wants to go both left and right at the same time and without warning.

That said:

All lugs tightened to correct torque specs?
Wheel width compared to stock? Overwide or too narrow wheels can enhance the feeling described above.
Offset of the wheels compared to stock? Have you widened or narrowed the track of the car with offset?

[Sd76]

I have heard winter performance tires feel different to summers depending on temps. I'm about to put my winter tires on next week so will know for sure then. Had new tires on my truck today too and they felt totally different too as they were different model.

Agreed. What's the temp in your area. Clearly when temps drop the winter tires stay pliable so they can grip the road vs. summer tires that get super hard and lose grip. If it's still too warm those winter tires can feel like bubble gum in the summer and feel like your moving more than you should be. Easiest way is just out your OEM WHEEKS back on and see if this solves problem and confirms that the tires can be it ... I'm not surprised with the amount of power your car has. I had out winter tires on bf a little too early and had a similar feeling until the temp dropped. Hope it works out.


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[sasha_p]

Agreed. What's the temp in your area. Clearly when temps drop the winter tires stay pliable so they can grip the road vs. summer tires that get super hard and lose grip. If it's still too warm those winter tires can feel like bubble gum in the summer and feel like your moving more than you should be. Easiest way is just out your OEM WHEEKS back on and see if this solves problem and confirms that the tires can be it ... I'm not surprised with the amount of power your car has. I had out winter tires on bf a little too early and had a similar feeling until the temp dropped. Hope it works out.


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Thanks! It is unseasonably warm here in Toronto. Temps are supposed to drop by Sunday so I will see if anything changes.
It is not as easy to get the tires swapped as I have them stored through a dealer but will do that to confirm if I don't figure it out within a week. My winter setup is same as some of the forum members here so I don"t think it would be offset or tire size (winter 255s vs summer 275s). Thank you all for suggestions!

[Eric F]

In addition to "squirm" being more pronounced with winter tires, new tires also have a greasy compound on them that allows it to come free from the mold during the manufacturing process. It can take several hundred miles of driving before this compound is completely worn away. I would suggest just driving cautiously for the next 500 miles or so and the tires should feel much better by then.

10°C isn't really too high for winter tires so I wouldn't be concerned there.

[Ensoniq]

Put the war, weather tires back on and see if the problem goes away or persists. Will rule the tires in or out anyway

[HyperM3]

It's the tires.

[zee007]

It's the tires.

I agree.

[hackths]

My S7 felt the exact same way once I put my snows on this winter. It's the tire being more squishy, seem to flex more and feel like the car "wonders" a bit more on the road. I mounted Dunlop WinterSports in 265/35/20 on my factory rims. Granted I have all sorts of issues with tires lately :) I moved my stock Pirellis to new 20x10.5 rim and with the stretch they SUCKED in the rain. Planning to replace those though next summer since they are near their end of life and I don't like that amount of stretch.

[etvois]

i've had the same experience with an S5, it's the tires + warm temps