Audi S3 8V Wheels Thread

[dp_motley]

Can anyone tell me how wide can be a 8.5J rim? The 8.5J shows the tyre seat width which is an "inside" measure of the rim. But my question is about the total width of a wheel. I measured my 8.5J rim from a picture above and it was 24 cm wide. Is that normal? I should try this rim before I buy new tyres, I guess.

 

[makelja]

Did you measure it correctly? Sounds very wide. Closer to 9.5"

 

[dp_motley]

Did you measure it correctly? Sounds very wide. Closer to 9.5"

I did. The measurement shown on this picture is 8.5" on my rims. But then there are the rest of the alloy that pokes outside. That part seems to be wide. I tried the rims on my car this evening. They seem to poke 5 mm, despite the approved fitment of 8.5x19 ET45. Please view the pictures below (sorry for so many, I just wanted to show it from every possible angle). I really doubt I'm ready for this aggressive fitment. It would look great with more suspension drop, but I have Eibach Pro which isn't as low and the poke will be more pronounced.

I'd like to read opinions of the fellow ASN members.

 

[makelja]

That seems like the ET is not correct then. Because what I have understood ET45 with 8.5" width in SportBack should be right on the edge in the front fender.

 

[Lehn]

I did. The measurement shown on this picture is 8.5" on my rims. But then there are the rest of the alloy that pokes outside. That part seems to be wide. I tried the rims on my car this evening. They seem to poke 5 mm, despite the approved fitment of 8.5x19 ET45. Please view the pictures below (sorry for so many, I just wanted to show it from every possible angle). I really doubt I'm ready for this aggressive fitment. It would look great with more suspension drop, but I have Eibach Pro which isn't as low and the poke will be more pronounced.

I'd like to read opinions of the fellow ASN members.

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You need to get the car on the ground with tyres and drive it a meter or two. The angle of the wheels changes a lot when you raise the car and then put it straight down again. Try doing that with your current setup and see how much the camber changes. It's because the outside edge of the wheel will hit the ground first and prevent the camber to go back to normal (due to the control arms pointing more down than normal when the car is raised).

What is the max outside measurement of your current wheels?

 

[dp_motley]

That seems like the ET is not correct then. Because what I have understood ET45 with 8.5" width in SportBack should be right on the edge in the front fender.

Perhaps it isn't as it is a replica made in China. That's why I tried it yesterday. But I didn't think of what @Lehn said about the camber change when the car is lifted. I need to try it again, the correct way this time.

 

[dp_motley]

You need to get the car on the ground with tyres and drive it a meter or two. The angle of the wheels changes a lot when you raise the car and then put it straight down again. Try doing that with your current setup and see how much the camber changes. It's because the outside edge of the wheel will hit the ground first and prevent the camber to go back to normal (due to the control arms pointing more down than normal when the car is raised).

What is the max outside measurement of your current wheels?

You are right. I didn't think of the camber change after raising the car. I thought that if I put a piece of wood with the hight of a tire under the rim, it would imitate the correct stance. However I saw, and it is visible on an image above, that the car didn't settle to the right ride height after I put it down. I'm going to try again and drive some with a tyre on this weekend. Thanks for the suggestion.

What do you mean saying "max outside measurement of your current wheels"? My current wheels are 19x8 ET45 + 5 mm spacer (ET40) with 235/35 tyres. (-1.4 mm of 19x8.5 ET45 setup). Or did you mean how wide is the wheel with the tyre?

 

[Lehn]

You are right. I didn't think of the camber change after raising the car. I thought that if I put a piece of wood with the hight of a tire under the rim, it would imitate the correct stance. However I saw, and it is visible on an image above, that the car didn't settle to the right ride height after I put it down. I'm going to try again and drive some with a tyre on this weekend. Thanks for the suggestion.

What do you mean saying "max outside measurement of your current wheels"? My current wheels are 19x8 ET45 + 5 mm spacer (ET40) with 235/35 tyres. (-1.4 mm of 19x8.5 ET45 setup). Or did you mean how wide is the wheel with the tyre?

I was just suggesting to measure the max width of your current wheels and compare to the new wheels to see if they are in fact wider

 

[dp_motley]

The new ones are wider as they are 8.5J against the 8J of the old ones

 

[Lehn]

The new ones are wider as they are 8.5J against the 8J of the old ones

Oh, yeah now I see the problem

 

[dp_motley]

Well, I did as @Lehn recommended. I borrowed a used tyre of the right size and put it on the rim. Then I fitted the wheel and drove a few meters forth and back. After that, the suspension settled and there was no poke anymore. The rim itself is flush with the fender. There is 2-3 mm of the rubber (the rim protection) poking outside the fender, but this is common for all sportbacks with this wide wheels. I'm happy with the look. Now I need to buy rubber.

 

[dp_motley]

New wheels are fitted! It's a 2020 RS6 avant style alloys. The size is 19x8.5 ET45. The fitment is flush with the fender. There are 8 mm spacers on the rear axle. Rubber: Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, 235/35/19. The wheels are pretty heavy (22.6 kg with the tyre). I'll see how it will change MPG.

 

[Dubjam]

They look spot on dude!

 

[dp_motley]

They look spot on dude!

Thanks mate!