New tyres over sensitive to road surfaces

[Corb2000]

I replaced my 2016 A7’s oem 20 inch Pirelli P zeros after 2 years / 31,000m with Vredestein Ultrac Vorti R - identical spec, load & speed rating - after reading positive reviews of the Vredesteins and previous good experiences with the brand.

After doing 1,000m or so on the Vredesteins I’ve noticed a consistent over sensitivity to road surfaces, anything less than billiard table smooth tarmac causes a steady ‘buzz’ through the steering wheel.

I had all 4 wheels rebalanced by the tyre fitter and that did reduce the vibration but there’s still the wheel ‘buzz’ and a harshness to the ride on rougher road surfaces that I never had with the Pirellis.

My car has the optional air suspension and I’m really fussy about ride quality and road noise, so far both seem to have deteriorated since the tyre change - anyone have any experience of the Vredesteins or suggestions about any other potential causes of the problem?

Thanks for any ideas folks.


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[WesT-gefül]

What is the noise rating of the two tyres. Mostly likely something you have to live with.

 

[gokiwi64]

It could be down to the compound difference between them or even the pressures , try dropping a couple of psi and see if it changes at all.

 

[Corb2000]

The noise rating of the vredesteins is 3db less than the oem Pirellis, so in theory my new tyres should be quieter!


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[Corb2000]

It could be down to the compound difference between them or even the pressures , try dropping a couple of psi and see if it changes at all.

I’ve tried cold pressures at 5psi below and above the Audi figures of 38 front and 33 rear.

Reducing the pressures by 5psi (33/28) seemed to increase the noise and harshness felt through the car on coarse road surfaces.

Running the tyres at the 5psi higher pressures (43/38) reduces the harshness and takes the edge off the buzz felt in the steering wheel but makes the steering rather too light for my taste, even in dynamic mode. It also adversely affects the car’s reaction to movement joints and potholes.


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[WesT-gefül]

It’s a mixture of compound and tread because You’ve ruled everything else out. Also unfortunately we have crap roads. On some rare occasions we do have smooth roads it makes all the difference even with noisy tyres.