UR Quattro Tyres

[Audi Al]

I'm new to this site but thought worth joining as older Audi owners will know sourcing some of the VAG parts for UR Quattros is nigh on impossible! My car of last 3 years is a 89 MB.

Even 215/50 15 tyres are hard to get your hands on, Dunlop SP9000 apparently being the only ones still in manufacture. My Quattro is currently sat on Bridgestone Expedia S01 allround but 2 are nearly shot and I can't track down any more. I have seen cheaper TOYO 215/50ZR15 88W R8882G advertised. I have two Pirelli P7 VR15 tyres with plenty tread left but not convinced they'll mix with the ZR rated Bridgestones.....

Can anyone give any feedback on any of these, mixing tyre brands on a quattro, or if they know of any Bridgestones going?
Cheers
Audi Al

[cptsideways]

Just go for the next wider alternative with similar rolling diameter, it'll be a very similar sidewall height & I doubt will have any detremental effect on handling at all.

After some quick checks on this age http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

225 50 15 may be an easier find, you'd want a full set of course

[philip walker]

Still have P7`s on, is it low miles?

The Bridgestones are worth tracking down. Think they are still in manufacture. The Toyos are really a track tyre, soft and sticky not good in standing water. They also are noisy compared in comparison.

Dont go for the 225/50x15 as they will rub on the front wheel arch when "pressing" on. Yep they are a lot cheaper not for any of my quattros.

[agent006]

cptsideways said:

Just go for the next wider alternative with similar rolling diameter, it'll be a very similar sidewall height & I doubt will have any detremental effect on handling at all.

225 width tyres have been known to badly affect the handling on quattros.

[Ahonen]

agent006 said:

cptsideways said:

Just go for the next wider alternative with similar rolling diameter, it'll be a very similar sidewall height & I doubt will have any detremental effect on handling at all.

225 width tyres have been known to badly affect the handling on quattros.

I've heard that said a few times, but they made no real difference at all on mine. The biggest differences by far have come from changing brands - differences in construction stiffness seem to massively affect the ride and handling.

I've been experimenting with the various budget tyres recently on mine. Have a delightful (no, really) set of 225 GT Champiros on at the mo - £60 each from Kwik Fit as I needed them in a hurry for the MOT. They seem okay apart from having an incredibly stiff construction, which means they offer great feel with a bone-jarring ride. Swings and roundabouts...

The 225 option is fast becoming the only option, sadly.

[agent006]

I wonder if 225 tyres would have a worse effect on a car that's already got slighty wonky geometry.

[Audi Al]

Thanks for the replies

As my UR is (for me) a treasured item, and i don't have a rougher spare one to test out 225's on, I think I'll be sticking to 215's unless they become totally unavailable. More research tells me the Toyos are out of the question for British roads, I would have thought, because as you rightly say, are for track use and so compromise wet grip. Plus a nasty article issued by Toyo (in the US) says it can't vouch for their safety below 0 degC, they say the tyre wall is subject to cracks and failure!

Philip, the cars done 116k, the two P7 215 50 VR15's have not been fitted onto the car (yet). I picked the P7's up cheap with 8mm of tread. Excuse my lack of knowledge on this one, but from your remark you mean Quattros came fitted with P7's at some point?? I was wondering the age of the P7's I have can be approx determined, and the potential vehicle they came off? Perhaps they were off a quattro then? What other cars are suffering from the lack of availability of this size?

Was tempted to try P7's on the front and my 2 goodish Bdgstnes on the rear, and go easy with the car for a bit, see how it handles....and get it through its MOT nx week. Will have to track down 2 more Bridgestones or stop being a skinflint and shell out for 4 Dunlops if things are scary!!

Thanks everyone - all helpful!

Edited by Audi Al on Sunday 17th February 22:47

Edited by Audi Al on Sunday 17th February 22:49

[Yertis]

It's better to have four identical tyres, even if they are cheapies, than two of one tread pattern (or, God forbid, profile) and two of another. Quattros don't like mixed-up tyres.

[Ahonen]

Yertis said:

It's better to have four identical tyres, even if they are cheapies, than two of one tread pattern (or, God forbid, profile) and two of another. Quattros don't like mixed-up tyres.

Absolutely.

Mixing brands can give very interesting results...

[philip walker]

Audi Al said:

Thanks for the replies

As my UR is (for me) a treasured item, and i don't have a rougher spare one to test out 225's on, I think I'll be sticking to 215's unless they become totally unavailable. More research tells me the Toyos are out of the question for British roads, I would have thought, because as you rightly say, are for track use and so compromise wet grip. Plus a nasty article issued by Toyo (in the US) says it can't vouch for their safety below 0 degC, they say the tyre wall is subject to cracks and failure!

Philip, the cars done 116k, the two P7 215 50 VR15's have not been fitted onto the car (yet). I picked the P7's up cheap with 8mm of tread. Excuse my lack of knowledge on this one, but from your remark you mean Quattros came fitted with P7's at some point?? I was wondering the age of the P7's I have can be approx determined, and the potential vehicle they came off? Perhaps they were off a quattro then? What other cars are suffering from the lack of availability of this size?

Was tempted to try P7's on the front and my 2 goodish Bdgstnes on the rear, and go easy with the car for a bit, see how it handles....and get it through its MOT nx week. Will have to track down 2 more Bridgestones or stop being a skinflint and shell out for 4 Dunlops if things are scary!!

Thanks everyone - all helpful!

Edited by Audi Al on Sunday 17th February 22:47

Edited by Audi Al on Sunday 17th February 22:49

The P7`s were the original fitment to the 8" wheel fitted to quattros 84-87. Stopped production around 1992 ish. For the quattro purist they may be worth a few quid.

I initially though you car may be very low miles.

I have a car comes in for MOT every year on P7 tyres is has 28,000 miles on it. In the last 18 years it has covered less than 100 miles.