17 inch alloy wheels

Hi I'm a new visiter to this site and looking for some help.
I own an A2 SPORT 90bhp fitted with standard 17 inch alloys.
I had the wheels checked at 9000 miles and was told all 4 were so badly out of shape I needed new ones.
Audi claim they hane never had a problem and refused to help.
I replaced the wheels with a quality 17 inch alloy wheel from a german company who claim to make audi wheels.
I have completed 17000 miles and have the same problem.
My audi dealer is blaiming the road conditions and audi uk are unable to offer an alternatve.3rd party advice has told me to fit 15 inch wheels with larger tyres but audi have told me they will not recommend these and my warrenty will be affected.
Has any one had this problem with low profile tyres and 17 inch alloys it so what can I do.
I would like to keep the A2 but fit an alternative set of wheels, the car is only 16 months old.
message from jonnyquest please help
 
Hi Jonnyquest,

I haven't had any problems with the wheels, but I did have a problem with the tyres that came with the car from new, all 4 were defective and split and perished very dangerously. Audi as usual, did nothing but my local tyre dealer got me quite a bit of cash back from Dunlop!

Who says your wheels need replacing and what is actually wrong with them? Is it a dealer or a tyre specialist? Surely if the wheels have only done 17k miles then you should go back to the guys you got the wheels from? If all 4 go together there must be something wrong if this has happened under normal driving conditions, take it to another dealer and get a second opinion. Do you have the original wheels?

Audi's standard response is refusing to help, stick with it if you know you are right, just be persistent! Good Luck!
 
Hi jonnyquest
I have not heard of this problem on A2's but it does appear to affect some of the larger Audis. Apparently the alloy grade and heat treatment they use results in the wheel being able to take knocks without cracking or shattering but the trade-off is a more maleable rim that is less resistant to distortion. Hit a lump of debris on the motorway and the last thing you want is the wheel to fall apart so the compromise is made on safety grounds.
Some suggestions - The same 17" wheels on the Sport are also used on some Audi TT's. Check out the TT web sites and see if wheel distortion is a problem on this car model.
Do you still have the original damaged genuine Audi wheels. If so, jack up your car and take off a wheel the fit them one at a time. Rotate the wheel by hand and check where they are buckled. Does this coincide with any visible damage on the inner and outer rim? If there are no gouges in the metal and the paint is unbroken then it is reasonable to say they have not been 'potholed' or abused and have been only subjected to fair wear. On this basis, your wheels are unfit for purpose and may have quality problems - missing a heat treatment process during manufacture is one possible example.
If however the rims are badly marked and the marks coincide with the out of true points on the rim then you don't have a case!!!!!!!

The standard 15" polished wheels are 'forged' alloy and probably the toughest available for the A2. Combined with the higher profile tyres, they should be less susceptible to damage. I'm not sure why these would affect the warranty (I think they should work with the Sport rear discs) . You could write to Audi and ask them to explain why and how it would be affected.

Let the forum know how you get on

Cheers Spike
 
thanks for the advice

Thanks guys for taking the time to view your thoughts regarding my damaged 17 inch alloys.
I will keep you up to date with my progress.
Yours Jonnyquest
 
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