Ride Quality

THEAUDISTALKER

THEAUDISTALKER

Member
Hi again folks,

As you've probably noticed I've been posting a bit lately getting advice on a couple of things now on to another topic 'ride quality'.. I'm switching from 16 to 17 inch alloys has anyone made the same jump? How do you find it now?

Thanks again Luke

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I went from 17s to 15s due to ride quality, it depends on a few things really. I think the age of your suspension has a lot to do with it.


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I have done that, also 16 to 18 and then 18n to 19 (All on an A2)

Yes SLIGHTLY firmer ride, but also slightly better road holding especially when cornering, thanks to the tyrewalls having less flexing)

But I have also tried the other way and the ride is still on the firm side regardless.

the best way to improve the ride is to use decent shock absorbers / struts.

A2Sumo had it spot on, the FSI I bought from him was the best riding A2 I have driven out of hundreds!!!

Steve B
 
Edwrai said:
I went from 17s to 15s due to ride quality, it depends on a few things really. I think the age of your suspension has a lot to do with it.


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Click to expand...
I went from 17s to 15s also and found ride quality better.
 
Ride quality is something that can't really be measured. To one person the ride might be firm, to another it might be fine!
I have heavily modified cars over many years and with more powerful engines. The first thing I used to do was to firm up the suspension and fit lower profile tyres (i.e. taller wheels and smaller tyre walls). This improves the cornering and steering response slightly and yes, it gives a firmer ride.
But the thing to remember is that if you hit a bump or a pot hole you will get a jolt. Whether that is more or less of a jolt is difficult to tell. But safety in cornering and steering response is perhaps worth it?

As I say, everyone is different. Always remember that going from 17s to 16s is a difference of half an inch of tyre wall (it is the radius that counts, not the diameter. This is very difficult to feel but whatever works best for each of us is what matters.

I really wouldn't drop a wheel size for comfort unless I KNOW that the struts and shock absorbers are in good condition.
They affect the ride quality far more than half an inch of rubber.

I am not saying that people who have dropped in wheel size are wrong, but don't expect a huge difference.

Scientifically, your tyre pressures have far more influence on ride quality, as do the make and type of tyre fitted, so dropping down a tyre size means that you are now running on different tyres and with different tyre pressures and so this often helps with the ride more than the half an inch of tyre wall.

Steve B
 
Birchall said:
Ride quality is something that can't really be measured. To one person the ride might be firm, to another it might be fine!
I have heavily modified cars over many years and with more powerful engines. The first thing I used to do was to firm up the suspension and fit lower profile tyres (i.e. taller wheels and smaller tyre walls). This improves the cornering and steering response slightly and yes, it gives a firmer ride.
But the thing to remember is that if you hit a bump or a pot hole you will get a jolt. Whether that is more or less of a jolt is difficult to tell. But safety in cornering and steering response is perhaps worth it?

As I say, everyone is different. Always remember that going from 17s to 16s is a difference of half an inch of tyre wall (it is the radius that counts, not the diameter. This is very difficult to feel but whatever works best for each of us is what matters.

I really wouldn't drop a wheel size for comfort unless I KNOW that the struts and shock absorbers are in good condition.
They affect the ride quality far more than half an inch of rubber.

I am not saying that people who have dropped in wheel size are wrong, but don't expect a huge difference.

Scientifically, your tyre pressures have far more influence on ride quality, as do the make and type of tyre fitted, so dropping down a tyre size means that you are now running on different tyres and with different tyre pressures and so this often helps with the ride more than the half an inch of tyre wall.

Steve B
Click to expand...

Much appreciated Steve for the advice
I'll be going from 195/45 R16 to 195/40 R17 as you have said everyone is different I guess I'll know when I get the wheels fitted and take it for a drive but I appreciate all the wisdom you pass on regarding my posts always helps.

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Hi,

Thanks for those kind words, there are plenty of people on here that offer the same if not better quality of help than I do, it is just that I tend to be quick on the draw.
I think that a forum like this needs quick responses, there is nothing worse than having to wait a few days for a response. quick responses make it seem more like a conversation than a "post and wait for an answer"
The members on here would never leave a message unanswered if they can help.

As for the tyres
195 40 17s are a tad narrow if they are going on 17" Audi sport alloys. But they my well be ok.

Perhaps some other members have tried these and can comment, but the standard for 17" Audi 9 spoke alloys is 201 40 17 s (or possibly 205 45 17s.

Steve B
 
There seem to be two part numbers for that, it is not clear which is which to me though.
Steve B
1517181168074.png
 
They are the black one in this photo:
underlay.png


That particular one is the 1J0 512 149. In hopes for a "restore to factory settings" for my A2, I replaced that one on my A2 but the back still sits lower than the front. The previous owners probably didn't pay much attention to getting the springs right in the first place! I might need to use the one for the SE as well. Ideally, though, I would like to replace the springs (and shocks) to factory specification. But at £99 for one rear spring from TPS, I'll have to be happy with what I have (much like the previous owners probably did so as well). :(
 
I did some investigative work on those codes (it's sad, I know!). The last three alphanumeric characters (e.g. 0YD) are listed in the options code in the service book for each vehicle. When looking for replacement parts, one only needs to match the codes. The meaning behind the codes themselves is a bit of a guesswork (for me at least). For example, I found out from the German A2 forum that G08 refers to the Sport model. But if G08 is decoded using e.g. http://vag-codes.info/#option-decoder, what's shown is "Shock absorption in front", same as if one enters G07, G22, etc. Sometimes, the codes give a bit more info, e.g. for the 0Y*:

0YD - Weight range 4 installation control only, no requirement forecast
0YE - Weight range 5 installation control only, no requirement forecast
0YK - Weight range 10 installation control only, no requirement forecast

Although one is left guessing what 4 or 5 or 10 mean.

Hopefully somebody with a bit more info can explain it in more detail!
 
Edwrai said:
I went from 17s to 15s due to ride quality, it depends on a few things really. I think the age of your suspension has a lot to do with it.


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Another vote for 17" to 15. Family protest on 17" meant something had to change or the A2 had to go shortly after we bought our A2. The ride on 17" will be firm, a euphemism for rock solid spine compressing jolts on our appaling third world pothole strewn roads - (and it seems we seem we are stuck with spending 80 billion on getting a few business people from Birmingham to London (HS2) in a few minutes less time, rather than making the lives of millions of motorists more pleasant at much less cost. - sorry too political back to the point). Don't do it if you have any interest in comfort or want to lose a few millimetres of your own height. Seriously though I do appreciate you will gain handling (do you want to go fast round corners?) and as mentioned the bigger issue of ageing suspension and design ( Audi got it wrong) is far more pertinent than tyres/ wheel size.

Andy
 
From the spec sheet printout provided by Audi belonging to my FSI with S-Line and OSS:

WQS S line sports package
G08 DFW front shock absorption
VV0 VOA standard front axle
0N1 HIA standard front axle
0YK GKH Weight range 10 installation control only, no requirement forecast
 
I was told by Audi that the thinner spring seat does not exist, I fitted the SE version as that’s all they could find on their system. Note that cars with OSS have different rear springs.
 
Hi steaman,

Do you happen to know if you're still running the factory-fitted springs at the rear? Are they colour-marked yellow, green, green, orange, orange?

steaman said:
From the spec sheet printout provided by Audi belonging to my FSI with S-Line and OSS:

WQS S line sports package
G08 DFW front shock absorption
VV0 VOA standard front axle
0N1 HIA standard front axle
0YK GKH Weight range 10 installation control only, no requirement forecast
Click to expand...
 
I don't,
I renovated the suspension one year ago and replaced all components. I replaced them with 1J0 512 149 (4 mm), not 1J0 512 149 B (11mm).
These only affect the ride level.
 
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