Wheel Upgrade?

[john f]

I recently drove a tdi sport with 17 inch wheels. While it looked good, the ride was awful compared to my standard SE.

Is the hard ride caused by the stiffened suspension, the low-pro tyres or a combination of both?

Have any A2 owners fitted the larger diameter wheels to a car with standard suspension? Might this be the best combination of good looks and driving comfort?

Any advice much appreciated.

John

 

[pc759]

i dont know that much about it but it will be a commbination of both, i bet. From what i can gather i think the a2 wasnt designed with 17" wheels in mind. So the best ride would be the standard with 15" wheels and bog standard suspension for 90% of car drivers. Then you take your choice and pay yer money as they say. I agree with you the big wheels look really good but i wouldnt want to be crashing over every monir pothole on the way to work on Monday morning...
Ithinkthe 16's on the se are nice and the ride is ok but nothing special

 

[Skipton01]

15" or 16" were the 2 rim sizes that Audi designed the A2 around, the 17" wheel is actually an afterthought and sourced from the old-style A3 (it is an 8L part number).

The harsh ride is caused by a combination of suspension and wheels and swapping out one or the other will improve the solidity somewhat.

I used to have an SE spec A2, and the ride was comfy, but firm, or so I thought before I got my current Sport model!

The Sport is a firm ride, which makes the SE feel soggy. After a big discussion with Audi UK over my 4 buckled 17" wheels, I have now got TT 17" wheels, with slightly taller tyres, which improved the comfort considerably, but then I went and fitted a set of H&R progressive springs, which now make the originals soggy!!

So, it depends what you want, in terms of ride quality:

If you want ultimate comfort, go for 15" wheels on standard suspension. A bit firmer? - opt for the SE spec. Firmer still? The Sport pack is the way to go, but for ultimate go-kart handling, choose aftermarket Sport lowering springs and try to fit as tall a tyre as possible.

Personally, although most people (my significant other especially!!) seem to think that Tank is now too harsh, I have to disagree - on a well maintained road, such as we have the right to demand, in view of the amount of transport-related taxes we pay, the lowered, stiffened suspension and wider 17" wheels are an absolute dream and are as comfortable as you could wish for.

It's only when you get onto a poorer surface that things start to suffer - like my back!!

Rant over,

Cheers,

Mike

 

[Darren C]

Hi John,

I bought a 'special edition' model with the standard 15" rims back in October 2005. Whilst I found the handling of the car with standard suspension to be really good, the narrow tyre of the 15" wheel did not inspire confidence on the road.

As a result I purchased a set of after market 'OZ' 17" rims, with the sport sized 205/40 tyres. Personally speaking, I have found that the car feels more stable on the road now with the wider tyre and lower profile. The 'standard' suspension compliments the 17" rim in my experience and although the delivery can feel harsh when travelling over a 'major' defect, under normal conditions the ride is firm, but fair.

I guess it is a personal choice at the end of the day, but having owned previous cars which I have had lowered with uprated suspension and which have also been fitted with 17" wheels; the ride between these and the A2 is in no way comparative. The harsh ride with lowered suspension is far more noticable than with the standard setup of the A2.

This said, as per Mike's post below:

Personally, although most people (my significant other especially!!) seem to think that Tank is now too harsh, I have to disagree - on a well maintained road, such as we have the right to demand, in view of the amount of transport-related taxes we pay, the lowered, stiffened suspension and wider 17" wheels are an absolute dream and are as comfortable as you could wish for.

Cheers,

Mike

I have been fortunate enough to sample 'Tank' in all its glory, at speed and round the twisty stuff and the uprated suspension with 17" rims, feels firm and really responsive in terms of the level of grip offered, without breaking your back. (This said, Mike's comfy leather seats probably help cushion the bumps!! ).

In conclusion, if you live anywhere with what could be described as 'reasonable roads', then I would recommend 17" rims with a 'standard' setup anyday.

Hope this helps!!

Cheers,

Darren

 

[john f]

Thanks......that is just what I thought would be best and it is useful to get some experinced confirmation. Next stop: some 17 inchers!!!

John