Peeler options?

[Capt. Slow]

So I love the way the stock peelers look on B8 chassis, but the offset is too small for my taste. I'd like to avoid using spacers. I know that other Audi models use the same design with different width and offset. I've researched the topic a bit and S5 rims are out, but does anybody know of any other models which use the peeler design that would give a more flush look? Maybe TT-S or from a Q5?

[LJO]

Offset for the TT-S is high, like et51. You would be moving in the opposite direction. Your best bet is a set of 19x9 et33 S5 wheels.

[Capt. Slow]

Offset for the TT-S is high, like et51. You would be moving in the opposite direction. Your best bet is a set of 19x9 et33 S5 wheels.

Yeah but S5 wheels are 19x9 so essentially you're pushing the wheel out an extra 22mm from stock I think that would stick out too much, no? Or are my calculations off?

Are TT-S wheels 19x8.5 or 9?

[steveo72]

Yeah but S5 wheels are 19x9 so essentially you're pushing the wheel out an extra 22mm from stock I think that would stick out too much, no? Or are my calculations off?

Are TT-S wheels 19x8.5 or 9?

???

Aren't the s4 wheels et47 and 8.5" wide? The s5 wheels would push out by 10-11 mm.

[13S4]

Offset for the TT-S is high, like et51. You would be moving in the opposite direction. Your best bet is a set of 19x9 et33 S5 wheels.

Yeah but S5 wheels are 19x9 so essentially you're pushing the wheel out an extra 22mm from stock I think that would stick out too much, no? Or are my calculations off?

Are TT-S wheels 19x8.5 or 9?

Stock is 19 x 8.5 ET 43...

You would be 16.3mm wider that stock.. With the slight stretch of the 255 on a 9" you should be alright. The front's would poke a bit (3mm).

???

Aren't the s4 wheels et47 and 8.5" wide? The s5 wheels would push out by 10-11 mm.

See Above.

[VR2V8]

I see your dilemma, but it's so close. Does it really look that bad to you? I'm actually okay with it right where it is. I just hope I feel the same way once I get my H&R OE springs installed.

[13S4]

I see your dilemma, but it's so close. Does it really look that bad to you? I'm actually okay with it right where it is. I just hope I feel the same way once I get my H&R OE springs installed.

You won't. It looks weird how tucked they are.

[VR2V8]

You won't. It looks weird how tucked they are.

If that turns out to be the case, my only recourse will be spacers........which I don't exactly like the idea of.

[SteveYem]

You won't. It looks weird how tucked they are.

Yeah I don't really like it. Here is mine with the stock peelers with 255/35/19 ContiSport contact3's lowered on H&R OE. Not really happy with the HR OE drop....every single other car I see on here seems to have dropped farther than mine. I knew I should have just gone with coilovers in the first place. Anyway, I need at least 5mm front and 10mm rear spacers, and even then I won't be really happy with it. Better to get 9.5" wide wheels and run the 255/35's with a decent offset, then lower the car so that tops of the tires are even with the tops of the wheel arches. Anything else is a compromise aesthetically, in my opinion. On the HR OE springs I probably wouldn't do 255/35 on a 9.5" wide wheel, because the slight stretch won't look right with that much wheel gap. But I think that amount of stretch is pretty ideal looking with the right ride height and offset.



(don't mind the OEM grille...)

[VR2V8]

Yeah I don't really like it. Here is mine with the stock peelers with 255/35/19 ContiSport contact3's lowered on H&R OE. Not really happy with the HR OE drop....every single other car I see on here seems to have dropped farther than mine. I knew I should have just gone with coilovers in the first place. Anyway, I need at least 5mm front and 10mm rear spacers, and even then I won't be really happy with it. Better to get 9.5" wide wheels and run the 255/35's with a decent offset, then lower the car so that tops of the tires are even with the tops of the wheel arches. Anything else is a compromise aesthetically, in my opinion.

Just going by what I see in your pictures, I'm okay with that drop and the offset. I'm not looking for anything aggressive; just more the way I think it should have looked from the factory. This drop is all looks for me.

[SteveYem]

Just going by what I see in your pictures, I'm okay with that drop and the offset. I'm not looking for anything aggressive; just more the way I think it should have looked from the factory. This drop is all looks for me.

Here it is from the side just so you can see another example. I guarantee you that "shadows" are helping the wheel gap look a bit smaller than reality in this photo:


BTW whereabouts are you near Philly? If you happen to be nearby you could have a chance to see the OE springs in person before putting out the cash.

[VR2V8]

Here it is from the side just so you can see another example. I guarantee you that "shadows" are helping the wheel gap look a bit smaller than reality in this photo:

BTW whereabouts are you near Philly? If you happen to be nearby you could have a chance to see the OE springs in person before putting out the cash.

That picture looks fine to me as well regarding wheel gap. Even if that gap is bigger than the picture shows, it's still worlds better than OEM.

Thanks for the offer, but these are going in regardless. In my mind there are no other options. This is a daily driver. I'm not looking for it to be a show car. I don't want to sacrifice much comfort. And I don't see the point in spending extra for coilovers if I'm only doing it for look, don't need to go that low, and would never adjust them again anyway.

I'm southwest of the city. Media/Springfield/Swarthmore area.

[SteveYem]

That picture looks fine to me as well regarding wheel gap. Even if that gap is bigger than the picture shows, it's still worlds better than OEM.

Thanks for the offer, but these are going in regardless. In my mind there are no other options. This is a daily driver. I'm not looking for it to be a show car. I don't want to sacrifice much comfort. And I don't see the point in spending extra for coilovers if I'm only doing it for look, don't need to go that low, and would never adjust them again anyway.

I'm southwest of the city. Media/Springfield/Swarthmore area.

Sounds to me that OE's are perfect for your application / preferences. I do have to agree that it's still worlds better than the stock stance, and I still have plenty of ground clearance. Comfort is pretty close to stock.

Anyway, back on topic: Yes, the 19" peelers look great. If the S5 wheels are 19x9 that could be a good solution. It would be nice if Hartmann would make a 19x9 or 19x9.5 version of the peelers but it doesn't look like they do.

[Capt. Slow]

So no other models use the peeler design? I tried to look up Q5 but I think they only come in 20".

[Leor604]

Check out the Hartmann reps from Achtuning. They've got a bunch of sizes and offsets available with the correct bolt pattern and bore.

[staticuxo]

any reason you're against spacers? i ran 5mm front and 10mm rear without issue. you could use the S5 peelers, but you might rub with 255s, so a 245 is a better size if you're lowered.

[VR2V8]

You could also try Pyspeed. They sell peeler replicas in a few different sizes, widths, and offsets. I'm just not sure who the manufacturer is.

[Capt. Slow]

any reason you're against spacers? i ran 5mm front and 10mm rear without issue. you could use the S5 peelers, but you might rub with 255s, so a 245 is a better size if you're lowered.

I was thinking of doing 10mm all around but I hear all these stories of wheels falling off, hubs being damaged and vibrations. I looked at H&R but they only make 10mm for the front, can you run those in the back too? Plus its adding more components to an already complicated system. More parts = more things can go wrong. I'm still torn on that issue. Need to see S5 in person to see if I like how much they poke.

Check out the Hartmann reps from Achtuning. They've got a bunch of sizes and offsets available with the correct bolt pattern and bore.

You could also try Pyspeed. They sell peeler replicas in a few different sizes, widths, and offsets. I'm just not sure who the manufacturer is.

Id rather stay away from reps.

[staticuxo]

I was thinking of doing 10mm all around but I hear all these stories of wheels falling off, hubs being damaged and vibrations. I looked at H&R but they only make 10mm for the front, can you run those in the back too? Plus its adding more components to an already complicated system. More parts = more things can go wrong. I'm still torn on that issue. Need to see S5 in person to see if I like how much they poke.

depends on the tires you have as well- dunlops run super wide and the conti's run narrow. my pirellis rubbed a little with 5mm front and 10mm rear. i had no vibration, no wheels falling off, etc. i ran H&Rs with extended lugs.

hell, i'm even running 3mm front and 5mm right now with my 20x10s. no issues.

PS. still interested in my STaSIS?! lol. if you're interested in the rear mufflers and tips only, let me know. i have the original ones still as they aren't damaged, the cat was. it would be very quiet still as everything else would be stock. let me know.

[SteveYem]

I was thinking of doing 10mm all around but I hear all these stories of wheels falling off, hubs being damaged and vibrations. I looked at H&R but they only make 10mm for the front, can you run those in the back too? Plus its adding more components to an already complicated system. More parts = more things can go wrong. I'm still torn on that issue. Need to see S5 in person to see if I like how much they poke.

I don't think you will have any problems. From a very basic standpoint, all you are doing is sandwiching a 10mm plate between your wheel and the mounting hub, and installing new wheel bolts that are ~10mm longer than the stock ones (to accommodate the 10mm spacer thickness). I could only see a wheel falling off if a) the wheel bolts were not torqued sufficiently when installed, or b) the wheel bolt length was not increased sufficiently to accommodate the thickness of the spacer.

For what it's worth, I've run spacers (5mm, 10mm and even 15mm) on my other car for ~15000 miles (so far) with no issues whatsoever. I'm not worried about it.

[staticuxo]

I don't think you will have any problems. From a very basic standpoint, all you are doing is sandwiching a 10mm plate between your wheel and the mounting hub, and installing new wheel bolts that are ~10mm longer than the stock ones (to accommodate the 10mm spacer thickness). I could only see a wheel falling off if a) the wheel bolts were not torqued sufficiently when installed, or b) the wheel bolt length was not increased sufficiently to accommodate the thickness of the spacer.

For what it's worth, I've run spacers (5mm, 10mm and even 15mm) on my other car for ~15000 miles (so far) with no issues whatsoever. I'm not worried about it.

to ad to this and what i posted above about using spacers on both setups on my B8 S4, i used 20mm and 25mm spacers on my S5 and also had no issues.

[Wilbur]

So I love the way the stock peelers look on B8 chassis, but the offset is too small for my taste. I'd like to avoid using spacers. I know that other Audi models use the same design with different width and offset. I've researched the topic a bit and S5 rims are out, but does anybody know of any other models which use the peeler design that would give a more flush look? Maybe TT-S or from a Q5?

Absolutely nothing wrong with spacers if installed properly. I've used them for years. Cost WAAAY less than new wheels.

[SteveYem]

to ad to this and what i posted above about using spacers on both setups on my B8 S4, i used 20mm and 25mm spacers on my S5 and also had no issues.

This is my first experience with a car that has wheel bolts as opposed to pressed-in lugs with lug nuts. I actually prefer the wheel bolt arrangement because you don't have to replace wheel studs (which can be a PITA depending on the car) just to run spacers. Or worse yet, run adapter-type spacers (which I currently have on my other car) because the spacer is too thick to allow sufficient thread engagement using the existing studs. Then you're bolting a spacer to the hub, and bolting the wheel to the spacer. If you're doing things by-the-book, you need to drive your 50 miles and then remove the wheels and re-torque the nuts that hold the spacer to the hub, then reinstall your wheel and drive another 50 miles, then check/re-torque the wheel lug nuts.

I would bet most horror stories of wheels falling off are with adapter-type spacers where the nuts that hold the spacer to the hub come loose. Probably due to laziness, i.e. people not wanted to take the steps I outlined above to check torque on the spacer fasteners. As much of a pain as it was, I followed those steps to give myself peace of mind and have not had any problems.

[Capt. Slow]

Alright, what about running the 10mm H&R spacer in the back? Its listed as a front only, but is there a difference between the front hub and the rear? Has anyone done this?

[SteveYem]

Alright, what about running the 10mm H&R spacer in the back? Its listed as a front only, but is there a difference between the front hub and the rear? Has anyone done this?

That's odd. I'm just speculating but I would say there is no difference between the front and rear hubs, based on the front and rear wheels being identical.

Can you post up the link to the ones you are looking at specifically? (I'm also in the market for 10mm spacers on my S4 so my curiosity has been piqued...)

[Capt. Slow]

From H&R website: http://www.trakplus.com/results

From ECS: http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B8_S4-....0T/ES2538522/

[SteveYem]

From H&R website: http://www.trakplus.com/results

From ECS: http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B8_S4-....0T/ES2538522/

Well, I'm stumped.

[bkkchris]

I am running 12mm rear and 10mm front on stock 19 wheels/tires and HROE. No rub, looks great (would like to go a few mm more actually), and so far zero issues with the HR spacers.

[easytreez]

I was thinking of doing 10mm all around but I hear all these stories of wheels falling off, hubs being damaged and vibrations. I looked at H&R but they only make 10mm for the front, can you run those in the back too? Plus its adding more components to an already complicated system. More parts = more things can go wrong. I'm still torn on that issue. Need to see S5 in person to see if I like how much they poke.

There are also a lot of people that will throw 5mm spacers on and use the stock lug bolts or use them with wheels that are not compatible. As long as the wheel sits on the spacer nice and snug and you use the right length bolts you'll be fine, oh and the right torque spec helps as well.

[Wilbur]

I was thinking of doing 10mm all around but I hear all these stories of wheels falling off, hubs being damaged and vibrations. I looked at H&R but they only make 10mm for the front, can you run those in the back too? Plus its adding more components to an already complicated system. More parts = more things can go wrong. I'm still torn on that issue. Need to see S5 in person to see if I like how much they poke.


Id rather stay away from reps.

Thats what the site says but apparently it is wrong. My guy (Porsche, Audi, McLaren) has installed some 10mm H&R with no problem. Audi went to new larger hub...thats the culprit. Eibach 10 do not fit...I tried.

[Wilbur]

That's odd. I'm just speculating but I would say there is no difference between the front and rear hubs, based on the front and rear wheels being identical.

Can you post up the link to the ones you are looking at specifically? (I'm also in the market for 10mm spacers on my S4 so my curiosity has been piqued...)

I've spent a shi&^load of time on this (see spacer thread). Rear hub is now larger and H&R didnt think their spacer would fit but it does. Eibach does not fit in 10mm but 15 fits.

[SteveYem]

When you say the rear hub is "now" larger, are you referring specifically to the 2013 models?
If that is the case, then is the bore of the rear wheel different on the 2013's?

[Capt. Slow]

As long as the wheel sits on the spacer nice and snug and you use the right length bolts you'll be fine, oh and the right torque spec helps as well.

Glad you brought this up.

What should the bolts be torqued to?

What length bolts should I use if I want to use 12mm in the back? H&R has a 37mm bolt which is 2mm shorter and a 40mm which is 1mm too long.

[Capt. Slow]

PS. still interested in my STaSIS?! lol. if you're interested in the rear mufflers and tips only, let me know. i have the original ones still as they aren't damaged, the cat was. it would be very quiet still as everything else would be stock. let me know.

Sorry mate, it's too loud for my taste. Plus I'm going for a sleeper look and those tips are way to massive.

[staticuxo]

Sorry mate, it's too loud for my taste. Plus I'm going for a sleeper look and those tips are way to massive.

haha, well with STOCK downpipes and cats it wouldn't be loud.. but no problem. like i said, i have AWE non res downpipe and i am missing a cat, so it's MUCH louder.

[Wilbur]

When you say the rear hub is "now" larger, are you referring specifically to the 2013 models?
If that is the case, then is the bore of the rear wheel different on the 2013's?

Bore is still 66.56 but hub is deeper so some spacers will not sit flush on car.