New RS3 - 18" tire fit?

[RamseyR]

Hello to all, I am picking up this car next week and I am trying to figure out if I can run 18" tires for winter pot-hole protection. I am located in Boston so the roads up here leave a bit to be desired, especially in the winter. I am looking at 18" wheels paired with Michelin sport alpine 2**x45x18.
Thoughts/concerns?
Thanks,
Ramsey
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[Grey3]

Check the Rs3 confirmed wheel fitment thread. Not all wheels will clear your front brakes. In the Rs3 specific section


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[Rod Paine]

I am running 245/40/18 Michelin A/S3+ on Neuspeed RSe10 18x8.5 wheels and they have served us well, now very near 10,000 miles on country back roads at speed and 5,000 miles daily driving.

Two of the original 235/35/19 tires were 'killed' and one of the wheels damaged within the first two weeks we had our 2019 RS 3 in late January, due to their inability to deal with country back road conditions... pot holes, bad surface irregularities, surface breaks, etc. A 3-inch sidewall height which the 235/35/19 is will not survive such hits!

I made the same comments earlier here https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...1#post14403465 and show the Neuspeed RSe10 wheel here at https://www.audizine.com/gallery/sho...hp?photo=96299

Neuspeed knows well what the RS 3 front wheel potential issues are requiring proper caliper clearance and have designed this 18-inch wheel to accomplish fitment without need of a SPACER adding more weight!

I've been using Neuspeed wheels for many years, including running the Malibu Canyon roads in CA when I lived there 17 years, and now living in northern VA where I've been doing country back road runs testing wheel/tire/suspension and engine performance configurations on our European cars, primarily BMW. Neuspeed wheels have served us well indeed.

[car.done]

Hello to all, I am picking up this car next week and I am trying to figure out if I can run 18" tires for winter pot-hole protection. I am located in Boston so the roads up here leave a bit to be desired, especially in the winter. I am looking at 18" wheels paired with Michelin sport alpine 2**x45x18.
Thoughts/concerns?
Thanks,
Ramsey

I've been using Neuspeed RSe122 18x8.5 +45 with Michelin Pilot Alpin Pa4 235/40r18 in Chicago since early this November and I'm happy with them. So far this winter compared to the OE 19-inch wheels and tires, they've been more forgiving on our poor surfaces than the OE 19's and have been fairly grippy on cold wintery roads. When pushed in curves, I definitely feel the taller, softer sidewall and less width but it's a worthwhile tradeoff for winter. I have wider Pilot Sport 4S on 19's for when the weather turns in spring.

[Ac253189]

NEUSPEED RSe10 - 18x8.5 • +45mm on a MICHELIN® Pilot® Alpin PA4 - 18" / 235/40/ZR18 (95V). Works like a dream here in Minnesota. This is what Neuspeed recommended to me. I ordered the tire and wheel setup directly from Neuspeed.

[S3DUDE]

I purchased Neuspeed RS-10 on 18x8.5" and I ran Michelins Super Sports 235/40/18 and now I am on 255/35/18 RE71s. Concerns none. This car should have never left the factory with anything larger than 18" wheels and/or anything smaller than 40 on the profile.

[RamseyR]

Thanks for the info. One thing I was thinking about was running 18s" all year. I've never been a fan of the large diameter rims with what looks like a "rubber band" stretched around it. I was confused about the talk of when running non-standard tires it can throw the haldex system into chaos/confusion. Have you experienced any issues?

[Rod Paine]

I purchased Neuspeed RS-10 on 18x8.5" and I ran Michelins Super Sports 235/40/18 and now I am on 255/35/18 RE71s. Concerns none. This car should have never left the factory with anything larger than 18" wheels and/or anything smaller than 40 on the profile.

I considered the 255/35/18 but was worried about the smaller sidewall height versus the 245/40/18's slightly taller sidewall. Are you making any fast back road runs with the 255/35/18 tires that involve some poterntially troublesome pot holes, surface breaks or unusally bad road surface conditions? I'd like to have the wider tread of the 255, but it has to ba able to survive really poor road surface hits, such as our 245/40/18 tires do with their taller sidewall. Again, we're about to hit 10K miles probably tomorrow tuesday, with it being a very good weather day in the forecast.

[Dominick's S4]

I'm running Neuspeed RSe10 18x9 wheels with MP4S 255/35/18 square set up with No problems.

[S3DUDE]

I considered the 255/35/18 but was worried about the smaller sidewall height versus the 245/40/18's slightly taller sidewall. Are you making any fast back road runs with the 255/35/18 tires that involve some poterntially troublesome pot holes, surface breaks or unusally bad road surface conditions? I'd like to have the wider tread of the 255, but it has to ba able to survive really poor road surface hits, such as our 245/40/18 tires do with their taller sidewall. Again, we're about to hit 10K miles probably tomorrow tuesday, with it being a very good weather day in the forecast.

No issues with potholes, the roads are much better than when you were here 50 or 60 years ago (SMILE). The difference between the road here and where you are is that it rains and snows a lot over there and that is the perfect recipe for pothole. Over here the roads gets extremely hot and the surface develops cracks but compared to potholes is nothing.

[RaudiRS3]

Neuspeed rse-10 18x9 45 with 245/40/r18 Falken rt660 lowered on h&r springs. Small amount of rub at full travel (hitting a bump or dip) nothing serious no damage to tire or car, it's ever so slight. I'm sure it would be 0 rub at stock height.



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[Jerryrs3]

I bought neuspeed rse10s like many above...18x8...with Michelin alpin4 tires squared at 235 and its flawless...i bought directly through neuspeed..the whole package ready to bolt on...." Paul at "supreme auto" is the guy i would go through given all the info he provides the members!

[Jerryrs3]

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[simracer78]

I bought neuspeed rse10s like many above...18x8...with Michelin alpin4 tires squared at 235 and its flawless...i bought directly through neuspeed..the whole package ready to bolt on...." Paul at "supreme auto" is the guy i would go through given all the info he provides the members!

I hope they sold you 18x8.5!
18x8 only works with at least 8mm spacers in order to clear the front calipers, as confirmed to me by NEUSPEED (I’m running 10mm H&R spacers on all four wheels). The only reason I use 18x8 is because I brought them over from my previous Mk7 Golf R.


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[Rod Paine]

I hope they sold you 18x8.5!
18x8 only works with at least 8mm spacers in order to clear the front calipers, as confirmed to me by NEUSPEED (I’m running 10mm H&R spacers on all four wheels). The only reason I use 18x8 is because I brought them over from my previous Mk7 Golf R.
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simracerr78 is correct! We're running the Neuspeed RSe10 on 18x8.5 wheels and 245/40/18 Michelin A/S3+ with NO SPACERS on our 2019 Audi RS 3. Our 10,650 miles of fast country back road runs and 4,350 miles street driving have been faultless!

https://www.audizine.com/gallery/sho...hp?photo=97718

[Jerryrs3]

Yes...18x8.5....sorry...i just remember dropping down to 18" and wanting more sidewall for any potential snow

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[El-Heffe]

This is EXACTLY what I have too!

[El-Heffe]

I bought neuspeed rse10s like many above...18x8...with Michelin alpin4 tires squared at 235 and its flawless

This is EXACTLY what I have too but 8.5!

[Rod Paine]

No issues with potholes, the roads are much better than when you were here 50 or 60 years ago (SMILE). The difference between the road here and where you are is that it rains and snows a lot over there and that is the perfect recipe for pothole. Over here the roads gets extremely hot and the surface develops cracks but compared to potholes is nothing.

I just spent some time looking at 22nd St where we lived and was blown away seeing all the changes! 22nd St was a dirt road beginning at Wilmot Rd when I lived their with hardly nothing else beyond Wilmot Rd! And we used to drag race on Subino Canyon Rd at night but I didn't recognize anything on that road now. Amazing growth in Tucson over the years!

[steve111b]

First Winter I had 19 inch wheels with winters. The following Winter I switched to 18's and saw a 20-25% improvement.

It has taken me 3 Winters to see how the car works. Obviously the tires are providing grip which can most easily be seen when slamming on the brakes in the snow. There is a second thing to watch for that I call response/control. This is about moving quickly to avoid something. In the first year the response/control was wonderful. However, I am finding a 10% decline every year. So after 3 years, drivers can expect to see a 30% decline. I did manage to get the car back to brand new condition, but after just 9 months I am seeing the decline once again. The decline is caused by wear in the shocks/dampers.

My last A3 had exactly the same problem, but I was unaware of what was happening. In year 5 with a 50% decline, I found the car became difficult to drive in the snow. I came up with a band aid solution, but never looked into changing the shocks/dampers.

[Rod Paine]

A quick update...
11,317 miles country back road runs at speed 10am to 2pm week days only!
Very good back road performance obtained to date.

4,622 miles normal driving (appointments, shopping, etc.)
15,939 total miles now on 245/40/18 Michelin A/S3+
on our late 2019 RS 3 Nardo Gray build, purchased 1/27/20.

No issues at all, tires probably have another 3-4k miles left
and then will install new Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4
245/40/18 tires. Michelin A/S3+ no longer available.