# Improved Comfort 245/45/18- they do fit!!! See PICS



## DrKaz (Oct 5, 2011)

I posted a forum a while back asking if anyone had tried increasing the tyre profile on standard OEM 18" alloys from 245/40/18s to 245/45/18s. I have always found the standard set up too harsh for my liking with a bone-jarring ride- full respect to those on 19" or even 20" shoes! I got little response from the forum on asking if anyone had tried this, so I decided to go for it with LK Performance in Bradford. These guy's had a look and said it should be okay, but would not charge me if there were rubbing issues on a test run, and would put my old tyres back on (4mm tread).

I ditched the OEM Pirelli's and went for Falken's 245/45/18 (that 45% of 245mm- 110.25mm in the height of the tye rather than 40%- 98mm). This also increases the overall tyre diameter by approx 1 inch- a significant gain rubber and potential comfort. Good reviews on this tyre and great price too! It also means a slight discrepancy in the speedo reading- but very small when I compare it to my Sat Nav speed reading- 70mph on speedo is actually 68mph on GPS.

Anyway I can categorically say that this is the best modification for those seeking a comfortable ride without any compromise in handling. I drove the car hard around bends, speed humps (within reason), bumpy undulations, cats-eyes, man-holes, mounted kirbs (slowly)....you name it, I tried it. No contact with the arches or fenders. It like driving on feathers in comparison to the stock OEM 245/40/18s tyres. It make one wonder why AUDI do not do this as standard.

I also like the way it now fills out the wheel arches giving the car a more aggressive look (I may consider spacers too) and giving it the impression it's riding on 19" alloys. In fact a few friends have ask already if I had changed to 19" wheels...see pics BEFORE and AFTER.

What do people think about the look? Are people bothered by the ride in their TTs? I feel more prepared for the "pot-holed" British roads now! Dr Kaz.

BEFORE with 245/40/18s Pirelli's

























AFTER with 245/45/18s Falken's


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## wja96 (Mar 4, 2010)

They look pretty enormous!

And your rear spoiler is broken.


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## V6RUL (May 28, 2009)

Ive thought about doing this but never had the opportunity to try before you buy..well done..comfort is king.
Steve


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## MoreGooderTT (Aug 20, 2011)

Interesting.
One question: Is your TT equipped with mag ride?

**** Edit ****
OK, make that two questions. 2nd question: Won't your odometer (milometer) be off considerably when you go to sell it? Is that legal?


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## DrKaz (Oct 5, 2011)

It has standard (non-S line) suspension and not magnetic ride. So I am not sure if there will be rubbing/contact issues if you own these variants.

Nor is it illegal as there is very little change in actual speed 1-2 mph. I read in an article once that most speedo's in any car can be up to 5 mph out in terms of accuracy, there by being an point of argument when contesting a speeding fine in court for exampe. I use the speedo on my GPS Sat Nav a lot, and it reads only 1 mph out at 70mph.
It worth noting, since up-sizing, the annoying rattle/squeak that eminated from the handbrake area has resovled itself (smoother ride perhaps), and I no longer have the very minor steering wheel vibration that I used to get above 80-90mph (on a track of course :wink: ), but this may have been due to balancing issues on the old set up.
I did the same on my previous BMW 5 Series, with fitting 6 Series alloys (which had taller walls by 5%) and had no issues with passing its MOT using my local BMW garage.

If comfort is an issue- try it out, I have absolutely no regrets and will perhaps try a premium brand in this bigger size come renewal time to see if this adds further to the cushioned ride that I now get  .


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## TWH (Aug 25, 2010)

Thanks for the info - very interesting. I've not changed size, but moved from PS2 to the new Goodyear F1 Assymetric 2 tyre on my A3, and the increase in comfort is massive (and the handling is in fact also better), so just the make/model of tyre can also make a big difference!


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## wja96 (Mar 4, 2010)

MoreGooderTT said:


> **** Edit ****
> OK, make that two questions. 2nd question: Won't your odometer (milometer) be off considerably when you go to sell it? Is that legal?


The odometer will read 3.4% higher than before, so for every 1000 miles it will read 1034, services will be indicated a little faster and the car will appear to be 3.4% more economical.

All on the right side of legal I'd say.


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## IC_HOTT (May 29, 2010)

interesting article and thanks for the info, however they do look enormous 

gotta say I prefer the low profile 19 " look, and the hard ride ? absolutely fine - feels nice and tight for me


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## MoreGooderTT (Aug 20, 2011)

One must consider, though, the increased unsprung mass. While I think the concept of more rubber and air between rim and road is good, there could be downsides with handling depending on the specific weight tire chosen.

If you increase the unsprung mass, it takes more torque to spin up the wheels. It is also harder on the suspension (which is the reason I brought up the mag ride earlier in the thread). Perhaps you can find the 45 aspect tires that are about the same weight as the 40 aspect tires. The compound used would obviously have to be less dense to accomplish that. The downsides may be shorter tread life and compromised cornering. [smiley=gossip.gif]

And what about tire pressure monitoring? The non-sensor style TPM in the Audi's may be a bit confused. Is your car equipped with TPM?

I am very interested in doing the same when it comes time to replace the OEM tires with new summers. I'm buying the TT for comfort and style, not for track days. I thank you for trying this out, and for starting this topic on our forum. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]


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## DrKaz (Oct 5, 2011)

I have read all your interesting comments about unsprung mass, and odometer mis-readings etc. All valid comments indeed. There may be little science in my return comments, but I think the additional mass is negligible on these "torquey" vehicles (I own the diesel version). It does not feels any slower on hard acceleration.

There has been no issue with the tyre pressure sensor- standard sensors.

Some have commented on the enormity of the look- I like that it now fills out the wheel arches giving that "lowered" appearance.

Handling is no different when cornering on public roads with "spirited" driving in my opinion, but one may notice lateral slide on a track with extreme hard cornering (this will not apply to the majority). The Falken tyres are holding their own (over the Pirelli's) really well- a great sport tyre with grippy tread.

One thing's for certain, it now rides as comfortably as my BMW e60/5 Series Saloon/Sedan did on stock 17" alloys- quite an amazing achievement considering the huge variation in these vehicles. I also know that I will never go back to stock 245/40/18s. A sentiment many of you will agree with should you choose this upgrade.


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## shunter (Aug 20, 2011)

wja96 said:


> The odometer will read 3.4% higher than before, so for every 1000 miles it will read 1034, services will be indicated a little faster and the car will appear to be 3.4% more economical..


Is that the wrong way round. Larger tires will make odometer/speedo read low ???


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## brittan (May 18, 2007)

shunter, you are correct but to be exact, fitting larger tyres will make the odometer/speedo read low*er* than before.

In general most car odometers/speedos will be optimistic so the larger tyres may actually improve the accuracy of the instrument.


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## MoreGooderTT (Aug 20, 2011)

I've decided to see how standard 245/40R18's feel with the magnetic ride. If I find it comfortable, then I'll probably stay with this size for the whole time I own the car. If not, I'll probably check back with you on this topic when it comes time to retire the OEM craptacular tires that come with the car new.


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## Stefan Sobell (Sep 12, 2009)

I fitted 245 45 tyres on 18" Speedline Turinis to my TT. There's just a hint of rubbing against the wheel arch liner on full spring compression as the offset is (from memory) 42 instead of 52. I'll try cutting a bit out of the liners sometime.

I fitted the same Continental sport contact 3 tyres I'd had on the previous 17s. Much preferred them to the Potenzas that came with the car.

What I hadn't realised before buying is that Audi fit 9" wide 18s and the Turinis are 8". Or is it 8 1/2"? Anyway, they drive fine, better than the 225 50s I had on Audi 17" wheels. And the comfort is just about identical. Having wider tyres on a narrower wheel always gives a softer ride. I don't have mag ride, by the way. Wish I did.

If I'd realised the width difference between the wheels, I might have worried how it would affect the handling, but now they're on, I'm very happy.

Though they're not on, I've fitted winter tyres to my 17s and put them on until spring.


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## Mrtidy (Apr 15, 2019)

Has anyone else tried this?
Time to change my tyres and im tempted.

Fed up of the hard noisy ride


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## r_turner01 (Sep 12, 2018)

I had 20inch wheels on mine when I got it and didnt find the ride hard at all, too soft really, and ive only dropped to 18s as it is used on track and for handling, 265/35/18s.

The TT is a sports car isnt it? If you just want comfort an A4 Tdi is maybe better? :lol:

As others have said before, a better tyre might be the answer.


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## carlsicesilverTT (Jun 30, 2016)

Mrtidy said:


> Has anyone else tried this?
> Time to change my tyres and im tempted.
> 
> Fed up of the hard noisy ride


Each to their own, however I switched up a level to 19" from 18" last xmas and I found a improvement in every aspect, not only ride and handling but reduced noise in cabin also.

Better quality wheel I put it down too and quieter tyres.

Also, a bigger, wider wheel seems to have improved steering feel.

Unless the 45 aspect ratio tyres are significantly cheaper than the 40's, its a complete waste of time.


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## xpanel (Jun 16, 2013)

I don't know what the excitement is all about, but I've been running 245/45/18 Nitto NeoGens for years. I also have H&R Sport Springs.


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## Oddity T (Nov 7, 2020)

I bought a set of 245/45/18 winter tires that were on the clearance rack at my local store, knowing they weren't the 245/40/18 from stock, but I'd make em fit. My car is a 2008 3.2. It came from the factory with magride suspension, but when one of the shocks failed, I ripped them all out and put in stock height standard shocks on all four corners and kept the stock springs, so I believe it's the same as a non-magride car. I never track the car. Winter is here and I had them installed today, thanks to the original poster for this because I was all of a sudden panicking they wouldn't fit...but yes they do. Still plenty of clearance and no rubbing whatsoever. I also think they look good, filling the well, makes the car look even smaller. The larger diameter may cause an issue with snow buildup, snow can't escape as easily with the extra half inch, I think it will be fine. The ride didn't change too much or me, still hard, but I may adjust tire pressure. Only real negative is since winter tires are so quiet, I immediately noticed I need a wheel bearing.


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## chrisTTian (Oct 18, 2009)

xpanel said:


> I don't know what the excitement is all about, but I've been running 245/45/18 Nitto NeoGens for years. I also have H&R Sport Springs.


Well, the thread _is_ quitre a few years old


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