40K Mile service

[TWH]

Yeah, I've just had 3 new softies fitted and get some vibration!! Any recomendations on places to stay clear of for balancing, or indeed for places to go (Reading area)?

[Golich]

The stories of how easy they bend amazes and disappoints me. However, I've had some very hard impacts in my car that really made me whince and no probs. (famous last words) The one time I have witnessed a wheel damaged was a good old grounding.

As a mechanical design engineer. I can appreciate that if the impact is specifically around the inner part of the rim where the least structural support is and this was in combination with low tyre pressure it wouldn't take very much to egg a rim. But when spread over the entire rim or specifically the outer portion of the rim it will need a considerable force to cause damage.

The demonstration/tests that I saw from the Audi video appear to apply a distributed load over the entire width of the rim and thus as I said above, it would take a serious impact.

Did Audi specifically test the inner unsupported portion of the rim?

[simple1]

This is cobblers...............mrs has oil burner BM with the same tyres and size of wheel fitted and it has never bent a rim in 18 months and 15K miles, and I have tried........... since having harder wheels fitted, I have not bent one........... the hole arguement about the wheels be designed to do the bendy thing was proved to be bs, especially when Audi refused to allow anybody to fit after market wheels. I too am an automotive engineer, qualified and practiced as a designer for many years, and I have never come across more rubbish in my lifetime. For the record, one pair of wheels of mine that were changed, were not only bent on the inner part of the wheel, but was also out of true across the outer face, ie where the spokes are......................
New harder wheels are not impossible to bend, but I have not managed it yet, and I have had a good go at it, unintentionally of course.....

[Golich]

This is cobblers...............I too am an automotive engineer, qualified and practiced as a designer for many years, and I have never come across more rubbish in my lifetime.

Ooo easy tiger - I take it you mean my chat, i.e. you disagree that the weakest section of the rim is the furthest section away from the spokes and that a worst case scenario is an impact on this effectively unsupported ring in combination with low tyre pressure? Well you're entitled to your opinion as I am mine.

Don't get me wrong I'm not defending the soft wheels. I'm merely offering/running through my mind a possible worst case scenario - I'm sure I'm stating the obvious to most.

No as I said, I'm amazed and disappointed. Amazed that such a poor wheel design is in production and has been defended by Audi. I agree with you, the weak link excuse sounds like total BS. And therefore I am disappointed as I know there is without doubt, an issue with the wheels. There are simply too many people suffering this for it to be down to bad roads or hard driving.

HOWEVER, its not all bad news for some. I on the other hand with my 11 months of ownership and another owner with over three years ownership have never had any issues with the alloys with the exception of one incident which was entirely understandable.

I don't doubt there is something wrong with the wheels. Just not mine or the other owner I know

[Brooner]

I agree with you Golich there is the underliing design issue but my prefrance is for the soft option. i have replaced 2 alloys having the car from new the first was due to a cut out in the road big pot hole on a corner with a nice sharp edge and the second was a fling leap into an other pot hole. both times i would safely say the hard ones would of bent too. iv'e had some nasty one since but nothing that has bent the alloys and you get free ones for the life of the car get's my vote