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im currently running 19" mtm bimotos with 265/30/19 ps2 but they are not perfect

heavy wheels
tendency to tramline and pull
twitchy behaviour
harsh crashy ride on very bad roads

on the upside they look fab and give very direct steering

i was considering changing to 18" with factory standard 255/35/18 tyres but:

will this noticably improve the handling? - i presume so
will it improve the ride? - i presume so

does a very light wheel make a read difference on these heavy cars? - mtm 19" are 34lb each whilst oem rs4 wheels are about 26lb, replica 18x8 mtm types are 26lb, but there are several very light weight wheels around 22lb and superleggera about 17-18lb

unfortunately a lot of the better looking wheels tend to be about the 26-28lb mark whilst im not keen on superleggera's looks or the BBS wheels for that matter.

so how low weight do i need to go to notice a big improvement? of course i could just leave things as they are and spend the money on more ps2 19" tyres...

IMO if your noticing sloppy handling like that it would be worth trying something lighter even if you don't stick with it

i have an a6 which is very heavy and i thought ok, i've sacrificed some handling for the space , then i switched to some split rims from heavy replica type rims and it was like a different car i haven't looked back since and will always buy splits if i want handling

i feel the same about BBS, they would technically be a top choice by me, but maybe because they are so popular i see them so much i want something different , i have the porsche twisty style on my rims , thats my all time favourite

like your rims thought about getting a set so many times

You need 18 inch wheels to have handling... if you just want looks, stick to 19 inches.

I have to say I don't notice much of a change in ride quality with 19's, I have noticed an increase in reaction to steering inputs but that is about it. You might want to check you wheel alignment, mine was way out and caused the syptoms you mention, all cleared up when the wheels all pointed in the right direction though..

I think you will improve the ride comfort by changing to 18" rims. However, it does sound like you may have a problem with the geometry and it's worth getting this checked and re-aligned but make sure you go to a dealer with the correct equipment for setting up 4 wheel alignment on an RS4.

I have driven a lot of RS4's over the years and they do vary. I remember one that did tramline quite badly on original wheels. The car had a replacement set under warranty, brand new tyres and 4 wheel alignment and yet it still wandered. I have noticed this on several for no apparent reason.

On the country roads around here the change in road surface camber is enough to get my RS4 wanting to change direction. This is a factor of the wide wheels/tyres and nothing more. Let the pressure drop and it is far more noticeable.
If the pressure is down by as little as 4psi it is noticeable.

Different tyres will affect this twitchiness too. Those with harder side walls will want to wander more. e.g. Bridgestones will seem more twitchy than say Toyos, or michelins. Those with a lower profile will also give the same effect when compared to a higher profile (i.e. 30 compared to 35).

I would guess 19s will make the problem seem worse due to the reduced profile, but I've not tried them, so can't speak from first-hand experience.

ok thanks

im going to try 18" mtm replicas - they weigh the same as oem wheels but i prefer the mtm look
and of course they are nice and new and shiny compared to old oem rs4 wheels

will try 255/35/18 gsd3 instead of ps2 tyres as well.

duncan by gsd3 (directional) are you refering to goodyear. I've just changed from 18" PS2s to these and wished I hadn't but was curious to try. Have also had Pirelli, Toyo, Goodrich, Continental Sport Contact2.

Would go PS2 and SC2 again before any other personally. Contis(£500 x4) will save you about £300 a set over PS2s. Goodyears cost me £600, depending on the deals going at the time. Am not sure of the benefit of directional tyres coming into the summer, great in the rain granted. Mat even tey some Yokos next for the summer nice n sticky then stick the goodyears back on in autumn/winter.

why do you wish you hadnt got the goodyear? the ps2 are £20 more each here, so its only 170 per tyre rather than 150

i was very happy with goodyear gsd3 on my s3 in the past

Duncan my reasons are as follows: -

1 directional tyres are designed to perform better in wetter weather (shift more surface water more quickly) and loose road coverings e.g forest/gravel rally stages
2 they don't feel as stable as PS2s under spirited cornering/braking
3 seem to make steering heavier when turning lock to lock whilst parking etc vs contis, michelins

May perform better on S3 rims which aren't the circumference or width of RS4 rims.