[yfrancis]

Couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this...



I hate this country Barely had 2k miles on these tires and this happens.

Worst part is, I was given an estimated 20-day wait time for a replacement tire since none of the dealers here have it in stock (not even the official Pirelli dealer). I ended up replacing both tires on the rear axle with Michelin PS2s. The PZeros were definitely better, I feel like the tail end is much more lively now.. feels "lighter" so to speak.

And now to add insult to injury, I'm getting intense steering wheel vibration when breaking from around 70 to 60mph (or 120 to 100kph). Brake pads are brand new Hawk ceramics (installed 2 weeks ago), and the rotors have only 2k miles on them so warping is unlikely.

Will be taking car in to dealer since they installed the tires. I was told to expect to pay another $200 for a full alignment if it turns out to be an alignment issue. Somehow I doubt its alignment, since the vibration only occurs when braking, and only at a certain speed.

Anyone have any ideas what it might be other than alignment or brake disc warping, or anyone have anything similar happen to them and get it resolved?

 

[BLINKS]

Sorry to hear but I have to ask how you managed to puncture you tire with a spanner??? I take it you were reversing your car out of your garage??

 

[ageorgiou1984]

I ended up replacing both tires on the rear axle with Michelin PS2s. The PZeros were definitely better, I feel like the tail end is much more lively now.. feels "lighter" so to speak.

I'm suprised at that. I had PZeros on my M3 and I hated them, swapped over to PS2's and they were great, grip was immense.

 

[yfrancis]

No clue how it happened, was driving back home from work on a busy commercial road and parked on the side of the road near a juice stall. When I got back from the stall I got into my car and was about to drive off when a passer-by knocked on my window and pointed at my rear-left tire.

I couldn't immediately tell what happened because the puncture was on the inner sidewall. All I knew was that it must have been a massive injury because I was gone for maybe 10 minutes and the tire was completely deflated at that point.

 

[yfrancis]

I'm suprised at that. I had PZeros on my M3 and I hated them, swapped over to PS2's and they were great, grip was immense.

I hear the pre-2010 PZeros were terrible, but that since then they've improved their quality. I wanted to put on the new Michelin Super Sports but these weren't in stock here either. From what I hear those are the only Michelins that compete with the current generation of PZeros

 

[Daytona Audi]

I ended up replacing both tires on the rear axle with Michelin PS2s. The PZeros were definitely better, I feel like the tail end is much more lively now.. feels "lighter" so to speak.

Am I correct in understanding that you now have mismatched radial tires on your car? I believe that is never recommended by anyone as different tires perform differently. It's your car and you can do what you want but I would never do that. Too risky!

 

[yfrancis]

I ended up replacing both tires on the rear axle with Michelin PS2s. The PZeros were definitely better, I feel like the tail end is much more lively now.. feels "lighter" so to speak.

Am I correct in understanding that you now have mismatched radial tires on your car? I believe that is never recommended by anyone as different tires perform differently. It's your car and you can do what you want but I would never do that. Too risky!

It was either this or wait 20+ days for a replacement (or spend $2k replacing all 4 tires, 3 of which are literally brand new). This is also the first AWD car that I drive, so I went with the dealer's recommendation of replacing both tires on the same axle but leaving the other set untouched. The tread pattern on the PS2s is also very similar to the PZero Rossos... You saying the difference is causing the vibration?

 

[Daytona Audi]

I don't know if the vibration is being caused by the mismatched tires. What I suggest is to go talk with a reputable tire dealer and ask their opinion. Just make sure you are talking with someone who knows about tires and their handling characteristics and not someone who only knows how to sell tires.

My uneducated opinion is you should be all right with handling as long as you don't drive as aggressively as you would with matched tires. Track Days may be a problem but otherwise, let her rip!

 

[xxup]

I would not dismiss alignment or damage to the wheel itself.. It must have taken considerable force to get that spanner into the sidewall..

It would not be the first time a tyre fitter has not checked the rim for damage before installing a new tyre.. I would try to borrow four wheels and tyres before doing anything else.. (I accept that this is probably not easy in Qatar, but it is something a good dealer might do as part of a diagnosis..)

On a personal level, I am with Daytyona - I would not mix tyre brands as I suspect there may be issues with the ESP.. However, I have seen other A5s (maybe they were S5s) on this forum with wider rear tyres than fronts with no mention of the consequences...

 

[DeepSeattleBlue]

Curious, what is a spanner?

 

[Mulski]

Curious, what is a spanner?

 

[ageorgiou1984]

Curious, what is a spanner?

The other type of spanner :thumbsup:

 

[bremnero]

:laughinatabove:

 

[patrooper]

The other type of spanner :thumbsup:

Yeah the other guy is doing a bang up job.

 

[yfrancis]

Dealer ended up replacing the rotors under warranty. Looks like the softer Pirellis were masking the vibration, which only appeared once I replaced them with the harder Michelin PS2s.

Dealer's recommendation:

"Do not wash the car after a heavy driving session with hard braking, wash the brakes when they are at moderate temperatures only."

Seems like a far-fetched theory to me. I'm worried that the ceramic pads I installed were too much for the stock rotors. People here wash their cars almost daily (I do it weekly), brakes both hot and cold, and they never get rotor warping after only 2k miles.

Should I reinstall the stock pads or upgrade my rotors to ones with better venting (slotted/drilled)? Or should I listen to the dealer and just avoid cold washes on hot brakes?