Staggered wheels on C4 S6

[Mzx944]

Hello

Tried using the search but couldnt get a definitive answer..

Looking at getting a set of staggered wheels for my C4 S6 (97 AAN auto avant)

Provided I keep the overall diameter of the wheel and tyre combinations the same is there any risk of damaging the transmission

For example; using a 235/40/18 tyres on 8J front wheels with 265/35/18 on a 9.5j rear would have roughly the same rolling radius (+/- 1mm)

Would the additional weight of the larger rear wheel/tyre have any impact?

Apologies in advance if this is a noob question I've only ever had RWD cars so have never had to worry about this!

Cheers
Max



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[K Simmonds]

The old quattro sytem realy insn't designed to tollerate different diameters on the axles, that said it could be done...

However, to be honest I wouldn't risk it, tyre's can vary quite a bit from differnt manufactures then by up to 6mm while wearing.

Plus you's need to carry two spares.

[K Simmonds]

I should correct myself... One spare would do the job, however as I said tyres can vary in size a surprising amount from different manufactures, even when they're supposed to be the same exact size.

I seem to recall reading somewhere in my factory manual that one should use the same brand all round and swap them front to back halfway through their life cycle. This maybe being over fussy, I've purchased breakers in the past with a different brand and wildly varying amounts of tread on each corner and they've still driven fine.

I don't think the extra weight would be a problem but I'd want to be sure the tyres are actully the same diameter +/- a couple of mm when new. Though then you've got the problem of not being able to swap them front to back to even out the wear.

If you simply want to fill the archs more on the back then I'd consider using spacers and retaining the same size rims and tyres.

[GT500]

265 won’t go. 255 is very much a squeeze.

[GT500]

I wouldn’t go smaller on the front. They understeer enough!! 9.5 all round on mine.

[K Simmonds]

No where near as extream, however I've fitted 235/55/16's all round on my C4 Avant, though it only has stock arches so not as much space to fill.

[benznotmercedes1]

Yes, you would absolutely be okay doing that. Porsche does this on AWD 911s for example. As long as the rotating diameters are within 1-2% of each other you are fine.

[hoshanaeckhart]

Hello

Tried using the search but couldnt get a definitive answer..

Looking at getting a set of staggered wheels for my C4 S6 (97 AAN auto avant)

Provided I keep the overall diameter of the wheel and tyre combinations the same is there any risk of damaging the transmission

For example; using a 235/40/18 tyres on 8J front wheels with 265/35/18 on a 9.5j rear would have roughly the same rolling radius (+/- 1mm)

Would the additional weight of the larger rear wheel/tyre have any impact?

Apologies in advance if this is a noob question, but while searching for things like bmw parts near me, I've only ever had RWD cars, so I’ve never had to worry about this!
Cheers
Max



Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

As long as the front and rear rolling diameters match closely, there’s no risk to the transmission. Your example sizes are within about a millimeter, so the quattro system won’t be stressed. The extra rear wheel and tyre weight won’t harm anything mechanically, though it may slightly affect acceleration and ride feel. The key is keeping the rolling radius the same on both axles, and you’ve done that.