After having the third tyre in ten months wrecked by unavoidable potholes, I am looking at alternative wheels and tyres as there is little prospect of Kent County Council compensating me or repairing the holes. I am considering changing the standard low profile tyres and alloy wheels for smaller wheels with higher profile tyres to maintain the current rolling diameter. Has anybody here have experience of this practice as all the queries I have seen involve fitting even lower profiles? I would even accept steel wheels if that was the only alternative, though naturally I would prefer the lower mass of alloys.

Hi Cliff, I think the smallest wheel size for the a3 is 16 inches. I'm guessing you have 17 or 18 inch wheels currently. Here's the link to the thread I did for Audi wheels which might help :) 

Cheers

Steve

That will be useful thanks Steve. Knowing what Audi alternatives are available is a start in finding possible replacement wheels. I suspect I shall have to contact Audi for advice on whether springing/damping/steering changes will also be required. I know a tiny bit about the theory of steering and suspension geometry, but have no practical knowledge of modifying original factory designs, hence I was asking for personal experiences of such changes to gauge their effect on handling.

5 hours ago, cliffcoggin said:

That will be useful thanks Steve. Knowing what Audi alternatives are available is a start in finding possible replacement wheels. I suspect I shall have to contact Audi for advice on whether springing/damping/steering changes will also be required. I know a tiny bit about the theory of steering and suspension geometry, but have no practical knowledge of modifying original factory designs, hence I was asking for personal experiences of such changes to gauge their effect on handling.

I think you'd be fine fitting 16 inch wheels but you'd have to get your tracking checked. I say 16" should be fine because I'd bet that Audi winter wheels are 16". You wouldn't need to change your suspension in my opinion. 

Cheers

Steve

Just keep trying to push KCC for money, if you go far enough and you can prove it, they will pay out. 

I'll report on progress after my holiday.

when it comes to outside tyre diameters you have to know three things: (1) current tyre width (2) current tyre aspect ratio (tyre wall height as a percentage of tyre width), and (3) current wheel diameter. It might read something like this 225 / 45 / 17. If you want chunkier tyres, then the aspect ratio (percentage of tyre width) will go up. So an equivalent set up to a 225/45 x 17 would be something like 225/55 x16 or 215/50 x16. one way or the other so as to not upset the speedometer readings you have to maintain the same overall tyre diameter at the road which in 225/45 x17 is about 630mm. Gud Luk