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Best Tire Pressures?

5K views 13 replies 7 participants last post by  krpman 
#1 ·
The factory recommended tire pressures are 39 psi front and 36 psi rear. I 'm running the stock summer performance tires.

The car feels slightly 'nervous' at SoCal freeway speeds (still not broken in completely, so don't know about higher speeds yet). The dealer had the tires set at about 36 psi all around, and it may have felt better at that setting.

My question for the R8 owners out there is, has anyone determined their personal favorite tire pressures to run on the street? I'd appreciate your insight!
 
#2 ·
My dealer sets my front tire pressure at 38 and rear at 35 (1 pound less than factor recommendation). I just got mine last Tuesday and have been cruising around 70 to 80 mph with occasional burst up to 110. The car feels VERY stable at 110. 60 and 90 mph feel about the same. No nervous feeling at all. Try my setting and see how it works out for you.
 
#4 ·
Since I'm based in Europe -close to Germany- I likely reach higher speed than the average North America-based R8 owner, but I have found no need to use other pressures than those Audi recommends.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Thank you all for responding.

Tramlining is a good word! Yes, the freeways here are mostly concrete and are intentionally longitudinally grooved (with saws) for our occasional wet weather. That could be what's going on, however the TT is extremely stable and well balanced on the same roads and under the same conditions, such that 100 mph speeds are a total non-event.

Since the R8 has even wider and lower profile (stiffer) tires, it could just be that difference. The car isn't bad, but it is not as confidence inspiring.

I've driven in Germany, Switzerland and Italy recently, and it's true that the Autobahn and Autostrada are in generally better condition than our USA freeways for high speed work. Unfortunately our interstate freeway system, which was the best in the world and is still the most extensive, is showing its age. Traffic levels are certainly way up from the time of its inception, and deferred maintenance is becoming quite noticable. Seems the national priority has shifted away from infrastructure (which benefits all) and toward wealth re-distribution. :(

Not to mention the fact that European drivers are better trained and do NOT sit in the fast lane and 'toodle along'. What a breath of fresh air! Rob, you are a lucky man!

I guess the first thing is to verify the pressure gauge I'm using. If that's OK then it's possible that the alignment is slightly out from the factory.
 
#7 ·
Ummm, that's because the UK sits apart from Europe, right? :D
 
#9 ·
UPDATE: I had the alignment checked by the dealer two weeks ago. I had the tech drive it first, and he didn't feel anything amiss. But when he put it on the rack, the front and rear toe was off. When he corrrected the rear, then the front came into specification. The camber on one was slightly out, too.

I think the car feels better. Nothing dramatic, but it's not as unpredictable. I haven't taken any long drives, which is where I really noticed the nervousness before. When I get back from a long trip, I'll update this thread.
 
#10 · (Edited)
... but it's not as unpredictable...
My R8 is the most predictable car I've ever driven (I'm 53 btw, and I've probably driven thousands of different cars by now), so if your R8 is unpredictable something is definitely wrong.
 
#11 ·
Hmmm, you jumped on "unpredictable"... It is so hard to find subtle enough words to describe subtle feelings.

The tech said the amount of mis-alignment was very small, and I could tell the shop (dealer) thought I was being too picky. To their credit they listened and without argument checked and made the small adjustments needed.

I don't have any special driving skills. But previously the car just seemed "un-right" in a very subtle way. However, I do think the car is now "right". Because it is (was) such a subtle feeling of "un-rightness" before, and only in certain situations, I will be the first one to agree that it might just be a psychological reaction to having the shop "do something". Or, its possible that I am just getting used to the more precise handling of a car with such wide, low profile performance tires.

Anyway, I appreciate the input of the forum members. It's really great to have a sounding board of such experienced people to go to when questions arise. :)

Thanks!
 
#12 · (Edited)
If it's of any help, a well set-up R8 feels a little bit like a go-kart even at very high speeds.

I don't mean that you can defy the laws of physics, but simply that you can drive it much faster than you would expect without any sort of drama.

I did not even get close to the limit yet, though I am hopeful that I will soon since one of my birthday presents from my wife -last week- was an advanced driving course to get a racing license. The course will be given by a former formula 1 driver, and reportedly he is quite excited that we will use the R8.
 
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