16' performance tires on new A4

[Jon Linkov]

Just to add a little BTDT experience (though I am sure there are others with
much more), I used my SP8000e equipped A4q in DC during the winter of
1998-99. I drove on a number of icy roads/bridges and they weren't the
_best_ tires for the job. They were adequate, but I am sure it was quattro
compensating for me using the wrong tools for the job. But, with only 1-2
icy/snowy days happening in DC, I was ok. Last year a number of new TT/S4
owners took their Bridgestone summer tire-equipped cars onto icy roads and
smashed them up.

Jon
njconn at mail.com
'96 A4q
http://www.quattroclubusa.org/r/potomac

> -----Original Message-----
> From: larry leung [mailto:l.leung at juno.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2000 10:32 PM
> To: Michael S. Williams; Jon Linkov; Edward E Griebel; William Safford;
> quattro at audifans.com
> Subject: RE: 16' performance tires on new A4
>
>
> General FYI on summer tires and why they don't work on ice and snow.
>
> It's not JUST the tread pattern, which actually has a limited
> effect on glare ice (sipes help on less than perfect ice
> surfaces, and to a degree on glare ice, but that's another long
> topic) but the compound.
>
> Good summer tires need to hold up to higher temps, and the rubber
> is designed to be the most grippy at higher temps. ALL tire
> compounds hit a temperature called the "glassing temperature"
> where the tire rubber acts, for all intents and purposes, like
> glass. For most summer tires, that temp is somewhere around 40
> degrees F. Snow and ice occur at or somewhere near 32 degrees F,
> depending upon conditions, hence at that temp, summer tires are
> acting essentially like glass. Hence, the need for snow tires.
>
> This is generally why race tires, slicks, and even DOT "R"
> compound tires pretty much suck when the temps drop to near 40 or
> even 50 degrees F. You can barely raise the tires above the
> glassing temps in an autocross, and it's very hard to get them to
> optimal operating temps. Road racers, by working up the tread
> temps slowly MAY get the tires up to a reasonable operating temp,
> but Autocrossers have no hope.
>
> Note: All season tires of all types have compounds that are
> designed to operate over a very wide range of temps. Because of
> this, the compounds aren't generally as grippy as dedicated tire
> compounds. Add this to compromised tread patterns and those tires
> don't quite match the performance of dedicated tires, but they do
> get amazingly close, especially if you consider what they must do.
>
> Hope this helps with this question.
>
> LL - NY

>