-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must al ways be tightened to the correct
torque .
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the factory installed rims. If
different r ims a re fitted, the cor rect wheel bolts with the r ig ht leng th
and correctly shaped bolt heads must be used. Th is ensures that
w heels are fitted secure ly and that t he br ake system func tion s
correctly .
In certain circ umstances, you may not use whee l bolts from a
different veh icle -even if it is the same model~
page 370.
&_ WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can become
loose causing lo ss of control , a c ollision and seriou s personal
injury .
• Always keep the wheel bol ts and the thread s in the wheel hub s
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly t ighten ed .
• Never gr ease or oil the wheel bolt s and the threads in the wh eel
hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled, even
if tightened to the specified torque.
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle .
• Alway s maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolt s to reduce the risk of a whee l los s. If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low , they can loosen and come out when the
vehicle is moving . If the tightening torque i s too h igh, the wheel
bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
0 Note
The spe cifie d torq ue for the whee l bolts is 120 ft lb (160 Nm) wi th a
tolerance of ± 7,4 ft lb( ± 10 Nm). Torque whee l bolts diagona lly. After changing a wheel, the torq
ue m ust be checked as soo n as
possible wi th a t orqu e w rench -prefer ably by an auth o riz ed Audi
dealer or qualified workshop. •
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect ratio tires. These tires
h ave bee n thorou ghly teste d and been se lec ted spe cifically fo r yo ur
model for their superb performance, road feel and hand ling u nder a
var iety of dr iving con ditions . Ask your authorized A udi dea le r for
more deta ils.
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is ind icated by a n umera l of
55 or
le ss
in t he tire 's s ize designation . T he numera l rep resents the ratio o f
the tire's sidewall he ight in relat ion to its tread width exp ressed in
pe rcen tage . Co nven tional ti res have a heig ht/w idth r atio o f 60 o r
more.
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires i s particularly sensitive to
improper inflation pressure. It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the
inflation pre ssure is regularly checked and maintained. Tire pre s
sures should be checked at least once a month and always before a
long trip~
page 324, "Che cking t ire press ure".
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage
Low aspe ct ratio tires ca n be damaged more eas ily by imp act wi th
potholes, curbs, gul lies or ridges on the road, part icu lar ly if the tire is
unde rinfl ated.
I n order to minimize the occu rrence of impact damage to the tires of
your vehicle, we recommend that yo u observe the follow ing p recau
tions:
• Always ma inta in recommen ded inflation p ressures. Check your
t ire press ure every 2,000 m iles (3,00 0 km) a nd a dd air i f ne cess ary.
• Drive ca ref ully on roads with potho les, dee p gullies or ridges. The
i m pact from d riving t hrough or over such obsta cles can damage you r
tires. Impact w it h a c urb may also cause damage to your tires . .,_
_____________________________________________ W __ h_a _ t_ d_o_ I_ d _ o_ n_o_ w_ ? _ ___.lftll
- As soon as poss ible, have the tig htening torqu es on all
wheel bolts checked with a torque wrench . The correct
tightening torque is 120 ft lb (160 Nm).
- Have the flat tire
rep laced as soon as possible.
(I] Tips
• If you notice that the wheel bolts are corroded and difficult to turn
while chang ing a tire, they should be replaced before you check the
tightening torque.
• Drive at reduced speed until you have the t ightening torques
checked. •
Applies to ve hicl es: w ith dec orative wheel covers
Decorative wheel covers
The decorative wheel covers must be removed first to
access the wheel bolts.
Removing
Fig . 253 Changing a
wheel: Remov ing the
wheel cover
- Insert the hook provided with the vehicle tool k it in the
hole in the hub .
- Pull off the
deco rative whe el co ver => fig . 253 . •
Vehicle OP-eration
Applies to vehicles : w ith wheel bolts w ith caps
Wheels with wheel bolt caps
The caps must be removed first from the wheel bolts
before the bolts can be unscrewed.
Removing
F ig. 254 Ch angi ng a
wheel : removing the
wheel bolt c aps
- Push the plastic clip provided with the veh icle tool kit over
the wheel bolt cap until it engages .
Pull on the
plastic cli p to remove the cap=> fig . 254.
Refitting
- Place the caps over the wheel bolts and push them back
on .
The caps are to pr otect and keep the wheel bolts clean .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service iTechnical data
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• The direct ion of rotation is marked by an arrow on the side of the
ti re.
• If the spare tire has to be installed in the incorrect direct ion, use
th e spare tire only temporarily since the tire will no t be able to
achieve its optimum performance character istics with regard to
aquaplaning, noise and wear.
• We recommend that you pay particular attent ion to th is fact
during wet weather and that you adjust your speed to match road
conditions.
• Replace the flat tire with a new one and have it ins talled on your
vehicle as soon as possible to restore the handling advantages of a
unidi rect ional tire.•
Notes on wheel changing
Please read the information => page 330, "New tires and replacing
tires and wheels" if you are going to use a spare t ire which is different
from the tires on your vehicle.
After you change a tire:
• Check the tire pressure on the spare immediately after installa·
tion .
• Have the wheel bolt tightening torque checked with a torque
wrench as soon as possible by your authorized Audi dealer or a qual ified workshop .
• With steel and alloy wheel rims, the wheel bolts are correctly
tightened at a torque of 120 ft lb (160 Nm).
• If you notice that the wheel bolts are corroded and difficult to
turn while changing a tire, they should be replaced before you check
the tightening torque.
• Replace the flat tire with a new one and have it installed on your
vehicle as soon as possible. Remount the wheel cover.
Until then, drive with extra care and at reduced speeds.
Safety first
& WARNING
• If you are going to equip your vehicle with tires or rims which
differ from those which were factory installed, then be sure to
read the information =>
page 330, "New tires and replacing tires
and wheels".
• Always make sure the damaged wheel or even a flat tire and
the jack and tool kit are properly secured in the luggage compart
ment and are not loose in the passenger compartment.
• In an accident or sudden maneuver they could fly forward,
injuring anyone in the vehicle .
• Always store damaged wheel, jack and tools securely in the
luggage compartment. Otherwise, in an accident or sudden
maneuver they could fly forward, causing injury to passengers in
the vehicle. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data