wheel AUDI R8 SPYDER 2015 Service Manual

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brand loyalty and dealer recom­
mendations. Under UTQG, tires
are graded by the tire manufac ­
turers in three areas: treadwear,
traction and temperature resist­
ance . The UTQG information on
the tires, molded into the side­
walls .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification
Number (TIN)
This is the tire's "serial number"
It beg ins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets
all federal standa rds. The next
two numbers or letters indicate
the plant where it was manufac ­
tured, and the last four numbers represent the week and year of
manufacture . For example,
DOT ... 221 3 ...
means that the tire was produced
in the 22nd week of 2013. The
other numbers are marketing co­ des that may or may not be used
by the tire manufacturer. This in­
formation is used to contact con-
Tires and wheels
sumers if a tire defect requi res a
recal l.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and lug­
gage load plus 150 lbs. (68 kilo­
grams) times the vehic le's tota l
seating capac ity as listed on the
label located on the driver's side
B-pillar.
Vehicle ma ximum load on the
tire
means that load on an individual
tire that is determined by distrib ­
uting to each axle its share of the
maximum loaded vehicle weight
and div iding by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individual
tire that is determined by distrib­ uting to each axle its share of the
curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (dis­
tributed in accordance with table
below ~
page 176) and dividing
by two. ,..
175

Tires and wheels
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for
various designated seating capacities
Designated seating Vehicle normal load, Normally loaded vehi-
capacity, number of occupants cle,
number of occupants occupant distribution
2 2 2 in front
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of
a vehicle.
Fig . 147 Tire pressure label: located on
driver's side 8-pillar
Tire pressure generally refers to
the amount of air in a tire that it
needs it to do its job and safely
carry the combined load of the
entire vehicle and its contents.
Tire pressure is measured in kilo­
pascals (kPa), the international
measuring unit and in pounds per
square inch (PSI). Tire pressure is
based in part on the vehicle's de­
sign and load limit -the greatest
amount of weight that the vehicle
can carry safely and the tire size.
The proper tire pressure is fre-
176
-... PHIU OIMl(Hll()NI
"'"'"
Fig. 148 Tire pressure label
quently referred to as the "recom­
mended cold tire inflation pres­
sure." Air in the tires expands
when the tire heats up because of internal friction when it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is higher
when the tire has warmed up than
when it is "cold ." It is the infla-
tion pressure in a "cold" tire that
counts. Therefore , you should
never let air out of a warm tire to
match "cold tire inflation pres­
sure" recommendations. The tires ""

Tires and wheels
tire sizes installed on the respec­
tive models as original equip­ment, or as a factory option.
Model/ Tire designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
Engine normal load full load normal load full load
condition condition condition condition
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
RS: 235/35 Rl9 91 Y XL 45 310 45 310 ------ ------
4.2 liter
295/30 Rl9 lOOY XL ------------41 280 41 280
S-cylin-
305/30 Rl9 102V XL
der
--- --- ------41
280 41 280
RS: 235/35 Rl9 91 Y XL 45 310 45 310 --------- ---
5.2 liter
295/30 Rl9 lOOY XL --------- ---41
280 41
280
10-cylin-
305/30 Rl9 102V XL
der
--- ------
---41 280 41 280
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire sidewall.
Because technical changes may be
made to vehicle equipment dur­
ing the model year, always com­
pare the tire size designation on
the tire pressure label on your ve­ hicle with the tires on your vehi­
cle. Make sure that the tire size information on the vehicle label is
the same as the size of the tires on the vehicle. This is especially
important if the vehicle belongs
to someone else or you bought
the vehicle with different rims/
tires or you bought the vehicle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that
of your passengers also depends
on making sure that load limits
are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything
178
in and on the vehicle. These load
limits are technically referred to
as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating ("GVWR"). The
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles. The Gross Ve­ hicle Weight Rating and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating are listed on
the safety compliance sticker la­ bel located on the driver's side B­
pillar. The tire pressure label on
your Audi lists the maximum combined weight of all of the oc­
cupants and luggage or other car­
go that the vehicle can carry. For
the location of the tire pressure label ¢
fig. 147.

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.&_ WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death .
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and in­ crease the risk of a loss of ve ­
hicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance .
-Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail sud­
denly causing loss of control
and a crash.
A WARNING
-
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or
underinflation can lead to a
serious or fatal accident.
-Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation cause increased
tire wear and can affect the
handling of the vehicle.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or
underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing loss of vehicle control.
Tires and wheels
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the
tires originally installed on your
vehicle is listed on the tire pres­
sure label located on driver 's side
8-pillar .
The recommended tire pressures
are on the tire pressure label and
in the table
c:::> page 176 , Cold tire
inflation pressure.
This means
that the pressure must be checked and adjusted when the
tire has not been driven for more
than a couple of m iles (kilome­
ters) at low speeds during the
previous three hours. Air in the
tires expands when the t ire heats
up as a result of internal friction
as it flexes in use . The tire pres­
sure is higher when the tire has
warmed up than when it is "cold".
It is the inflation pressure in a
"cold" tire that counts. Therefore,
you shou ld never let air out of a
warm tire to match "Cold tire in­
flation pressure" recommenda ­
tions
c:::> page 176. The tires would
then be underinflated and could
fail suddenly.
The tire pressure label on your
Audi lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the
1 79

Tires and wheels
new, original equipment tires that
were on your vehicle at the time it
was manufactured. For the loca­ tion of the label¢
page 176,
fig. 147.
Most tires lose air naturally over
t ime. They can also lose some air
if you drive over a pothole or hit a
curb while parking. It is usually not possible to see whether the
radia l tires used today are under ­
inflated just by look ing at them .
T herefore, be sure to check tire
pressures at least once a month
and always before going on a long
trip. Make sure to take the num­
ber of peop le and the amount of
luggage into account when ad­
justing tire pressure for a trip -
even one that you would not con­
sider to be "long". See
¢ page 182, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important in­
forma tion .
Always use an accurate tire pres ­
sure gauge when checking and
adjust ing inflation pressures .
Check all o f the tires . If the pres­
sure in any tire is too h igh when
the tire is "cold", let air ou t of the
tire slowly with the edge of the
tire gauge and keep checking the
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pressure until you reach the pres­
sure that is correct for the load
(passengers and luggage) and
kind of driving you plan to do .
If the pressure in any tire is too low , note the difference between
the pressure in the co ld tire and
the pressure you need and add
the air that you need to reach the
correct pressure fo r the vehicle
load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on yo ur vehicle as listed
on the on your veh ic le and in this
manual and the kind of driving
you plan to do .
Never exceed the ma ximum in­
flation pressure listed on the tire sidewall for any reason.
Remember that the vehicle manu­
facturer, not the tire manufactur ­
er, determines the cor rect tire
pressure for the t ires on you r ve­
hicle.
It is important to check the tire pressure when the tires are cold .
- Read the required tire pressure
from the tire pressure label lo­
cated on driver 's side B-pillar .
- Turn the va lve stem cap counter­
cl ockw ise to remove it from the
tire va lve . .,.

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-Place the air pressure gauge on the valve .
- The tire pressu res should only be
checked an d adjusted when the
t ires are cold. The slig htly raised
pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced .
- Adjust the tire pressure to the
load you are carrying.
-Reinstall the valve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the tire
pressu re?
The correct tire pressure is espe­
cially important at high speeds .
The pressure should therefore be
checked at least once a month
and always before starting a jour­
ney.
When should I adjust the tire pressures ?
Adjust the tire pressure to the
load you are carrying . After
changing a wheel
or replacing
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures on all wheels. In addi ­
tion, you must then initialize the
new tire pressures in the tire pres­
sure mon itoring system
¢page 196 .
Tires and wheels
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or
underinflation can lead sudden
tire failure, loss of control, col­ lision, serio us personal injury or
even death .
-When the warning symbol
rD]
appears in the instrument
cluster, stop and inspect the
tires.
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or
underinflation can cause in­
creased tire wear and can af ­
fect the handling of the vehi­
cle and stopping ab ility.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or
underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a
blowout and sudden deflation,
causing loss of vehicle control.
- The driver is responsib le for
the correct tire pressures for
all t ires on the vehicle . The ap ­
plicable pressure values are lo­
cated on a sticker on the driv ­
er's side B-pillar.
-Only when all tires on the ve­ hicle are filled to the correct
pressure, the tire pressure monitoring system can work
correct ly .
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Tires and wheels
-The use of incorrect tire pres­sure values can lead to acci­
dents or other damage. There­
fore it is essential that the driver observe the specified
tire pressure values for the
tires and the correct pressures
for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system.
-Always inflate tires to the rec­ ommended and correct tire
pressure before driving off.
-Driving with underinflated tires bend more, letting them get too hot resulting in tread
separation, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
-Excessive speed and/overload­
ing can cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure and loss of
control.
-If the tire pressure is too low
or too high, the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle
will not handle well.
-If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately, drive at reduced
speed to the nearest service
station to check the tire pres­
sure and add air as required .
182
d) Note
Driving without valve stem caps
can cause damage to the tire
valves. To prevent this, always
make sure that factory instal­
led valve stem caps on all
wheels are securely mounted on the valve.
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also in­
crease the fuel consumption.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of
load or weight that any vehicle
and any tire can carry. A vehicle
that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overloading can not only lead to
loss of vehicle control, but can al­
so damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden
tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation that can
cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex­
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev­
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are ...

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technically referred to as the vehi­
cle's
Gross Vehicle We ight Rating
("GVWR") .
The "GVWR" includes the weight
of the basic vehicle, all factory in­
stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids plus maximum load. The maxi­
mum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is in­
tended to carry ("seating capaci ­
ty") with an assumed weight of
150 lbs. (68 kg) for each passen­
ger at a designated seating posi­
tion and the total weight of any
luggage in the vehicle.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles .
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar. Your Audi
has 2 seating positions . Each
seating position has a safety belt
¢ page 95, Safety belts.
The fact that there is an upper
limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi ­
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
Tires and wheels
carried in the vehicle is limited.
The more passengers in the vehi­
cle or passengers who are heavier
than the standard weights as­
sumed mean that less weight can
be carried as luggage.
The tire pressure label on your
Audi also lists the maximum com ­
bined weight of all of the occu­
pants and luggage or other cargo
that the vehicle can carry. For the location of the label¢
page 176,
fig. 147.
A WARNING
-
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than
your vehicle was designed to
carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance .
-Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail sud­
denly, including a blowout and •
183

Tires and wheels
sudden deflation, causing loss
of control and a crash .
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to calcu ­
late the total weight of the pas­
sengers and luggage or other
things that you plan to transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overload­ ed .
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1 . Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCU­
PANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEV ER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehicle's placard
(tire inflation pressure label)
c:::> page 176, fig. 147.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle .
3 . Subtract the combined weight
of the driver and passengers
from "XXX" kilograms or "XXX"
pounds shown on the sticker
c:::> page 176, fig. 147.
4 . The resulting figure equa ls the
available amount of ca rgo and
1 8 4
luggage load capacity. For ex­
ample, if the "XXX" amount
equals 1400 lbs. and there will
be five 150 lbs. passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capac ity is 650 lbs .
(1400-7 SQ (5 X 150) = 650
lbs.)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehic le.
That weight may not safely ex­
ceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculat­
ed in Step 4 .
6. If your vehic le w ill be towing a
trailer, load from your t railer
will be transferred to yo ur vehi­
cle . Consult this manual to de­
termine how this reduces the ava ilable cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
~ check the tire sidewall
(c:::> page 186, fig. 150) to deter­
mine the designa ted load rating
for a specific tire .

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Tire service life
The service life of tires depends
on a lot of different things includ­
ing proper installation and bal ­
ancing, correct tire pressure and
driving style.
Fig. 149 Tire tread: tread wear indica ­
tors (TWI)
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The original tires on your vehicle
have 1/16 inch (1 .6 mm) high
"wear indicators"c::>
fig. 149 run­
ning across the tread. Depending
on the make, there will be s ix to
eight of them evenly placed
around the tire. Marks on the tire
sidewall (for example "TWI" or
other symbols) indicate the posi­
tions of the tread wear indicators.
Worn tires must be replaced. Dif­
ferent figures may apply in other
countries c::>
.&..
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes pre­
mature wear and can cause sud-
Tires and wheels
den tire blow-out. For this reason,
tire pressure must be checked at least once a month c::>
page 179.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy
acceleration and hard braking in­
crease tire wear.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are
balanced. However, various situa­
tions during everyday driving can
cause them to become unbal­
anced, resulting in vibrations you
can usually feel through the
steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be reba­
lanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires . A
wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed .
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can
cause excessive tire wear, impair­
ing the safety of the vehicle. If
tires show excessive wear, have
the whee l alignment checked by
an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop.
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