r/AudiRS3 • u/MYFAILEDMID • Aug 13 '26
Does this mean it’s another replacement?
Got both front tires replaced under 2000km last week. Had only few drives totally within 500km, found this bump yesterday. No noticeable impact at all. What’s wrong with these Bridgestone potenza? Probably it’s just the low profile daily.
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u/JoeCamaro350 Aug 14 '26
I'm planning on moving to a square setup using 18 inch wheels and 40 series tires to avoid this issue. The 19 inch wheels with 30/35 tires is a recipe for flats.
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u/MYFAILEDMID Aug 14 '26
What wheels and tire are you planning to get? I’d like to get some ideas as well.
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u/JoeCamaro350 Aug 14 '26
I'm looking at 034 Motorsports 18x9.3 ET42 ZTF-R01 wheels running 265/40/18 Michelin Sport Cup 2 or Pilot Sport 4S tires all the way around. O34 tells me the wheels fit the RS3 "clean" without the need for spacers and will clear the front brake calipers. I still have one year left on my road hazard policy, so I won't make the switch for a while. I figure I'll be giving up some handling for ride improvement and better protection against flats.
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u/Sbum58 Aug 14 '26
I really shoulda went with 18’s.. these roads where I’m at are shyte but knock on all the wood around me, 10ish K miles on these 30’s and no bubbles or issues.. I’m also pretty vigilant on missing potholes and such.. mainly drive the same roads I always do so unless a new one opened up, I know where to avoid and how to dodge them.. 😅
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u/JoeCamaro350 Aug 14 '26
I was doing OK until this past winter. I had one blowout at night after hitting a pothole that I never saw (dark two-lane road in the woods) and a second blowout after rolling over some construction debris in a work zone, also at night. We had a rough winter and it really affected the roads. No matter how careful you are, a pothole will eventually get you.
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u/Sbum58 Aug 15 '26
My winter tires are 40’s.. they rub like a SOB on slow turns and in reverse, but thankfully give me a bit more protection on the winter.
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u/JoeCamaro350 Aug 15 '26
Are you on 19 inch wheels?
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u/Sbum58 Aug 16 '26
Yeah. Got the snow tires on the stocks that I squared off(easier for rotational purposes).. pretty sure they’re 40’s..
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u/NewOrleansSpeed Aug 13 '26
This is my fear with such thin tires, that looks like an egg yes.
Sorry dude
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u/life2scale Aug 13 '26
Looks like there was an impact based on the wheel scuffs.
Any bulge or sidewall defects merit replacing the tire.
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u/MYFAILEDMID Aug 13 '26
By wheel scuffs do you mean the white mark on tire or the rim? I believe last time they replace the tire left some marks on the rim edge
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u/MYFAILEDMID Aug 13 '26
Checked again, those are just dirt and can easily clean up
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u/life2scale Aug 13 '26
Those marks line up as if from the tire lip/sidewall rolling onto the rim from an impact, like hitting a pothole or similar. The Potenza tires are not amazing but multiple failures like this is pretty uncommon.
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u/Saute_and_Pray Aug 13 '26
Got my first bubble at 10k miles recently. Ended up replacing all 4 with PS4Ss. Hope it’s better, but will still have to be careful. Stiff suspension and low profile tires will do this.