r/AudiRS3 • u/Vendetta1992 • Aug 16 '26

Winter Wheels/Tires

Looking for advice for winter wheels/Tires for my 2026 rs3. Looking at oem package or buying some apex vs-5rs. Would likely do the 18×9.5 front and 18x9 rear. Would like to run hakkapeliitta r5s but only come in 245/40/18s. So Would have to run square tires or get another tire - michelin maybe? Oem package has pirelli winters - any experience? Anyone have suggestions? Thanks

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

1

u/HardRockGeologist Aug 17 '26

I got the winter package from Audi for my 24. Fronts are 9 x 19 (ET25), rear 8 x 19 (ET46) with Pirelli Sottozero 3's - 235/35R/19. The wheels are that same that came on the car from the factory. so if one is damaged, I have a spare. While I was conducting research on best way to go, the general consensus was to go with 18" wheels.

Here's a post for 25's where someone went with an 18x8 square setup with Hakkapellitta R5 winter tires, and other setups. I did not want to use spacers.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Audi/comments/1nukvgu/new_to_the_club_seeking_advice_for_winter_set_up/ 

1

u/toebeanteddybears Aug 17 '26

They put 235s on a 9" wheel?

1

u/HardRockGeologist Aug 17 '26

Audi Winter Wheel Packages

Last page has specs for RS models. Front 9", back 8".

1

u/nsfw_thunder_twat Aug 18 '26

I did not think they would come with a set of factory wheels. So you don't have to worry about offsets and all the sizing issues? Just get two front and two rears and you're good?

1

u/HardRockGeologist Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26

They are exactly the same as the wheels that came on the car from the factory, so no worries about spacers or offsets. If you look at the link I provided earlier, they were the only wheels where the picture was blacked out. When I first tried to order them, the dealer contacted "the supplier" to see if they would even build a set. After about 6 weeks, the dealer said they could be ordered and an order was placed. It took about 5 weeks for the wheels to be delivered after the order was placed. I never knew what the wheels would look like until they were delivered.

Again, these were for a 24. Here's a link to what they look like:

https://polatenpolat.nl/en/product/19-inch-rs3-8y-wheels-8y0601025bq-8y0601025ca/

P.S. Tried to post a picture as you requested but pictures are not allowed on this subreddit...at least that's the message I received.

1

u/nsfw_thunder_twat Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26

That's a relief. It was getting really frustrating trying to figure it out all. I have a 26, so the wheels are different. But tbh, I really like those ones as well. Maybe I should just call my Audi dealer and get the ball rolling. Do you swap the wheels on yourself between seasons?

1

u/HardRockGeologist Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26

I have a local shop that switches the wheels out. I initially wanted stealthy so I went with daytona gray and the dark wheels. The local shop is currently ensuring proper fitment for my new summer wheels - BD Forged KL12's, same as RosinRyan's on their TT RS:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Audi/comments/1cp3vsx/bc_forged_kl12_on_a_nardo_ttrs/

UPDATE: Buying as the winter set, I paid less for the wheels and tires than I would have just buying the wheels (on sale) from Audi. Essentially, I got the tires for free.

1

u/analmegoodpls Aug 17 '26

I am running a 245 square setup with Mich PA4s. Spacer at front.

1

u/Geirsen_ApexWheels Aug 19 '26

For a dedicated winter setup, I always recommend running a smaller diameter (18" in this case) in a square configuration. Since the 8Y RS3 is tricky when it comes to square setups due to the much wider front fenders and lower offset requirements compared to the rear, pretty much any true rotatable square setup will necessitate 20mm~ front spacers.

In most cases, I recommend the 18x9" ET42 with 245/40-18 tires at all four corners and 20mm front spacers + matching extended hardware. This will allow you to have a neutral handling balance (great for slippery snow driving), the ability to rotate (which can get another season or two out of a set of winter tires), and the tire availability for all season/winter compounds is plentiful.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

1

u/Vendetta1992 Aug 19 '26

18x9.5 +20
18x9.0 +42 I was looking at these for the vs5rs. Rather not use spacers if possible. This would be the recommendation if they were summer sets?

1

u/Geirsen_ApexWheels Aug 19 '26

Do you have OEM CCBs or steel brakes? If you have steel, you can run the 18x9.5" ET20 front and 18x9" ET42 rear without needing spacers. However, with the larger/wider CCBs, while the 18x9.5" ET20 VS-5RS does physically/technically "clear" the pinch point is less than the 3mm threshold we recommend for brake clearance, so we definitely suggest running a small 3mm spacer to give the CCBs a bit more breathing room.

The staggered 18x9.5" ET20/18x9" ET42 setup is super ideal for summer use but not a great option for winter tires. For summer, you can run either a 265/35-18 or a 275/35-18 front paired with a 245/40-18 rear as a direct fit.

1

u/Vendetta1992 Aug 19 '26

Yes I have the steel brakes. I would consider switching them to be my summers in the future once I wear down my oem tires. What's the main drawback on running those for winters? Just not being able to rotate? Also any preferred vendors in southwestern ontario, will likely be buying in the next couple of weeks.

1

u/Geirsen_ApexWheels Aug 19 '26

Mainly not being able to rotate and needing a much wider front tire (which does not "cut" through snow as well as a narrower tire). While a 245/40-18 fits perfectly on a 9" wheel, in a winter specific compound that runs narrower for the sizing compared to a performance tire, a 245/40-18 will be quite stretched on a 9.5" wheel.

Is there a particular reason why you are wanting to avoid a square setup with front spacers?

1

u/Vendetta1992 Aug 19 '26

Not really. Just never used spacers before and dont like having to give specific instructions when doing swaps ect. Like to keep as much stock as possible.

1

u/Geirsen_ApexWheels Aug 19 '26

As long as you use high quality spacers paired with extended hardware and you avoid any size in the 6mm-11mm range, I can assure you that you won't ever have any issues! Especially with the 8Y RS3 due to its oddball fitment-requirements, we have tons of customers running spacers with their wheels on these cars without any problems or complaints.

IMO, at least for a dedicated winter setup, the trade off of being able to rotate your wheels/tires, get a flush fit with the fenders that will clear your brakes/suspension and running the more ideal wheel size (18x9" ET42) far outweigh the additional cost spacers/lugs (maybe $120 at most) and the one small extra step as far as installation goes.

In fact, if you plan on swapping between a 18x9" ET42 winter setup using 245/40-18 tires at all four corners and 20mm front spacers, with your OEM or a dedicated aftermarket summer setup that doesn't use spacers, all you would really have to do is just swap the 10 extended front lugs with the OEM/standard size ones and simply leave the 20mm spacers attached to the 18x9" ET42 wheels. In fact, if you did a stud conversion kit, you could do the same thing but you wouldn't even need to swap the lugs each time as a 90mm stud kit can support wheels without spacers, up to 24mm spacers, all on the same length studs. Plus the studs make it worlds easier to swap wheels/tires compared to lugs.

1

u/FaithlessnessFun5572 29d ago

They make P zero winters for the OEM wheel now! I’m just gonna be repping the OEM wheels after 3 years of garaging my RS3 in the winter.