This might be useful for people looking to buy otherwise it's just the ranting of a psychotic new A4 maniac....<p>So for about 5 years I lusted after SUVs and had decided for many years that after I sold my corolla I would get the 4Runner. Well, my Corolla got in an accident and got totalled and faced with the decision sooner than expected tried out all cars. Never thought of an Audi(but I knew I loved my Golf over the Corolla any day). Some practical portion of my otherwise steadfast mind said I should look at AWD wagons like the Subaru or Volvo because of fuel economy. Being obsessive by nature I stumbled upon the A4 and its reviews and the fact that with a stretch I could actually afford and Audi. After driving the Avant I had no doubts. This was the car I'd been waiting for(Subaru was forgotten instantly as was the Volvo and might have compromised for the Passat Syncro had it come out but...). As soon as the dealers started getting 1.8Ts I walked into a dealership and, pushing aside that nagging practical voice, bought the car of my dreams(Santorin Blue with Ecru/Blue interior, sports package, All Weather, Concert sound system).<p>Well it now has 1.5K miles on it. I've switched to Pirelli winter tires. Boy, this car has opened up and is really fantastic. No problems except that Pillar noise everyones talked about when I go over bumps. Also the car seemed to not feel like it was going really straight with the Dunlops(probably a balancing problem) but with the Pirellis it's fine. Absolutely quiet and stable at 120mph going up I90 to Snoqualmie pass(felt like I was doing 60). The Quattro is fantastic and the directional stability is awe inspiring. Even after 5 weeks, I still look forward to getting into the car in the morning and evening. Sometimes I listen to music, sometimes I just listen to the car. I'm in love -- this is the car I'd like to have children with....<p>Planning to hit snow over christmas/new years in WA/BC. Anyone know any good places to go and do winter driving in BC and WA besides Baker/Whistler?<p>Also I've seen earlier reports on the B-pillar rattle but nothing conclusive. What should I do?<p>What's the black rubber strip on the outside of the OEM wheel that looks like a small bycicle brake pad? The person who installed the Pirellis tore it off. I guess it was'nt necessary?<p>May chip after 1 year and do some upgrades(I'm happy right now). This is a great place for info.<p>Thanks for listening.<p>2 German cars owner :))

When they mounted the snow tires, they also balanced them which explains the improved straight line tracking you mentioned. The technician removed the weight because it wasn't needed for proper balance. Each time a wheel is balanced weights are added or removed as necessary.<p>Dave<br>'97 1.8TQMS wett<p>PS - Go for the chip...it's a blast!!

If you ask our resident Wheel Guy, Gary from RonalUSA, he has said in the past that it doesn't work any "less" by putting the weights on the inside of the rim. It is just a matter of finding a shop which has the proper equipment and attitude to do so.<p>This was confirmed by my local tire shop...The Tire Factory. They kindly placed the weights they added for my Michelin Arctic Alpins on the inside, although they said they would prefer NOT to remove the outside ones if possible as the clearcoat sometimes is damaged in doing so. These guys were REAL careful and professional. They instantly put plastic seat and steering wheel covers on, and a floor protector. They also cleaned my wheels, inside and out. I was thoroughly impressed. Watched them the whole time. Nothing like having 3 guys baby your baby and I should point out, they instantly went under the car and started pointing out and looking at the QUATTRO drivetrain (for about 30 seconds, I didn't mind).<p>Kirk<br>

Vinay, I have found the soln to my B-pillar rattle. Actually in my case it was more of a tapping type noise over small and large bumps alike. The source of mine was the top outer edge of the b-pillar metal outer coverplate was rubbing against the rubber trim on the inside of the door opening. Take a look and hopefully you'll see what I mean. The soln was to spray some silicone spray around the upper edge of the coverplate. No rattle for 2 weeks! Hope this helps. Congrats on your car.<p>Tom<br>1.8TQMS Silver/Ecru

If the wheel/tire imbalance is towards the outside, then the offseting weight should be on the outside. And vice-versa for the inside. On a two-plane dynamic balance the imbalanace is computed and can be on the outside, inside or somewhere in between. Quite often it is suggested that only inside tape-a-weights be used but this is usually due to a shop not having the proper style weights or nobody with the knowledge/ability to do the job correctly. Most everybody has the equipment now but the operators are often high school shop class drop outs. Some wheels don't even have a location for outside weights and lets face it, they are ugly. But if you look at the mechanics of it, it does make sense to use outboard weights WHEN CALLED FOR. If you see a strip of tape-a-weights in the center of the wheel, you most likely have a static balance which is not as effective as a two-plane dymanic balance but cheap and easy for the operator. Hunter Engineering builds some of the worlds best wheel and tire equipment and is located here in St. Louis. They have great instructional classes on all this. I don't work for Hunter but have been doing wheel/tire stuff for over 20 years and have seen the difference. Study the physics of the situation and you'll see.

I don't want to start a "flame" war on this subject, but most owners are quite happy with "semi" balanced tires/wheels incorporating inside only weights. I for one am not!<p>Yes the laws of physics dictates that both inside and outside weights must be used to get as close to a perfect balance as possible. I also removed my rotors and balanced them to within 1/8 gram using a crank shaft balancer. Definitely a very smooth ride at speed.