Tire Rub on Stock S4
 

Hey Guys and Gals,

I have been a member of the forum for quite some time, but his is my first post. I have a stock Audi S4 (B7) sedan, with a manual. The problem I am currently having is tire rub on both the front passenger and front driver tires; the tire is rubbing the control arm.

I took the car to my mechanic and he suggested to replace one (passenger) tie rod and do an alignment. He said all the other bushings etc were good, no significant play. The car was also inspected by Audi just about one month ago, the did not mention the tire rub and they said everything else looked (no frame damage etc). To my knowledge the car has never been in an accident, although i do drive on Chicago streets everyday, which can be rough for the suspension.

Does anyone have any ideas what could be causing this rub? Only one tire will rub at a time, it seems almost as if the whole front end can shift left to right, and at its extreme can cause major damage to the tire (big gouges on the inside sidewalls).

I would like to hear from anyone that has any ideas or suggestions.

Well, I figured it out. It seems that the tires are too wide. The stock rims call for 235-40-18, which are the tires that are currently on the car. I measured the tire and it measured just over 9 1/2 inches (Dunlap Signature). I also measured the stock full sized spare (Pirelli P Nero)-this tire came from the factory- and although it was also a 235-40-18 tire, it measured 9 inches. So there is a 1/2 swing between the Dunlap and Pirelli.

Does anyone know if this is a common occurrence among Dunlaps? Or are the tires possibly mislabled? Any input would be appreciated.