If you have the quattro system in your vehcile, is it essential to match the front tire sizes to the rear? ie. Running 2254018 in the front and 2254518 in the rear.

 

yes the quattro system needs all four wheels to be at the same diameter. if it isn't you'll screw up the quattro system.

 

There are differing opinions on this. I don't know if there is a definite answer, some people swear by keeping the same tire sizes but others who have done staggered say it is no problem.

The only thing is that with an Audi it is a pointless mod. Looks is the only thing you will get out of it and if anything it'll make the car understeer more than it already does unless you were planning on putting bigger tires in the front :P

 

i love my staggered fit....i feel it drives better...i dont think i have much understeer if any!!! 225 in the front and 265 in the back!

 

This is definitely NOT a good idea. It's one thing to have a staggered setup with the same rolling diameter, a completely different thing to have different rolling diameters as you have indicated. It's unnecessarily stressing the TORSEN diff.

 

I'm not going to argue with what you feel, except I can assure you if the compounds are the same front and back, physics says that you are getting more understeer than you would if the back is narrower, unless you run an extraordinarily high pressure in those 265's.

RWD cars have staggered setup primarily not to improve cornering balance, but to better put down the power.