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Finally pulled the trigger on some AT tires & mounted them on some 18's I found locally. Took a bit of a risk going this route since it's uncharted territory to see Q7's with any sort of meat on them but of course I'm a sucker for some risk (calculated of course).
Tires are 265/70/18 (32.6") Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT's, wheels are 18x8 + I added 30mm spacers.
The looks on the initial shakedown were priceless..
Thinking about blacking out the wheels but surprisingly like the silver. See how the next few weeks play out.
Gave her a nice shakedown today & except for full lock, rubbing isn't an issue at all. Road noise doesn't seem any worse then the stock 20's but the extra weight is noticeable though, nothing drastic but it's there. No doubt MPGs will take some sort of hit but you can't win em all..
Planning to modify the lower intercooler mounts. There's 2 intercoolers on a TDI and they're mounted infront of each front wheel. The mod isn't anything drastic but it adds an extra 1"+/- of room infront of each wheel while keeping the liner intact & it's a well documented mod in the Touareg/Cayenne world.
Here's a few quick pics I took today in each height setting..
Lock to lock there is definitely rubbing which should disappear with the intercooler mod.
The up and down clearance is for sure an issue for any serious obstacles, not so bad in "off-road" mode but of course the possibility is always there. Planning on a 2" PRG lift kit for the spring & getting rid of some of the factory front end rake which should help the cause also.
Not looking to explore shopping mall parking lots..
It's aggressive, no doubt about that & I did push it a bit, especially considering the platform but as you said, it definitely transformed the on road presence. Not bad for step 1..
Wow those meaty tires look great but really really close to the fenders. I think you could eventually do better on the wheels though. They don't fit the meaty look.
This is so awesome! I don't think I've ever seen a Q7 with tires like that before.
Far from common, that's for sure. There's a few guys that have gone the meaty route with 265/60/18 & swear that any bigger isn't doable. Of course, I'm like.. "hold my beer" ..
Originally Posted by CCColtsicehockey
Wow those meaty tires look great but really really close to the fenders. I think you could eventually do better on the wheels though. They don't fit the meaty look.
Wheels are on the list for sure. These just popped up locally cheap off a Touareg so it was hard to pass up.
IMO, 98% of "off road" wheels are just horrific but I found a company through that the Cayenne guys that make off road wheels for our bolt pattern. I'm a fan of flat faced wheels and they just fit the bill..
Got out to give her a snow shakedown today & those lower intercooler mounts are 100% getting modded..
Except for that which I was planning for, clearance to body is perfect. I didn't hit any heavy technical spots but got the big bus moving on rocky incline/declines with the wife spectating & she reports no drama at all.
Lock to lock there is definitely rubbing which should disappear with the intercooler mod.
The up and down clearance is for sure an issue for any serious obstacles, not so bad in "off-road" mode but of course the possibility is always there. Planning on a 2" PRG lift kit for the spring & getting rid of some of the factory front end rake which should help the cause also.
If you're going to lift it, it should help but remember that the wheel wells are round so lifting it only fixes the problem up and down. Wheels are round so the problem may still exist front to back and may require trimming some things to get them to fit without breaking stuff. Also, prepare to go through tie rods faster.
You seem to have things handled but just throwing some caution your way for things to consider if you haven't already. I have 35's on my Jeep with a 3" lift and I still rub the back of the bumper when it articulates lol.
Last time I went to the off road park we had a lifted Touareg with bigger tires...they ripped off a rocker panel, wheel well liner, and the trim piece around the wheel well in the first hour we were out.
Wish we had some of that (trails, not snow) in closer proximity to Houston. From looking around a bit, I'd have to drive ~3-4 hours to central TX to get to any 'trails'
Our 1 year anniversary with the old land barge has come/gone back in May & I truly still can't get enough of this thing. We crushed 35,000 problem free KM (21k miles) in the last year without breaking a sweat, just load up and hit the road.
This past weekend we did our first road trip in months since work has been a bit wild. I decided to try something and aired up the tires to 45psi since it was an all highway trip. It is truly remarkable how composed this thing is at high speeds, especially with AT's. Seems like every time I drive it I'm hitting corners faster and faster, there's definitely some black magic in the air suspension setup. Worse part about the ATs is the MPG hit but I'm still hitting 20mpg & could definitely stretch out a few more but I'm not losing sleep over it.
Not much has change recently except for reverting back to stock height, some trimming to keep things happy at stock height (read: liners ), picked up a pair of Thule racks & finally got around to painting the wheels black.
This thing really is dope AF @rockstar143 Surprised you don't own one yet
I had always seen all the Cayennes done like this but not sure why many people don't do these as well. Looks so good with those wheels and tires.
Yea, the Q is really the outcast in the growing off road VAG community. The longer wheelbase compared to the Touareg/Cayenne sure doesn't help & most folks just don't want that 3rd row.
The meaty look sure does work well on these things..
Originally Posted by Yumcha
What a backdrop to photo the ride too.
Sure never gets old.. :wink:
Originally Posted by SamDoe1
Looks dope! Need to see it flexed out on a rock or something though. Only way to know you're legit.
Yea, the Q is really the outcast in the growing off road VAG community. The longer wheelbase compared to the Touareg/Cayenne sure doesn't help & most folks just don't want that 3rd row.
The meaty look sure does work well on these things..
You know until you just said this I never even realized it was longer but should have since I knew you could get a third row.
Just got back from a 1600ish KM (1k mile) road trip & after some hand calculations, I averaged right on 20mpg throught out the trip.
That's definitely not earth shattering but considering the old girl weighed in at 6500+lbs at the scales fully loaded with unofficial 33's and a brick strapped to the roof + plenty of mountain passes, I think she kicked ass.
Sure can't wait for warranty to run out, this thing is begging to be un-neutered..
10-24-2020 | 07:04 PM
