2002 Audi S8 Wheel Interchange

2002 Audi S8 Wheel Fitment Guide

You want different wheels or tires on your 2002 Audi S8, but you do not want rubbing, vibration, or speedometer errors. The common sticking points are offset, inner clearance, and hub centering. This page sets your OEM baseline and shows how to validate a new setup with the on-page calculator so you can install with confidence.

1. Goal

Select and validate a wheel and tire package for a 2002 Audi S8 that fits safely under factory bodywork, keeps proper clearances, and maintains sensible speedometer and ABS behavior.

Assumption: stock suspension and brakes. If your car is lowered or has non-OEM brakes, plan extra clearance checks.

2. Prerequisites

• Confirm your trim and current tire label at the driver door. Market packages can vary.
• Have a tape measure, straightedge, and a safe flat workspace.
• Tools that help:
  • 1/2 inch torque wrench for proper wheel bolt torque.
  • 57.1 mm hub centric rings if an aftermarket wheel has a larger center bore.
  • M14x1.5 wheel bolts if new hardware is required by the wheel.
  • M14 wheel hanger pin to guide wheels on lug-bolt hubs.

OEM baseline for 2002 Audi S8

Use these as your reference in the calculator. If your label or owner manual shows different values, use those OEM sources.

3. Step by step

A. Establish the reference

• On wheelinterchange.com, open the calculator.
• Set Installed on to your vehicle: 2002 Audi S8.
• Confirm the OEM fields match the table above. If not, adjust to your label or owner manual values.

B. Enter the candidate setup

• If you are evaluating wheels from a donor vehicle, select that vehicle in Wheels from.
• If you have custom specs, use Custom wheel size and Custom tire size. Enter rim diameter, rim width, and offset. Enter tire section width and aspect ratio. The calculator updates tire diameter automatically as you change rim diameter and aspect ratio.
• Target a tire overall diameter close to stock. A commonly recommended starting point is within about 2 percent. This reduces speedometer and ABS discrepancies. Validate with the calculator rather than assuming.

C. Read the results and interpret trade-offs

• Inner clearance change. Negative values mean the wheel moves closer to strut or upright. This is the first place rubbing appears with lower offsets or wider wheels.
• Outer poke change. Positive values push the wheel toward the fender. This affects fender lip and liner contact on bumps and at steering lock.
• Backspacing. Higher backspacing generally moves the barrel inward. Use it to understand inner barrel to suspension clearance.
• Tire diameter difference. The calculator shows the variance vs stock. Keep front and rear matched in diameter. This helps the stability and traction systems make correct assumptions.

D. Hardware checks

• Centering. Your hub is 57.1 mm. If an aftermarket wheel has a larger bore, fit appropriate hub centric rings to 57.1 mm to reduce vibration.
• Threads. Your car uses M14 x 1.5. Confirm wheel bolt length and seat type required by the wheel manufacturer. Seat type can vary by wheel design.
• Torque. Use the torque value in the owner manual or service data. Do not guess. Re-torque after the first 50 to 100 miles.

E. Practical clearance checks before mounting tires

• Test fit a bare wheel on the front and rear hubs. Spin by hand to confirm caliper and barrel clearance. Check spoke to caliper clearance visually and with a feeler gauge if available.
• If you cannot test fit, request a brake template from the wheel maker or measure caliper envelope depth and radius, then compare to the wheel technical drawing.

4. Validation

• With tires mounted, turn the steering from lock to lock while the car is on the ground. Listen for liner contact.
• Drive over a speed bump at low speed. Check for fender lip contact. Load the car with passengers to simulate compression.
• Verify straight-line tracking at highway speed. Vibration suggests centering or balance issues.
• Check speed with a GPS app at 30 and 60 mph. Compare to the calculator’s predicted speed difference.
• After 50 to 100 miles, re-torque wheel bolts on a cool hub.

5. Troubleshooting

• Vibration at 50 to 70 mph. Confirm hub centric ring fit on the 57.1 mm hub. Verify wheel bolt seat type matches the wheel. Request a road force balance if standard balancing fails.
• Inner rubbing on strut or upright. Increase offset, reduce wheel width, or reduce tire section width. The calculator will show which change gives the needed millimeters of clearance.
• Outer fender rub on bumps or turns. Decrease poke by using a higher offset or a narrower wheel or tire. Small alignment adjustments within OEM range can help, but validate tire clearance first.
• ABS or stability control complaints after install. Check that all four tires have matching overall diameter and similar tread depth. Recheck the calculator’s diameter comparison.
• Brake caliper contact with spokes. Some designs need more spoke clearance. Choose a wheel with a higher caliper envelope spec or use a minimal spacer if allowed, then correct the offset in the calculator and re-validate hub engagement and thread engagement. Hardware and spacer choices must preserve safe thread engagement.

6. Wrap up

Your 2002 Audi S8 baseline is set. With the calculator on wheelinterchange.com and the OEM specs above, you can model the trade-offs for width, offset, and tire size before you buy. Validate inner clearance, outer poke, and tire diameter, then confirm centering and hardware. Work methodically, and your upgrade will feel factory-solid without surprises.