Just been informed that replacing run flats with standard tyres will void my insurance...
Discussion
I bought my e90 325 from an approved used dealer and it is has Continental Sport contact 3 tyres on it.
I believe these are non rft.
When i aske the dealer at the time of purchase he said rft was not standard on all cars (i have some air compressor and a few other bits and bobs, sealant?) in the boot.
Bearing in mind they gave issued an approved used car warranty I eas a bit surprised they sold the car with thise tyres as i thought all e90s had rft's or am i wrong?
My car is a 2005 model.
Also, when driving abroad do you need to take a spare wheel? Im thinking France, Germany, Switzerland and Itlaly?
I believe these are non rft.
When i aske the dealer at the time of purchase he said rft was not standard on all cars (i have some air compressor and a few other bits and bobs, sealant?) in the boot.
Bearing in mind they gave issued an approved used car warranty I eas a bit surprised they sold the car with thise tyres as i thought all e90s had rft's or am i wrong?
My car is a 2005 model.
Also, when driving abroad do you need to take a spare wheel? Im thinking France, Germany, Switzerland and Itlaly?
I fitted non rft's recently. I have a bmw warranty, not auc, but the one you can just buy andnpay monthly which includes recovery. They confirmed they would respond to issues with non rft's, my insurers said it was ok, so what's not to like. Get the right can of slime that can be cleaned out and you get your 50 mile at 50 mph range as per the rft's. sure you have to stop and do that, but no real issue.
I had an alignment done last weekend and discovered a nail in the side wall which was unrepairable. Tyre changed at £120 less than the rft equivalent. Annoyed as they were only 4 months old, but I see this as a saving over rft which would have been unrepairable as well. In reality they offer little over an xl rated tyres my view, with performance compromises, at a significant cost.
I had an alignment done last weekend and discovered a nail in the side wall which was unrepairable. Tyre changed at £120 less than the rft equivalent. Annoyed as they were only 4 months old, but I see this as a saving over rft which would have been unrepairable as well. In reality they offer little over an xl rated tyres my view, with performance compromises, at a significant cost.
Nigel Worc's said:
Seriously ..... for a minute.
Why does your car need 225 tyres ?
Why does my mates oil burning piece of crap mondeo need 245 tyres (I think his were 245's)
(I'm not a diesel fan)
And even, why did my very underpowered 518i need 225 tyres ?
Even .........again ....... my 2.8 has W rated tyres, specified by BMW ...... it doesn't need them, it can't go that bloody quick.
Is there actually any good reason why cars seem to have such wide tyres these days, BMW being probably one of the worst offenders ?
My crap 2.0 diesel (currently running 220+ bhp and massive torque) spins my 255/35 R19's quite easily... so I guess 185's won't work too well.Why does your car need 225 tyres ?
Why does my mates oil burning piece of crap mondeo need 245 tyres (I think his were 245's)
(I'm not a diesel fan)
And even, why did my very underpowered 518i need 225 tyres ?
Even .........again ....... my 2.8 has W rated tyres, specified by BMW ...... it doesn't need them, it can't go that bloody quick.
Is there actually any good reason why cars seem to have such wide tyres these days, BMW being probably one of the worst offenders ?
I don't think the fuel you use matters to the width of the tyres, if you have more torque or power than the tyres can grip - you pleb.
stuart-b said:
My crap 2.0 diesel (currently running 220+ bhp and massive torque) spins my 255/35 R19's quite easily... so I guess 185's won't work too well.
I don't think the fuel you use matters to the width of the tyres, if you have more torque or power than the tyres can grip - you pleb.
He's got a point - the tyre sizes are mostly about looks rather than anything tangiable. My 530i has 265 wide rear tyres. I mean really? Does it REALLY need those? I suspect not.I don't think the fuel you use matters to the width of the tyres, if you have more torque or power than the tyres can grip - you pleb.
The reason is, as I said, almost certainly looks. I doubt very much there is a clear performance reason why my car has 265 wide rear tyres, I suspect its because the wheels look great with a wider dish.stuart-b said:
Nigel Worc's said:
Seriously ..... for a minute.
Why does your car need 225 tyres ?
Why does my mates oil burning piece of crap mondeo need 245 tyres (I think his were 245's)
(I'm not a diesel fan)
And even, why did my very underpowered 518i need 225 tyres ?
Even .........again ....... my 2.8 has W rated tyres, specified by BMW ...... it doesn't need them, it can't go that bloody quick.
Is there actually any good reason why cars seem to have such wide tyres these days, BMW being probably one of the worst offenders ?
My crap 2.0 diesel (currently running 220+ bhp and massive torque) spins my 255/35 R19's quite easily... so I guess 185's won't work too well.Why does your car need 225 tyres ?
Why does my mates oil burning piece of crap mondeo need 245 tyres (I think his were 245's)
(I'm not a diesel fan)
And even, why did my very underpowered 518i need 225 tyres ?
Even .........again ....... my 2.8 has W rated tyres, specified by BMW ...... it doesn't need them, it can't go that bloody quick.
Is there actually any good reason why cars seem to have such wide tyres these days, BMW being probably one of the worst offenders ?
I don't think the fuel you use matters to the width of the tyres, if you have more torque or power than the tyres can grip - you pleb.
Nigel Worc's said:
Your car obviously doesn't have enough weight over the driving wheels, or your tyres don't have enough grip, or you can't drive ......knob jockey !
Sure.
And the 944 turbo with 245 rear tyres on MO30 suspension in 1989 was too wide too? That has 250 bhp and "wide" tyres, from 24 years ago - when cars around it were driving with 145 bicycle tyres.
The cost of tyres for wider wheels has come down significantly, so if more rubber = more grip, what's the cheapest way to improve the handling?
I have no idea why you started talking about diesel vs petrol though, but you sound a bit silly.
FYI, the Mondeo TDCI ST has 225 tyres all round, and considering it has 400nm of torque from 1800 rpm, perhaps it needs a bit of grip, being FWD?
Edited by stuart-b on Friday 1st March 08:10
Fox- said:
He's got a point - the tyre sizes are mostly about looks rather than anything tangiable. My 530i has 265 wide rear tyres. I mean really? Does it REALLY need those? I suspect not.
Perhaps not - but I suspect the same wheel sizes are used on the M5 (more or less between the M sport ?), and it's cheaper to keep the same look. Having said that, it's 230 bhp - so no slouch. Bet you can still light up the wheels now and then 
Friend of mine has a low-end A5, and it looks a bit silly with skinny tyres on the back, not filling the arches.
And of course, wider tyres doesn't mean more grip at all.
It may be beneficial in perfect, dry conditions, but could work against you in wet or snowy conditions.
The tyre compound, how effective your suspension is on bumpy roads etc etc.
It was a genuine question from me really, just why we need such wide tyres now, and BMWs are possibly one of the examples where I think it is done more for image.
It may be beneficial in perfect, dry conditions, but could work against you in wet or snowy conditions.
The tyre compound, how effective your suspension is on bumpy roads etc etc.
It was a genuine question from me really, just why we need such wide tyres now, and BMWs are possibly one of the examples where I think it is done more for image.
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