Hopefully swapping to standard tyres
Discussion
I'd expect the Goodyears will feel a little soft in the sidewall on a car such as a 3 series. I've had numerous variants of hte Eagle in the past and loved them, but the AS I had on my 197 were just too soft and squidgy.
My recommendations would be Hankook Ventus S1 Evo and perhaps the Vredestein Ultrac. I have the older Ultrac Sessantas on my 330i touring, and they've been superb. Good wet and dry grip and just the right balance of not being too stiff in the sidewall but not being as soft as something like the GYs.
I can't stand Contis - awful on pretty much every car I've had them on. Rubbish grip and noisy.
My recommendations would be Hankook Ventus S1 Evo and perhaps the Vredestein Ultrac. I have the older Ultrac Sessantas on my 330i touring, and they've been superb. Good wet and dry grip and just the right balance of not being too stiff in the sidewall but not being as soft as something like the GYs.
I can't stand Contis - awful on pretty much every car I've had them on. Rubbish grip and noisy.
Swervin_Mervin said:
I'd expect the Goodyears will feel a little soft in the sidewall on a car such as a 3 series. I've had numerous variants of hte Eagle in the past and loved them, but the AS I had on my 197 were just too soft and squidgy.
My recommendations would be Hankook Ventus S1 Evo and perhaps the Vredestein Ultrac. I have the older Ultrac Sessantas on my 330i touring, and they've been superb. Good wet and dry grip and just the right balance of not being too stiff in the sidewall but not being as soft as something like the GYs.
I can't stand Contis - awful on pretty much every car I've had them on. Rubbish grip and noisy.
I guess a 197 is different type of car from a 3-series and one you're perhaps more likely to throw around; therefore, if there's a problem with sidewalls that are too soft on the AS2 it may be more evident when fitted to one of those? However, I've had them on both an E92 335i and an E91 335d and they were fine IMO; as I say, not had the chance to go quickly over a twisty road yet in the F31 but initial impressions are favourable and pretty much as I'd hoped.My recommendations would be Hankook Ventus S1 Evo and perhaps the Vredestein Ultrac. I have the older Ultrac Sessantas on my 330i touring, and they've been superb. Good wet and dry grip and just the right balance of not being too stiff in the sidewall but not being as soft as something like the GYs.
I can't stand Contis - awful on pretty much every car I've had them on. Rubbish grip and noisy.
I do agree on the Vredestein's though; went through a couple of sets Ultrac Sessantas on my E46 M3 and they were very good!
Swervin_Mervin said:
I'd imagine softer sidewalls would only be more pronounced on a heavier car though. Which means potentially just as squishy but at lower speeds. Mind, I've not tried the AS2, only GSD2/3 and AS1.
From what I've seen on the Tyres Reviews website the AS2 scores highly with owners when fitted to cars like the 335i and 335d and my own experience would certainly bear that out. For ultimate performance I get the impression the Michelin Pilot Super Sport is probably better still but they're a fair bit more expensive and in the end I took the view my F31 isn't a sports car and the AS2 would be more than sufficient given the way it gets driven!RicksAlfas said:
But you didn't need to keep topping them up. You can "run on flat" for 50 miles or so.
You were treating them like a normal tyre.
Quite a few years ago my mrs told me her car needed a service as the service indicator light had come on ! When I looked it was the pressure warning light , she had been driving around for 2 weeks at up to 80 mph , probably 120 miles a week , run flats really do work way beyond their stated limits ! You were treating them like a normal tyre.
Before I get slated for not picking up on it straight away I was working away at the time .
JNW1 said:
Swervin_Mervin said:
I'd imagine softer sidewalls would only be more pronounced on a heavier car though. Which means potentially just as squishy but at lower speeds. Mind, I've not tried the AS2, only GSD2/3 and AS1.
From what I've seen on the Tyres Reviews website the AS2 scores highly with owners when fitted to cars like the 335i and 335d and my own experience would certainly bear that out. For ultimate performance I get the impression the Michelin Pilot Super Sport is probably better still but they're a fair bit more expensive and in the end I took the view my F31 isn't a sports car and the AS2 would be more than sufficient given the way it gets driven!Saved well north of £200 though going for the Vreds.
paulwirral said:
Quite a few years ago my mrs told me her car needed a service as the service indicator light had come on ! When I looked it was the pressure warning light , she had been driving around for 2 weeks at up to 80 mph , probably 120 miles a week , run flats really do work way beyond their stated limits!
I would have thought nobody could drive around on a tyre that was genuinely flat for two weeks without noticing (two seconds is all it should take!) so this sounds more like a case of running with reduced pressure as opposed to running flat with no pressure at all? However, that's hardly a triumph for the run-flat as a conventional tyre will do exactly the same - in actual fact, I wouldn't mind betting that a lot of cars are driven in exactly that state as most don't have a tyre pressure warning system and I suspect the owners that check their tyre pressures regularly and often are in the minority......JNW1 said:
I would have thought nobody could drive around on a tyre that was genuinely flat for two weeks without noticing (two seconds is all it should take!) so this sounds more like a case of running with reduced pressure as opposed to running flat with no pressure at all? However, that's hardly a triumph for the run-flat as a conventional tyre will do exactly the same - in actual fact, I wouldn't mind betting that a lot of cars are driven in exactly that state as most don't have a tyre pressure warning system and I suspect the owners that check their tyre pressures regularly and often are in the minority......
Flat as a pancake , proper puncture , I looked when it came off the rim . 5th gear did a test once where vbh and tiff drilled holes in the sidewalls and drove around the test track , he was most impressed if I remember correctly . paulwirral said:
Flat as a pancake , proper puncture , I looked when it came off the rim . 5th gear did a test once where vbh and tiff drilled holes in the sidewalls and drove around the test track , he was most impressed if I remember correctly .
Your wife really drove on a tyre in that state for 2 weeks without noticing? If true that's borderline frightening!!I hate the Contis, had them a few times now, they are amazing for a few months but start to go off really quickly. They start to get hard and noisy, they are pretty noisy compared with other modern tyres anyway to start with, but they get very noisy.
I had them on my A6 and swapped with 5mm left, they were on my E350 and the same, in fact the noise in the rear from the tyres on the E Class estate was terrible, so much so I nearly sold the car early because of it, put some EffecientGrips on and silence.
Then had them on my ML on a set of 19" wheels I bought, so not through choice. They were only 10 months old before they started to get noisy again. When you looked between the treads there was cracks appearing. I spoke to Conti who looked at them to see what was happening, and they came back and said it was my fault "I had left them outside in the sun too long". Come again??!@!!
I am a fan of Michelin, Pirelli and Goodyear.
I had them on my A6 and swapped with 5mm left, they were on my E350 and the same, in fact the noise in the rear from the tyres on the E Class estate was terrible, so much so I nearly sold the car early because of it, put some EffecientGrips on and silence.
Then had them on my ML on a set of 19" wheels I bought, so not through choice. They were only 10 months old before they started to get noisy again. When you looked between the treads there was cracks appearing. I spoke to Conti who looked at them to see what was happening, and they came back and said it was my fault "I had left them outside in the sun too long". Come again??!@!!
I am a fan of Michelin, Pirelli and Goodyear.
JNW1 said:
Your wife really drove on a tyre in that state for 2 weeks without noticing? If true that's borderline frightening!!
If true ? Can't imagine a reason why I would make it up ! I drove the car , z4 , with the tyre out of interest , it was just a bit loose round the corners . Watch the testers around the ring and you soon realise who is testing cars and who is testing tyres !
paulwirral said:
If true ? Can't imagine a reason why I would make it up ! I drove the car , z4 , with the tyre out of interest , it was just a bit loose round the corners .
Watch the testers around the ring and you soon realise who is testing cars and who is testing tyres !
You made the comment that the tyre on your wife's car was "flat as a pancake" and based on the experience with mine I'm just surprised that wasn't more noticeable. When the run-flat went down on my car last week it was very obvious because a) the car clearly wasn't steering properly (much worse than just feeling a bit loose round the corners) and b) on a quick visual check you could see quite clearly that the tyre was more than just down on pressure. Perhaps a Z4 behaves differently in those circumstances from an F31 (or maybe your wife had a puncture on a rear rather than a front wheel?) but run-flat tyre or not I wasn't comfortable driving mine in that state for any distance; perhaps I should have more faith in the technology but I'm much happier with a set of conventional tyres and a mobility kit in the boot! Watch the testers around the ring and you soon realise who is testing cars and who is testing tyres !
Edited by JNW1 on Sunday 31st January 09:23
JNW1 said:
You made the comment that the tyre on your wife's car was "flat as a pancake" and based on the experience with mine I'm just surprised that wasn't more noticeable. When the run-flat went down on my car last week it was very obvious because a) the car clearly wasn't steering properly (much worse than just feeling a bit loose round the corners) and b) on a quick visual check you could see quite clearly that the tyre was more than just down on pressure. Perhaps a Z4 behaves differently in those circumstances from an F31 (or maybe your wife had a puncture on a rear rather than a front wheel?) but run-flat tyre or not I wasn't comfortable driving mine in that state for any distance; perhaps I should have more faith in the technology but I'm much happier with a set of conventional tyres and a mobility kit in the boot!
It was a rear on an early z4 , I'm guessing run flats have come on a long way since as her 340i steers great in comparison to that old z4 . Edited by JNW1 on Sunday 31st January 09:23
But you missed the most important and obvious detail in my story , she's a woman driver !
craigsup said:
Just an update: took my car to get the new tyres fitted, and they noticed a small crack in one of my alloys. They recommended it being repaired else itll ruin my new tyres.
Another £60 added onto my bill!
Seems like runflats really do ruin cars and consistantly crack alloys.
Strange. Wife's BM on RFTs has never cracked an alloy. Another £60 added onto my bill!
Seems like runflats really do ruin cars and consistantly crack alloys.
So not consistently..
(Goodyear Eagle F1 now, far superior ride. Very Harsh & more expensive Potenzas previously)
Jimboka said:
craigsup said:
Just an update: took my car to get the new tyres fitted, and they noticed a small crack in one of my alloys. They recommended it being repaired else itll ruin my new tyres.
Another £60 added onto my bill!
Seems like runflats really do ruin cars and consistantly crack alloys.
Strange. Wife's BM on RFTs has never cracked an alloy. Another £60 added onto my bill!
Seems like runflats really do ruin cars and consistantly crack alloys.
So not consistently..
(Goodyear Eagle F1 now, far superior ride. Very Harsh & more expensive Potenzas previously)
Jimboka said:
craigsup said:
Just an update: took my car to get the new tyres fitted, and they noticed a small crack in one of my alloys. They recommended it being repaired else itll ruin my new tyres.
Another £60 added onto my bill!
Seems like runflats really do ruin cars and consistantly crack alloys.
Strange. Wife's BM on RFTs has never cracked an alloy. Another £60 added onto my bill!
Seems like runflats really do ruin cars and consistantly crack alloys.
So not consistently..
(Goodyear Eagle F1 now, far superior ride. Very Harsh & more expensive Potenzas previously)
JNW1 said:
I get the impression the problem with cracked alloys tends to be more common with the 19" wheels although having said that I think the OP's car is on 18's which slightly undermines that theory!
Could be design-specific too - both my BMs have had/have the 18" Style 189. Somehow I manage to buckle two of them, but none have suffered cracks. I wonder if it's the type that have narrow spokes in them that puts more stress on the wheel where the spoke meets the rim.Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff