M135i Tyre Size Query “Upsizing” Winter Tyres to “Plus Zero”
Discussion
I drive a 2013 BMW M135i, which is currently fitted with the following manufacturer recommended winter wheel and tyre package:
Wheels: 17 inch x 7 inch
Tyres: Continental WinterContact TS 830 P SSR 205/50 R17 89H
In my experience, the application of power, acceleration, and snow/ice performance with this set-up have been very disappointing. The OEM summer wheels and tyres are a great deal wider and provide a lot more grip and traction in cold and wet conditions. With the winter package, the car doesn’t put power down well, doesn’t grip in the wet, and struggles to find traction in ice or snow. I have had comparable BMW’s with comparable winter tyres previously, and this performance falls short of my expectations by a large margin.
I would like to continue to use the existing BMW OEM winter wheels. My question is, would it be suitable to “up-size” the winter tyres to a “plus zero” configuration, with the following size:
Wheels (Same): 17 inch x 7 inch
Tyres (Different): Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 225/45 R17 94 R XL
Would this wider, larger footprint provide an advantage during acceleration by giving me more ‘rubber on the road’? Also, could I expect better ice and snow performance due to the larger number of sipes / surface area able to find purchase on the snow or ice? What about the ride comfort and handling?
I would be very interested to hear any thoughts people may have on the above before I make my decision on how to proceed.
Wheels: 17 inch x 7 inch
Tyres: Continental WinterContact TS 830 P SSR 205/50 R17 89H
In my experience, the application of power, acceleration, and snow/ice performance with this set-up have been very disappointing. The OEM summer wheels and tyres are a great deal wider and provide a lot more grip and traction in cold and wet conditions. With the winter package, the car doesn’t put power down well, doesn’t grip in the wet, and struggles to find traction in ice or snow. I have had comparable BMW’s with comparable winter tyres previously, and this performance falls short of my expectations by a large margin.
I would like to continue to use the existing BMW OEM winter wheels. My question is, would it be suitable to “up-size” the winter tyres to a “plus zero” configuration, with the following size:
Wheels (Same): 17 inch x 7 inch
Tyres (Different): Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 225/45 R17 94 R XL
Would this wider, larger footprint provide an advantage during acceleration by giving me more ‘rubber on the road’? Also, could I expect better ice and snow performance due to the larger number of sipes / surface area able to find purchase on the snow or ice? What about the ride comfort and handling?
I would be very interested to hear any thoughts people may have on the above before I make my decision on how to proceed.
As far as ice goes, you're stuffed. Nothing short of spiked tyres will help.
I used the BMW recommended sizes (215 wide) on my E36 M3 for winters and they are much narrower than the summers. The intent here is to help cut through snow I believe and in my case it certainly worked (Toyo Snoprox). I agree that in conditions that didn't involve snow, the type of power/handling traits you describe were the case.
When I replaced the tyres I went 225 and even that small change helped with the non-snow issues without damaging snow performance. So assuming your rolling diameter is OK, the increased width should help.
I used the BMW recommended sizes (215 wide) on my E36 M3 for winters and they are much narrower than the summers. The intent here is to help cut through snow I believe and in my case it certainly worked (Toyo Snoprox). I agree that in conditions that didn't involve snow, the type of power/handling traits you describe were the case.
When I replaced the tyres I went 225 and even that small change helped with the non-snow issues without damaging snow performance. So assuming your rolling diameter is OK, the increased width should help.
Thanks for your response. I partially agree with your comments regarding ice. However I think the Nordic winter tyres offer a lot more grip than the "European" or "Performance" winter's.
On my E46 M3 I used 245 wide rears and it was still 10x better than this car in the snow. I know a little bit of this will have been down to the LSD, but still...
What rim width were your 215 and 225 tyres mounted on? I'm mounting on 7inch wide rims, and although the rolling diameter is *almost* the same, I just wanted to check it would be okay, as 225 is the maximum allowable for 7j wheels.
On my E46 M3 I used 245 wide rears and it was still 10x better than this car in the snow. I know a little bit of this will have been down to the LSD, but still...
What rim width were your 215 and 225 tyres mounted on? I'm mounting on 7inch wide rims, and although the rolling diameter is *almost* the same, I just wanted to check it would be okay, as 225 is the maximum allowable for 7j wheels.
Mine were 8J.
My understanding of rubber/ice was even allowing for the winter rubber being softer in winter temps, the coefficient of friction is pretty much the same - horribly low. And having encountered ice on Toyos, Klebers and Pirellis the effect is identical from the driving seat.
My understanding of rubber/ice was even allowing for the winter rubber being softer in winter temps, the coefficient of friction is pretty much the same - horribly low. And having encountered ice on Toyos, Klebers and Pirellis the effect is identical from the driving seat.
225 is pretty much the maximum for a 7J but you should be OK. The rolling radius difference is minimal so that should be OK too. Check the offset of the winter wheels just in case it gives a significantly different centre for the tyres compared to the summers, if it does it's possible the 225s may rub.
Otherwise, as stated above, you'll get fractionally worse performance in deep snow, otherwise it should be quite a bit better.
Otherwise, as stated above, you'll get fractionally worse performance in deep snow, otherwise it should be quite a bit better.
I don't know about the Nokian 'crystal' compound embedded in the tyre rubber. Would be an advantage on hard ice, like spreading sand, if the crystals were large enough.
However, the advantage of winter tyres over summer (apart from softness) is usually that they are MUcH narrower, so you get more load per square centimeter. This is where many BMWs struggle so much in snow, as the contact patch is so large that the treads just fill with snow and then you are riding on 4 mini-sleds.
Always go for the narrowest tyres. If you struggle with acceleration, then you can look at your driving style.
However, the advantage of winter tyres over summer (apart from softness) is usually that they are MUcH narrower, so you get more load per square centimeter. This is where many BMWs struggle so much in snow, as the contact patch is so large that the treads just fill with snow and then you are riding on 4 mini-sleds.
Always go for the narrowest tyres. If you struggle with acceleration, then you can look at your driving style.
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