M25 Road Surface Roar

[moveover]

Between A3 and Reigate junctions. It makes the car feel like it's going to vibrate/buzz to bits. I think its the combination of the surfacing (concrete sections) and Pirelli PZeros. Not just on the Virage but also now on my 5 series since I changed over to the same tyre tread pattern. Interested if anyone else has the same (horrible) experience.
And before you ask, this is at legal speeds ... more or less.

[kiethton]

It's just a st piece of motorway, had it with every car and tyre combo I've had

[Jakdaw]

Had similar experience in the GT-R (wearing rather wide Michelin PSS) - it's awful!

In that car the legal limit is seems to be at exactly the sweet spot for the noise - add [apparently] or remove 25mph and it's significantly quieter!

On the plus side - it's the sort of noise that it seems it completely and utterly impossible for a 1 year old in a child seat wedged in the back not to immediately fall asleep to - who knew?!

[Jon39]

When I bought a Mercedes coupe it had the original tyres. There seemed to be excessive tyre noise, so I took some internal sound measurements.

Interestingly, the M25 section of concrete surface that you mention, did not produce the noisiest reading at 70mph.
The greatest noise was found to be roads which have a top layer of granite chippings. 60% more noise at 70mph than on the quietest surface.

The big improvement came eventually, when all the tyres were changed to a different make. Monitoring the tread wear though, the originals did over 40,000 mles, whereas it looks as though the quiet ones will be 15,000. Worth it though for quieter travel. You might wonder why Mercedes fitted such awful tyres. Could it be that they never put granite chippings on German roads?

A few years ago on that stretch of M25, there was considerable tramlining in the inside lane. The surface still has the same concrete appearance, but there is no tramlining now. Perhaps they repair grooves with more concrete, whereas I would have thought covering with tarmac would be better for everyone.

[RL17]

Glad its not just me. Did those sections heading from Kent to Oxford way on Sunday and back in V8V with OEM newish Bridgestone Potenzas.

Seemed alot worse when traffic going around 65mph - must be the harmonic frequency of the vibrations through tyres into a particular car (or types of car) - early on thought I had 4 flat tyres with the constant thumping. In outside lane with engine noise rebounding off the concrete barrier and stereo wound up its quite deafening.

[pschlute]

MINI; Aston; Land Rover...all the same on that stretch of M25. Only seem to notice it going east though ? Maybe because all my westbound journeys on that section are at 5mph.

[HBradley]

At normal speed it’s the vibration & harmonic tone that drives me nuts, even worse in slow traffic when the thumps over the gaps in the concrete sections hit. Both Vantage on PSS or DB9 on P Zeros have the same effect - awful!

Edited by HBradley on Wednesday 11th October 12:18

[Bobajobbob]

Driving east in that section at just under 70 mph in my Range Rover is a nightmare. Spead up by 10mph or slow down by 10mph and things quieten down.

[woodsypedia]

I found the same on the Pirelli's. I couldn't do more than 60 in the V12V without pieces of trim falling off. The MPSS's are A LOT better. Still quite a bad noise but nothing like it was before.

Chris.

[hashluck]

Yes completely awful especially in a Bridgestone shod Vantage

I always say if you were French coming over to the UK for the first time you would likely stop your car on the M25 to get out and try and find out what is broken. Hateful road, hateful surface.

Edited by hashluck on Wednesday 11th October 14:19

[brakedwell]

The concrete sections on the M20 were just as bad in my DB9 with Bridgestones. My Cayenne on Goodyears was almost silent in comparison.

[AMDBSVNick]

hashluck said:

I always say if you were French coming over to the UK for the first time you would likely.

Turn around and go home. Hence we do most of our hooning in Europe

[ace of the base]

AMDBSVNick said:

Turn around and go home. Hence we do most of our hooning in Europe

I'd be prepared to pay a (small) amount more tax if it could be directed exclusively at our roads to get them up to the sort of standard the French seem able to achieve.

[brakedwell]

ace of the base said:

I'd be prepared to pay a (small) amount more tax if it could be directed exclusively at our roads to get them up to the sort of standard the French seem able to achieve.

When VED was changed to Road Tax on April 1st 2017 Osborne promisd the tax take would be hypothecated to the roads. I'll believe that when pigs can fly

[Squaremeal]

Agreed. Absolutely appalling.

The Bridgestones on it were unbearable. Mitchelin PSS a lot better, PS4S better still but it's still a horrible piece of road.

[astonbloke]

Two years on and no improvement. Horrendous in AM DB9 on Bridgestones. Truly thought bits were going to fall off (and off the car!). As my teeth were knocking together, I was remembering how much road tax I paid. I am going country route next week and don't care how much longer it takes.

[xjay1337]

I doubt they will resurface it.
It's been bad for years

Just turn up your radio - an alternative route would not be ideal....... cutting your own nose to spite your face :-)

[Chris Hinds]

Yep completely agree - drove that bit yesterday in the Vantage and my goodness it's louder than any other car I've ever had on that surface. Again still on the stock Bridgestones.

[woodsypedia]

Same. I'm on the Pilot Super Sports but I have to stick below 60 or the car shakes itself to pieces. It doesn't happen in every car - so assume its just down to the profile / size / compound of the tyre.

[Gio G]

Did a Gatwick run on Saturday in my RS5, terrible noise in the cabin, just had to turn the stereo right up!

G