340i Non RunFlat Tyre Suggestions?

[handbraketurn]

Evening,

I know this is a common thread, so excuse the repetition.

Bought a 340i back in June, came with Bridgestone Potenza S001 RFs. It's rock hard in Sport+ and really quite unsettled on bumpy country roads as everyone knows and I have had two punctures since in a few months, which obviously required total replacement and they're not cheap.

Both flats I had were relatively slow and I have a halfords cig-lighter powered pump and was able to keep filling them up to get home and monitor the pressure via the cars systems. The first one took several days to loose pressure, the last one from the weekend was within a couple of hours, so I was able to drive home 60 miles and topped it up half way, but it did give peace of mind that I was on RFs. Kept the speed low.

However, if you manage to get to the nearest tyre shop which is the idea of RF, almost none of them actually carry RF anyway. Literally not a single of the 6 tyre places in my city had any RF in my size, let alone Bridgestone Potenza S001 RF to match what I had. And getting from Blackcircle.com takes 2-3 days, so if you're away from home, you're still stuck.

I've read RF are more likely to get punctures in the first place, so I'm now thinking of taking the plunge and getting Non-RF.

Was thinking about Potenza S001 Non-RF.

Good choice? Any other suggestions?

Cheers,

HBT

[Smuler]

Michelin Pilot Sport 4.
Most comparable car to yours I had was a 335i , previous generation.
The above were excellent for ride comfort , grip , wear and tear and handling.
I drove the car hard.
Maybe if you take it easier and other premium brands are cheaper ? Otherwise 100% the above.

[Monty Python]

"I've read RF are more likely to get punctures in the first place" - no different - the tread area on a RFT is the same as a normal tyre, only the sidewall construction is different. They are more prone to cause cracking of some alloys, but a screw will go through either type of tyre without noticing.

[handbraketurn]

Smuler said:

Michelin Pilot Sport 4.
Most comparable car to yours I had was a 335i , previous generation.
The above were excellent for ride comfort , grip , wear and tear and handling.
I drove the car hard.
Maybe if you take it easier and other premium brands are cheaper ? Otherwise 100% the above.

Thanks, Dude.

That's what I have been looking at, although cannot find any fronts with the 89 loading, only 93....

[CrgT16]

I have MPS4S on my 340i

Best thing I ever did. Rides great now. MPS4 will be just as good for normal driving.

Saying that the Bridgestones RF although not amazing they last very well. My fronts have done 40k and don’t need changing yet. It beggars belief. But as soon as they need to go the front will have MPS4Ss as well

[Monty Python]

handbraketurn said:

Thanks, Dude.

That's what I have been looking at, although cannot find any fronts with the 89 loading, only 93....

Not a problem - you can fit higher load index tyres - it's fitting lower one that can cause problems.

[handbraketurn]

CrgT16 said:

I have MPS4S on my 340i

Best thing I ever did. Rides great now. MPS4 will be just as good for normal driving.

Saying that the Bridgestones RF although not amazing they last very well. My fronts have done 40k and don’t need changing yet. It beggars belief. But as soon as they need to go the front will have MPS4Ss as well

I've gone through RF on the rear in 6 months, now just on the cusp of 3mm.

The fronts still have some wear but they're fairly low TBH.

[handbraketurn]

Ordered MPS4s from the only place that had them in stock, Tyresonthedrive.

They've just called to ask if I am OK with non BMW fitment.

Does it affect the warranty to have non BF?

[Chamon_Lee]

handbraketurn said:

Ordered MPS4s from the only place that had them in stock, Tyresonthedrive.

They've just called to ask if I am OK with non BMW fitment.

Does it affect the warranty to have non BF?

no it wont

[handbraketurn]

Chamon_Lee said:

no it wont

Thanks for respone, Chamon.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=11...

Seems to be some mixed reviews about it.

"My lease firm is currently in a battle with BMW who are refusing to carry out warranty work due to the non fitment of approved/star tyres. To avoid hassle I would personally stick to the star rated/approved tyres."

[Monty Python]

Chamon_Lee said:

no it wont

But inform your insurance company anyway - strictly speaking it is a modification from the manufacturer's standard specification, and knowing how picky they can be it's best to be safe than sorry.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Monty Python said:

Chamon_Lee said:

no it wont

But inform your insurance company anyway - strictly speaking it is a modification from the manufacturer's standard specification, and knowing how picky they can be it's best to be safe than sorry.

No it isn't.

[Swervin_Mervin]

handbraketurn said:

Chamon_Lee said:

no it wont

Thanks for respone, Chamon.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=11...

Seems to be some mixed reviews about it.

"My lease firm is currently in a battle with BMW who are refusing to carry out warranty work due to the non fitment of approved/star tyres. To avoid hassle I would personally stick to the star rated/approved tyres."

Whilst I've had BMW Insured Warranty work undertaken on two cars, both bought outside the BMW network, and both running non-RFT tyres despite the original fitment being RFT. Just find another dealership that aren't d1cks.

[handbraketurn]

I just called Bournemouth Marshall BMW and they confirm that without the * fitment, there would be a warranty issue on items affected by tyres. So obviously not the engine but suspension, brakes and diff as example, they could refuse to do under warranty. I assume if you actually take the car in on those rubber and not replace before the claim.

[handbraketurn]

Swervin_Mervin said:

handbraketurn said:

Chamon_Lee said:

no it wont

Thanks for respone, Chamon.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=11...

Seems to be some mixed reviews about it.

"My lease firm is currently in a battle with BMW who are refusing to carry out warranty work due to the non fitment of approved/star tyres. To avoid hassle I would personally stick to the star rated/approved tyres."

Whilst I've had BMW Insured Warranty work undertaken on two cars, both bought outside the BMW network, and both running non-RFT tyres despite the original fitment being RFT. Just find another dealership that aren't d1cks.

I don't think it is the RFT tyre fitment, but the star* fitment:-



This place has the front tyre with the * fitment, but not the rear. And they're expensive.

I've got them on order from another place, but they are not star BMW fitment, they're standard.

So I'm just weighing up whether to cancel and go for another brand that does offer the fitment or just take the risk that little is likely to go wrong under the warranty.

If the diff went, I'd just probably just replace it with the M-Sport LSD anyway....

[handbraketurn]

https://www.mytyres.co.uk/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?details...

https://www.mytyres.co.uk/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?details...

Edited by handbraketurn on Wednesday 5th December 17:50

[smashy]

OP ......if you definately want Non Runflats than go for it,But if you would prefer to stick with Runflats but cant endure the ride then I may have the answer.

I got rid of my Runflats 3 weeks into buying my new F30 30d I do a lotg of miles and they were awful (the howling on fast roads for instance was beyond a joke) so spent the next 3 and a half years on Michelin PS3s they were very good.
Thinking I was handing the car back in 6 months I with great concern about blowing hundreds of pounds I thought I would go back to Non Runflats ,did a load of googling and forum hunting finally went for Goodyear F1 Eagle assymetric 3's .....honestly luckily for me they are so good I would not bother going back.

[handbraketurn]

smashy said:

OP ......if you definately want Non Runflats than go for it,But if you would prefer to stick with Runflats but cant endure the ride then I may have the answer.

I got rid of my Runflats 3 weeks into buying my new F30 30d I do a lotg of miles and they were awful (the howling on fast roads for instance was beyond a joke) so spent the next 3 and a half years on Michelin PS3s they were very good.
Thinking I was handing the car back in 6 months I with great concern about blowing hundreds of pounds I thought I would go back to Non Runflats ,did a load of googling and forum hunting finally went for Goodyear F1 Eagle assymetric 3's .....honestly luckily for me they are so good I would not bother going back.

Do they have the BMW * fitment?

I've just ordered MPS4S all around with the * fitment as per the links above, I found a 4% voucher code, so I got it down to 867.46.

Still alot of money though.

[Monty Python]

Swervin_Mervin said:

No it isn't.

According to LV it is - even changing the chrome tips on the exhaust is classed as a modification.

[keepoffthemarbles]

I've got a 335xd with 19 inch wheels. Fronts are 225/40 and 255/35 on the back.

Goodyear F1 AS3's don't seem to come in 225/40. In fact very few manufacturers seem to do tyres in this size, or am I just dim?

Marbles.