Which tyres for E39 Touring
Discussion
Hi all,
Sorry, search is under maintenance at the moment.
It's only 5 months since I had a new set of boots on my 530i touring, but it seems like they need replacing. I have done about 13000 miles on them, which seems a bit quick for them to wear out when the car just goes up and down the M5 every day. So maybe I need to try an alternative brand.
The current tyres are Falken 452s
Any reccomendations for hard wearing tyres? I won't be doing track days in the car so super-soft sticky tyres are not needed, but I don't want to compromise safety.
Sorry, search is under maintenance at the moment.
It's only 5 months since I had a new set of boots on my 530i touring, but it seems like they need replacing. I have done about 13000 miles on them, which seems a bit quick for them to wear out when the car just goes up and down the M5 every day. So maybe I need to try an alternative brand.
The current tyres are Falken 452s
Any reccomendations for hard wearing tyres? I won't be doing track days in the car so super-soft sticky tyres are not needed, but I don't want to compromise safety.
I went for Kumho's on the front and Federal SS5955's on the rear, as per this thread on SXOC
http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=439696
All 4 cost £350ish fitted
And now done about 1500miles, and very happy with noise in the cabin and grip level sin wet and dry
http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=439696
All 4 cost £350ish fitted
And now done about 1500miles, and very happy with noise in the cabin and grip level sin wet and dry Hi Skoff
I see that you've already made a purchase! For the search, and subsequent posters who may see this, I also wanted a set of tyres which were excellent all round and great on wear resistance. I was recommended right away by the guy who I've been going to for the last 15 + years or so for a set of Federal S595 tyres.
I had them fitted about July 2009, and I've done around 12,000 miles on them. To my amazement, they've hardly worn at ALL. I have around 6-7 mm of tread left on each tyre. I'm more than happy and I know these will be very very high on my shortlist for when they do eventually need replacing. The pricing was very similar to the also well recommended on forums Falken F452's. I run on 19 inch wheels for my E39 Touring, I had my suspension 4 wheel alignment checked/adjusted about 2 years ago, I'll probably do that again soon just for doing it's sakes and to help keep the wheels running as true as possible - I'm also lowered by 30mm all round.
Federal tyres aren't so well known in the UK, only a few stockists around in comparison to some other makes. However, they are a Premium brand tyre and have R&D facilities which reflects their knowledge. So for the price of the tyres with the technlogical background, for me they are excellent tyres.
Cheers, Dennis! West London & Slough UK!
I see that you've already made a purchase! For the search, and subsequent posters who may see this, I also wanted a set of tyres which were excellent all round and great on wear resistance. I was recommended right away by the guy who I've been going to for the last 15 + years or so for a set of Federal S595 tyres.
I had them fitted about July 2009, and I've done around 12,000 miles on them. To my amazement, they've hardly worn at ALL. I have around 6-7 mm of tread left on each tyre. I'm more than happy and I know these will be very very high on my shortlist for when they do eventually need replacing. The pricing was very similar to the also well recommended on forums Falken F452's. I run on 19 inch wheels for my E39 Touring, I had my suspension 4 wheel alignment checked/adjusted about 2 years ago, I'll probably do that again soon just for doing it's sakes and to help keep the wheels running as true as possible - I'm also lowered by 30mm all round.
Federal tyres aren't so well known in the UK, only a few stockists around in comparison to some other makes. However, they are a Premium brand tyre and have R&D facilities which reflects their knowledge. So for the price of the tyres with the technlogical background, for me they are excellent tyres.
Cheers, Dennis! West London & Slough UK!
skoff said:
Arrgh... Just got a call from the tyre place... These tyres are out of stock at the maunfacturer, so order has been cancelled, no alternative offered grr...
Any other suggestions? I don't really want to pay more than £100 per corner...
The problem is that if your on 16inch rims, they are not a popular size and so choices are a bit more limited. Any other suggestions? I don't really want to pay more than £100 per corner...
I've driven one of these beasts for 5 years now and my choice is Michelin Primacy Tyres. They are the the quietest tyres available and are also long lasting. Honest John in the Telegraph is always bigging them up. Last time I looked etyres were about the cheapest, but just out of your budget at £120 per corner.
See if you can find them cheaper
Edited by sparkythecat on Thursday 4th February 00:48
Thanks for all the responses guys...
Unfortunately I needed to make a decision quickly yesterday to keep my Saturday fitting slot (I can't live with the '5 series shimmy' any more!!) at a convenient garage and I missed most of your advice. So I have decided to do a cheap tyre comparison this time, and will go with some more expensive next time if the cheap ones prove to be dreadful. On the limit grip really isn't an issue as I just waft up and down the motorway in the 5, it very rarely sees a corner, and if it's going to munch a set in 13000 miles then I will just go cheap tyres and spend the balance on petrol for the Cerb
Anyway I got a set of Nexen 3000s at about £63 a corner fitted. If they really are bad I will change them (they are cheap enough to do that after a few K miles anyway)
I will let you know if they are any good.
Thanks again - I will bookmark this thread for the next time I need some, probably in 5/6 months considering the miles I am covering at the moment..!
Unfortunately I needed to make a decision quickly yesterday to keep my Saturday fitting slot (I can't live with the '5 series shimmy' any more!!) at a convenient garage and I missed most of your advice. So I have decided to do a cheap tyre comparison this time, and will go with some more expensive next time if the cheap ones prove to be dreadful. On the limit grip really isn't an issue as I just waft up and down the motorway in the 5, it very rarely sees a corner, and if it's going to munch a set in 13000 miles then I will just go cheap tyres and spend the balance on petrol for the Cerb
Anyway I got a set of Nexen 3000s at about £63 a corner fitted. If they really are bad I will change them (they are cheap enough to do that after a few K miles anyway)
I will let you know if they are any good.
Thanks again - I will bookmark this thread for the next time I need some, probably in 5/6 months considering the miles I am covering at the moment..!
Hi Bramley
The answer to your last question is also in my response earlier !
Since I've lowered the car, and running 19 inch wheels I've covered in excess of 40,000 miles. I had to have the Alignment done a few months after purchase but ever since it's been absolutley fine. Tyre wear has been absolutley excellent overall, and more so since I put the Federal tyres on - which is testament to their long life/treadwear characteristics.
My car's have always been lowered using the mid level to higher end of components and done within Tuner's guidelines. I love the looks of the wheels I've had on all my BMW's in the past, and I really enjoy the drive with a sharpened and much more taut yet very close to OEM ride quality. It's part of the reason I love BMW's, they have a Sporting character and that suits my driving experience fantastically.
Does that answer your question/thoughts? if not, can you tell me why you think my car is 'ruined'?!
Cheers, Dennis! West London & Slough UK!
The answer to your last question is also in my response earlier !
Since I've lowered the car, and running 19 inch wheels I've covered in excess of 40,000 miles. I had to have the Alignment done a few months after purchase but ever since it's been absolutley fine. Tyre wear has been absolutley excellent overall, and more so since I put the Federal tyres on - which is testament to their long life/treadwear characteristics.
My car's have always been lowered using the mid level to higher end of components and done within Tuner's guidelines. I love the looks of the wheels I've had on all my BMW's in the past, and I really enjoy the drive with a sharpened and much more taut yet very close to OEM ride quality. It's part of the reason I love BMW's, they have a Sporting character and that suits my driving experience fantastically.
Does that answer your question/thoughts? if not, can you tell me why you think my car is 'ruined'?!
Cheers, Dennis! West London & Slough UK!
You've convinced me! Phew - for a moment there I had visions of awful alloys and cheap lowering springs which would no doubt murder the ride. I've no problem with modifying, but to me an E39 Touring isn't the most obvious car to start modifying due to it's size and weight, though I can appreciate that doing the suspension properly would make a difference to the handling.
I had my new tyres fitted and it seems to have cured the 'shimmy'.The Nexens are definitely slightly noisier than the Falkens, and time will tell if they last as long, but on the whole since they were nearly £40 a corner cheaper then I am happy if they last about the same time.
I actually could have got away with putting the fronts on the back, but since it seems to have been the tyres that were causing the wobble, I am glad I changed all 4.
I actually could have got away with putting the fronts on the back, but since it seems to have been the tyres that were causing the wobble, I am glad I changed all 4.
Hi Skoff
Good luck with the Nexens, I hope they aren't as bad as some of the cheapy tyres that are available in the UK - it'll be interesting to see what your feedback is on them some months down the line. In 'general' when it comes to most products that are 'cheap' their performance and long term reliability etc are compromised more in order to acheive the price point for retail. This invariably means you'll need to shell out again quicker than had you spent a little extra on higher quality porducts in the first place. Every now and again though, in the 'cheapy' section of products, some good performing 'gems' do pop out and get to be known about - hope thats the case here with these! (disclaimer is - I 'think' Nexen are more popular in other countries markets than the UK, it may well be they're owned by a much larger more well known tyre company)
Bramley - Yes, E39 Touring's aren't exactly very popular to be modified, it's more the saloon that gets done! and even then, theres not 'many' of those in the greater scheme of things in the UK. Quite a few people portray 'surprise' at larger cars getting modified and all I ask you to do is take a look at the various 5 and 7 series over the years that have been modified! then take a look at the others like Merc E and S classes and Lexus' etc etc. Rare to modify, yes, but when done nicely the results are excellent! You're 'vision' of my car is opposite to what it is! I often make the analogy that if you were blindfolded and sat in my car as it was driven around a mixture of typical roads in the UK, you'd NOT immediatley know it was lowered and running 19's on 30 and 35 series profile tyres!
Cheers, Dennis! West London & Slough UK!
Good luck with the Nexens, I hope they aren't as bad as some of the cheapy tyres that are available in the UK - it'll be interesting to see what your feedback is on them some months down the line. In 'general' when it comes to most products that are 'cheap' their performance and long term reliability etc are compromised more in order to acheive the price point for retail. This invariably means you'll need to shell out again quicker than had you spent a little extra on higher quality porducts in the first place. Every now and again though, in the 'cheapy' section of products, some good performing 'gems' do pop out and get to be known about - hope thats the case here with these! (disclaimer is - I 'think' Nexen are more popular in other countries markets than the UK, it may well be they're owned by a much larger more well known tyre company)
Bramley - Yes, E39 Touring's aren't exactly very popular to be modified, it's more the saloon that gets done! and even then, theres not 'many' of those in the greater scheme of things in the UK. Quite a few people portray 'surprise' at larger cars getting modified and all I ask you to do is take a look at the various 5 and 7 series over the years that have been modified! then take a look at the others like Merc E and S classes and Lexus' etc etc. Rare to modify, yes, but when done nicely the results are excellent! You're 'vision' of my car is opposite to what it is! I often make the analogy that if you were blindfolded and sat in my car as it was driven around a mixture of typical roads in the UK, you'd NOT immediatley know it was lowered and running 19's on 30 and 35 series profile tyres!
Cheers, Dennis! West London & Slough UK!
Cheers fot the good will Dennis,
I will certainly report back. I think you are right, you usually get what you pay for where cars are concerned, but I don't mind the experiment this time as it's not really a lot of money to put down to experience - god knows I wasted far more in my younger days on all sorts of car gimmicks. I will count it as a lesson. If the tyres don't last or terrify me due to lack of grip then I will follow the other advice on here and try the Michelins.
Whatever the result of this experiment, the money was worth it alone to get rid of that darned wheel wobble!
I will certainly report back. I think you are right, you usually get what you pay for where cars are concerned, but I don't mind the experiment this time as it's not really a lot of money to put down to experience - god knows I wasted far more in my younger days on all sorts of car gimmicks. I will count it as a lesson. If the tyres don't last or terrify me due to lack of grip then I will follow the other advice on here and try the Michelins.
Whatever the result of this experiment, the money was worth it alone to get rid of that darned wheel wobble!
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