Tyres Tyres

[allan 295]

hi need some help , just finished reading the post on Tyre wear WTF posted 20th Feb it didn't help me much. Have some rears all most with warning strips showing. will need to replace with the colder months coming. Have michelin's on the back and yokohama on the front. the yoko's are bloody noisy on smooth surfaces but will do a turn on the rear if had too. what I'm looking for is something that will get me about 75k's or is this a pipe dream with the type of tyres required for an E39. does any one have a comment on Barum Continental ranger of tyre as a guy has some for sale along with a set of 17"mag wheels for about two grand( is that a resanable price for a full set of mags and what appear to be new tyres)

[Gus 5]

75k? as in 75000?

tyres are the only thing between your car and the road, ie your safety and that of those around you. dont cheap out.

and barums are rubbish...every person who has ever had them will say the same thing

[lidistick 70]

I've never heard of tires lasting till 75K kms unless you drive like a nana.

Between the Toyo proxes 4 and the Toyo Proxes CT01, I prefered the Proxes 4. Slightly noisier but awesome in the wet. The CT01's are quieter and are slightly better on the track but feel 'loose' in the wet above 100km/h.

[allan 295]

thanks so far guys, Gus thanks on the barums

lidistick, do you have lead feet for both pedals, last vehicle i had did 80,000k's on a set and it weighed in at 1.9 tonnes was driven hard and fast, so why not a e39 or similar with better suspension, steering the whole works going for it.

3pedals your are right the rubber is the only thing between you and the road and i wasn't trying to sound cheep just wanting some clear info. what do you me by preformance tyre and thanks for the price range had figured about $300 or so per tyre. yes on all four beening the same type thats for sure.

the driving is mainly general running about 60% highway 40% town, as for fast well have had a few close calls so the cruise is now set around 108, call me chicken but $$$ is $$$ and why make a donation if you have the techno to prevent it, I know invest in a radar detector.back to the tyres would like something that is quiet, holds well in the wet and dry.yeah!! will be interested in the out come on the 97's that you are trialing let me know please cheers allan

[lidistick 70]

Seriously, I drive fairly hard but I get about 40K to 50K kms from a set of tires. Mines even been to the track. Never ever heard of tires lasting more than 60Kkms.

[hotwire 352]

As a guide line, when I bought in my E39 from Japan it had (genuine) 24k on it. Original factory Michelin Energy MXV4 tyres were all evenly 50% worn so from that presumably would have been good for 40-50000 kms. I removed & fitted 18's so dont know for sure what I would have got from them. Tyre wear has since gone out the window with 18's - the price you pay for performance & looks I guess.

Add to the confusion

Grant

[BMW POWER 2]

My parents E39 has got Continental ContiSports rears and Bridgestone G3's i think on the front (was Contis allround at one stage) and are up for a new set at $500 a tire.

Dad loved the Contis, said they were pretty good allround but said they were bloody expensive.. If that helps anything?

[tintop 10]

For an E 39 on 17's expect to pay $1200 plus for a good set of tyres, anything less and you are kiding yourself $1600 to $2000 gets you into a really good tyre.

$1600-$2000 for a set of 17" tyres? A set of Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3's would be $1000-$1200. Tireracks favourite for a few years running. They were enough to tame my 200rwkw mr2 turbo in the rain. I recall paying around $230+gst for a 235/40R17.

[allan 295]

thanks for the info guy's it helps me by beening better informed and what I need to look for when the time comes for fitting new tyres.

BMW power yeah $500 a tyre is a bit steep,what ks did your dad get on the cont's before the G3's were fitted and how are the G3's for noise and wearing?

Grant not at all, what were the MXV4's like on NZ roads for wear and noise?

In general then 40k to 50k's is about it for a set of tyres.any one brand stand out from the rest, or are they all a much of a muchness.

[lidistick 70]

thanks for the info guy's it helps me by beening better informed and what I need to look for when the time comes for fitting new tyres.

BMW power yeah $500 a tyre is a bit steep,what ks did your dad get on the cont's before the G3's were fitted and how are the G3's for noise and wearing?

Grant not at all, what were the MXV4's like on NZ roads for wear and noise?

In general then 40k to 50k's is about it for a set of tyres.any one brand stand out from the rest, or are they all a much of a muchness.

Depends on how you drive and what you want out of them.

I guess for NZ roads, wet grip is paramount. Noise can be an issue but the coarse seal roads that we have doesn't really help.

My preference would be

1) Wet traction - especially in standing water.

2) Braking ability (wet and dry)

3) Noise

4) Wear

Good luck.

[hotwire 352]

Judging tyre wear by condition of Jap imprt tyres is a rash move. Conditions in Japan generally preclude any driving at speed and if you check the date code the tyres are usually the same age as the vehicle.

I had a 1990 subaru done 70,000 with original Michelins on it , imported in 1996.They were as hard as nails and did not stick in the wet, they were well past their use by date- but they were only half worn and could get a warrant no problem. They went in the bin within a week.

The reason your 18's went so much quicker was because they were doing their job of sticking you to the road - because they were fresh.

Most tyres have a maximum "useable Shelf life" of 6 years after that they don't work as designed.

Tyres go hard with age and wear slower because of this - so if you want to get good distance buy old tyres- (they wont stick but they will last)

Performance tyres are ones that are designed for performance cars and can be driven hard and used in corners- they do not last longer but compounds and shoulder profiles and construction are superior giving better feel and control. If you look on the toyo site the proxes 4 has a "soft" shoulder design whereas the Proxes T1-R has a performance shoulder design.

The latter is being fitted to quite a few E39's, I considered them , but at $1000 compared to $1600 for a full set of P Zero Pirellis I went with the Pirelli. I had P zero Rosso at one stage ($1,100 per tyre) and the Nero is not that far behind and way ahead of the Bridgestone, Yoko's and Contis I have had in the past.

3 Pedals - Yes agree entirely re Jap domestic tyres & their wear / compound /stickabilty etc.

I would say though that BMW would have entered Japan with tyres already fitted in Europe (these Michelins were made in USA. Car was barely 5 years old at the time of me importing.

Agreed also that 18's are performance orientated hense wear factor.

Allan, Hardly drove here on Michelins to form a perfomance opinion but regarding noise - Toyo 235/40 18's are only very minimally more noisy than the Michelin 225/60 15's were.

The fact that BMW often spec Michelin as OE fit could be used as a guide to suitability on them but also taking into account that our roads are way inferior to those in Europe or Japan complicates the consideration.

[allan 295]

Lidistick thanks for the preference list for sure on wet traction and braking in the wet easy to go fast a bit harder to stop if the rubber don't cut it.

From quote of 3pedals interesting point about a tyre having a shelf life of about six years, as they age they get harder hence less wear. A factor I had not even thought of thanks . seems like a no win situation want the good handling loss tyre life.want long tyre life loss the handling finding that good balance seem to be the trick.From what you guys have said so far I'm leaning toward good traction in a wide range of situations. Yes the coarse chip on NZ roads is a factor to consider but when all said and done what meets the road is what will help you and your family survive should a mishap occur. will check out the toyo site to.thanks guys

[lidistick 70]

I am not recommending toyo as a choice as I have no experience of them , but the two tyre patterns are worth looking at. The shoulder blocks on the T1-R are bigger and will resist being cut up and spat out by coarse chip, The smaller blocks of the Proxes 4 when combined with the bit of speed and body roll and no negative camber of a stock E39 will go west faster than John Wayne.

The ourter shoulder of the Pirelli is also well rubbered to resist the evils of coarse chip, this tyre has proven to be stunning in wet at speed

I had the Proxes 4 on my Honda Accord and the grip was pretty impressive in the wet. Wear wasn't that much of an issue. I still have 4.5mm left after 18K kms. The accord was running -1.5 camber front and -1.3 camber rear.

Cheers.

[drifty325i 0]

IUve had both the proxes 4 and the t1rs x 2 sets on mine, the t1rs are a very good tire. Very impressive in the wet to.

Cant recommend them highly enough

[allan 295]

thanks for the info on the t1-r and t1r-s type tyres. on a different note drifty some more info on the pic you have showing what's the story on that little mishap?

[lidistick 70]

Also, before I forget, Motor magazine Jan 07 issue had a small tire test.

Rated

1) Bridgestone RE050A - OEM on the new VE commodores A$450 each

2) Yokohama Advan sport A$440 each

3) Falken FK452 A$320 each

4) Dunlop Sportmax A$579 each

5) Pirelli P Zero Rosso A$670 each

6) Federal Super Steel 595 A$320 each

Prices were for 245/45/18. The Pirellis are eye-wateringly expensive. Driver was Steve Pizzati.

[martyyn 2]

Ive been saying for years that if you want bang for your buck you cant go passed the Falkens

[kiwi535 538]

Allan for what its worth i had a set of 235/45/17 GIII on my E34.They lasted quite well(eventually the outside of the fronts were completely gone,but the rest of the tread was down to the wear lines).I dont drive that fast but prolly my conering speeds are higher than Joe average esp on the open road,and i dont really slow down that much in the wet....I have no qualms recomending GIII,s.I find 3pedals comments very very interesting .as i say i have no qualms.I have a mixture on the car at the moment,some Toyos(on the front) and some others......the toyos have a very very deep tread,no tramlining,which the Bridgestones did a bit,esp when they were getting down.

[allan 295]

went looking last night on the net and came up with a whole heap of tyres, some i know of from your replys others I don't. let get to it Toyo Tyres T1R 235/40 ZR17 95 Y, CTO1 235/40 ZR 17 94W, Proxes 4 235/40 ZR 97W Have gotten some good feed back from you guys

Michelin Pilot sport, energy MXV8.

Pirelli P Zero A simmetrico, P 4000, P5000, P6000.

Dunlop SP 9000, SP8000, Formula 901, Formula W10

B F Goodrich Comp T/A ZR rated at 149 mph, Comp T/A HR4 rated at 130mph 40,000 mile warranty, Comp T/A VR4 rated at 149mph. will find this sit again and post it up http://www.newtyres.co.nz/bfgoodrich.html

Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 About $230 + Grab, Steel, Take, F1 GS-D2

Bridgestone Potenza Gill, Potenza 303, So3-PD

Firestone Hawk Wide Oval.

had better put in here Falken info please

Edited March 20, 2007 by allan

[drifty325i 0]

thanks for the info on the t1-r and t1r-s type tyres. on a different note drifty some more info on the pic you have showing what's the story on that little mishap?

Get the t1rs they are dam good. Lol the photo is from somewhere in the UK i think and it pretty much explains itself haha poor m325i

Edited March 20, 2007 by drifty340i

[Shucks 0]

I would go for Pirelli's if you want good handling and awesome tread wear, there may be a few different options price and tread wise depending on the size you're after, but I am biast, I work for the N.I Distributor so I sell them for a living.

The only tyre I've heard of someone getting 75k's on is our budget Nankang XR611 non directional and this was on a Taxi.

Edited March 21, 2007 by Kimmie

[hybrid 1039]

I would go pirelli's ... problem is they dont make a 30/265 19' tyre .. actually .. not that many people do .. and the ones that do .. they are old man tyres (puffy side walls)

[zenetti 0]

Hi guys

I am new to this forum but can not believe that no-one has mentioned a Goodyear Eagle F1. Any reason for this? I am the sales manager for a wheel and tyre co, and we do a huge amount of work for car dealers in auckland. Most of our customers are european car yards and funnily enough about 60% of that is BMW work. We put the Eagle F1's on as many cars as we can, and we have not had one bad comment about them. They are a very quiet tyre, exceptional in the wet, and seem to last very well. In fact we are so confident about them we buy over 100 at a time!

Having sold both tyres, personal opinion ( and customer feedback) says that the Eagle F1 is better than the toyo. The sectional width of a toyo is very narrow compared to a goodyear. Don't ask me why, but if you put a toyo 235 and goodyear 235 side by side the goodyear is definitely wider, although in theory they should be the same size. Maybe this has something to do with the shoulder design?

[allan 295]

Hello Zenetti and welcome to bimmer sport, not sure about the F1 tryes some of the more knowledgeable guy's will be able to shed some light on that point. Which of the F1's GS-D3, GS-D2, GS-D do you have the most dealings.My 530 have 17" rims and i have found some brands don't even make tyres to fit 17's which surprised me . thanks for your in put.

[zenetti 0]

Hi Allan

thanks for the welcome, we stock the GS-D3, Dunlop Sort Maxx and Dunlop Direzza. We are not a goodyear service centre, but tend to specialise in UHP sizing 17, 18, 19" etc. Any way it was just some more food for thought. Another thing when comparing tyres is to look at the Treadwear rating, traction and tremperature ratings. most 'good' tyres will have a treadwear rating around 280 traction at least an 'A' rating and the same in temperature.

what size tyre were you after in particular?

Edited March 25, 2007 by zenetti