[carl_d]

Originally Posted by agh!

Bridgestone and Conti RFT's seem to have many reports around of premature tread wear on one or both edges greatly reducing the life on the tyre.
Not tried it myself but someone I know of is running higher pressures on his Bridgestones to try and reduce the wearing at the edges. Running 2.4 bar instead of 2.1 bar and the car seems to handle a whole lot better with no detriment in ride or grip.

RTF supply problems, the fact that 50 miles at 50mph is not an acceptable fall back position for a puncture and other RFT disadvantages motivated me to search around for tyre sealant products.
I like the sound of Ultraseal. It prevents punctures and seals the tyre eliminating the natural porosity of the tyre in the tread region meaning you do not loose pressure over time. Low tyre pressure and the resulting heat build up at motorway speeds is the primary cause of blowouts. It costs about £30 for 1.4Litres, enough to treat a car.
Of course if your tyre cannot get a puncture, you don't really need a RFT in the first place :rocks:

Master Technician at my local dealer said the same. It seems the Bridgestone 18" tyres are sensitive to LOW tyre pressures. He said they are seeing lots with the rear outer/inner edges worn prematurely. Apparently many people are not putting the correct pressures in the W rated tyres. Looking at the B pillar, on my 325, for 18" W rated tyres, the pressure spec is 2.4 and 2.7 but for Y rated its much less at 2.2 an 2.4. This is a cause of confusion and under inflation of W rates tyres. BE WARNED.

I also drove a loan 330 the other day with Michelin Y rated tyres. Comparing this to my 325 with Bridgestone W rate tyres over a 45 minute drive on both motorway and back roads showed big differences. I am sure it’s mainly the tyres and not the wheels/suspension as they were both M-Sport with 18" rims. The Michelin’s are slightly nosier but their ride is much better, with the dampers able to absorb bumps in one clean single motion. The Bridgestone’s were quieter but the ride was bouncy/rubbery and the damper needed TWO attempts to absorb a bump (fidgety ride by comparison). I also checked the pressures on both cars when cold and they were as shown on the sticker of both cars.

Based on this, I’m going to try the Michelin next time – can’t wait.