[fdiprete]

I posted this in wheels/tires and I am looking for XI driver's thoughts:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=312435

Thanks

[xantdieselx]

Originally Posted by fdiprete

I posted this in wheels/tires and I am looking for XI driver's thoughts:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=312435

Thanks

Your new setup has less tread width up front. BMW and most manufacturers use a staggered setup on RWD cars. This is so the front tires will give up before the rear (understeer). Understeer is an inherently safer condition as it requires less driving skill to correct. Most understeer situations can be corrected by rolling off the throttle and/or braking to reduce speed.

You went from a square setup which may have had a more neutral feel to a staggered setup with more grip in the rear. You will need to adapt your driving style because you have in effect changed the handling of the car.

BMW does offer the staggered 18" setup as part of the tire wheel upgrade on the sport package but it uses Performance Summer RFT tires. It could also be that the softer A/S Michelins roll a little more contibuting to the instability.

I would act like you just bought the car and learn to drive it all over again. Pushing a little harder each time to reach about 8 or 9/10ths. It will get your more accustomed to how the car will react in different situations. Good luck.

[mkato13]

From what I read your not suppossed to use staggered tires on the xdrive if the width is more then a small percentage different and the height is the same, pluls you shouldnt be using A/S when its below 45 - 50 degrees. THey suck and become like hockey pukes. It comes down to knowing how to drive correctly in all types of weather

[nomile]

Staggered is fine - as long as the rolling diameter is the same. The OPs setup is essentially what comes with sport package xi vehicles - expect these tires are way better than the RFTs. I live in CO and have same setup (though still on RFTs), and have happily used them down to about 35degF. Past that, the 16" Dunlop M3s come out... Snowmobile.

[nyc3r]

might not be a good idea to run 18" summer tires in the winter/snow.

[fdiprete]

Thanks for the thoughts.

This is an older post during warm weather when I was running the summer set. btw - when the tires were broken in and I adjusted the pressure, it got more stable. (35F and 36R)

Of course now I'm on snows and the car is completely different again

With blizzaks I am running 30psi front and rear. I tried higher pressure on the rear and found I did not choose wisely. Damn thing was squirley as all hell. Snows are broken in now and run smooth on 30psi all around.

I am still looking forward to putting the summer set back on in the spring.