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      10-16-2011, 02:10 PM   #1
B33M3R
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Ready for Winter!

I know I'm sad but just wanted to share some pics of my freshly refurbed MV3's with Falken HS439's Euro Winters. I was initially going to send them away to be done but took a chance on a local place, Wheel Genie in Huntingdon, Cambs.

I don't normally do this but if anyone is looking to get their wheels done I'd definitely recommend them as the finish they've achieved is first rate!

Also, on a side note the owner, Keith is himself a BMW enthusiast and runs a very nice looking 1 Series. When we got talking about winter tyres he knew exactly where I was coming from and after not being able to get his off the drive last year he had a set waiting in the wings as well.

When I mentioned I'd be getting my new tyres mounted later on he insisted I drop them in whereupon he fitted and balanced them for no extra cost and also furnished them with a new set of little M badges. Great service and a top bloke all round!

Anyway, I'm quite pleased with the path I chose for my winter package as BMW's own are ranging from about £750 for some 16" steelies (Can’t imagine how horrendous that would look!) to £1600 for some 17" alloys.

For just under £1150 I've got myself a set of as new looking OE's, colour coded, with the correct staggered tyres which will not only keep the car looking stock but more importantly on the road come winter! The Falkens seem to get good reviews from what I've seen but I'll post up my findings once I've had a chance to try them.

With a bit of luck I will probably see most of that back if I choose to sell them on in a couple of years as well!











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      10-16-2011, 02:16 PM   #2
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Looking good I did exactly the same - refurbed MV3s but with Kumho KW27. Just waiting for the temperature to drop a bit before I switch them over.
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      10-16-2011, 02:26 PM   #3
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Looks good. I also did the same, I have a set of 18" style 189's that I've had refurb'd in gloss black with the same Falken winters.
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      10-16-2011, 02:42 PM   #4
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They look good
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      10-16-2011, 03:14 PM   #5
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Looks nice Matt!

Must get mine ordered soon! Should of got my wheels done that colour too, they were done when i got the car i made sure of that!
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      10-16-2011, 03:19 PM   #6
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Bit early to fit them yet, I put my "winter" rear wheel on my motorcycle this morning and pretty much melted the sides off it this afternoon.
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      10-16-2011, 03:27 PM   #7
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Thanks guys, yeah going to wait until the temp drops a bit. Still getting random sunny days at the moment which will do them no good! Don't think it will be long though!

Going to pick up some wheel sealant this week as well to try and keep them looking pretty
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      10-16-2011, 03:43 PM   #8
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i've seen and read another bmw owner running hs439 all year and done 18k with still good tread on the front!
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      10-16-2011, 04:27 PM   #9
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You can run winter tyres all year, I have a friend in Scotland who does that on his 320 and they don't seem to wear too badly at all.

Having said that - I wouldn't want to - all winter tyres perform significantly worse than even the cheapest summer or 'all-season' tyre in conditions above 7 degrees C.
Various tests have shown those results to be true. There was one in Autoexpress (I think) just recently. Stopping distances are a particular problem for winter tyres in summer conditions.
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      10-18-2011, 10:24 AM   #10
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Me too!

I like the finish on your MV3's. I chose a slightly different path, with 18" BBS CKs, new for £895, fitted also with Falken HS439s

Car not clear, though cleaned and sealed the wheels on getting home with Autoglym wheel sealant.

It was a bit bright to take pictures, so adjustments caused their own special effects. I'll take some more when it has been cleaned and polished in better / less harsh light.
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      10-18-2011, 10:57 AM   #11
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I don't know what anybody else thinks, but I'm delighted with the appearance. I had intended to go down the OEM route but I'm pleased I've deviated now. BBS alloys just really seem to suit German cars. I do possibly prefer the look of the CH alloys, but even the CKs might be overkill for winter!

Incidentally, first impression with the HS439's is positive. I've pumped them up to 2.7 / 2.8 Bar front / rear respectively (same as recommended for the summer tyres). Not sure whether this is right. I suspect a little softer set up in the snow would work better, though I'm not sure whether there are any manufacturers recommendations anywhere.

The steering obviously doesn't compare as being so incisive as with the PS2 run flats, though this is inevitable due to the tread blocks. I do quite a bit of night driving so for me, now is a good time to fit, as I think we'll find temperatures frequently dropping below 7C in the forthcoming weeks.

There is slightly less road noise and without the RFTs, it does handle potholes and the myriad of road imperfections more comfortably (though I do tend to avoid them if possible).
Whilst this is a staggered set up tyre wise, front and rear are 8.5J. The front wheels protrude very slightly, I'm sure they'd be easier to kerb. The rim protection on the Falkens is not so substantial.

Front tyres were from oponeo.co.uk and were delivered very quickly. 225/40 R18 for £228.
Rear tyres from Mytyres.co.uk, delivered after about 8-9 working days, they had apparently come from Germany. 255/35 R18 for £307.80.
Bill from Demon Tweeks for alloys and fitting £923 (fitting tyres, balancing and fitting to car was £30).

Total bill therefore for brand new, top quality wheels with little time commitment = £1458.80

£300 more than the refurbed MV3 route, but I couldn't find any cheap enough MV3s to fund a refurb (and living in the sticks, I would have incurred a lot of courier fees).

I certainly wouldn't be paying BMW £1600 for 17" alloys. If I'd found a nice set of MV3s local to me for less £400, more ideally £350, I'd have probably gone down that route.

Don't forget your 'mobility kit'. I won't duplicate what I've posed in another thread:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=598938
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      10-18-2011, 06:22 PM   #12
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Great choice there Spirocheter. I agree, that style of alloy really does suit the BM's. I did consider an aftermarket set but ended up wanting to keep the OE look and keep it simple with the insurance side of things.

It's definitely a no brainier though when you offset it against a set of winter wheels from BMW!

Thanks for the link, that was next on my list of things to sort out. I expect I'll go the same route as you
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      10-19-2011, 01:34 AM   #13
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I'd be very interested to see pics of you car with the wheels fitted B33M3R, I think the black and gunmetal finish will look superb. In fact, why not anyone post pics here of their winter setup, this would be a good reference point for anyone considering their options.

I suspect winter Tyres will become quite hard to come by when the weather does turn, having said that stocks held by tyre vendors are considerably higher this year It seems.

I'd be interested to know whether people fitting winter Tyres are self employed (I am). I suspect far greater numbers of people self employed will be likely to want to get to work (stats show self employed people take far less sick leave). I suppose companies do need to help their employees get to work, least not by applying pressure to company funded lease companies. UK Insurers need to reward motorists fitting winter Tyres rather than penalise or make life difficult. There probably should be a government initiative, otherwise this is unlikely to happen (there was in Holland, and there uptake was rapid).

Remember, all weather tyres and summer tyres in particular degrade more quickly in cold temperatures, the compound turns brittle and fragments.
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      10-19-2011, 02:12 AM   #14
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Look great, will keep an eye out for you on the roads!
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      10-19-2011, 05:46 AM   #15
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Thanks guys, well the cars a Sport Plus so does already have dark grey alloys as standard.



They're called Ferric Grey but there's not actually a paint code for it. The place I used for the refurb did a colour match which they referred to as a Milky Anthracite. My winters are a shade darker but it's very close so I'm pleased with the result.

Agree with you about you should get a discount on your insurance and not penalized. Should be a requirement, not something you have to negotiate on fitting. Just shows the sorry state of affairs our insurance industry is in. License to print money.

Regarding the employment status I'm not self employed but, can fully appreciate how levels of sickness are far lower compared to those who enjoy sick pay! I do feel though that work ethics are an individual quality and as I commute daily to London I know full well I'd likely be stranded at some point over Christmas without winters on.

As a Manager it does annoy me slightly when I think back to last year when I was managing to travel 90 miles into work (not in a RWD BMW mind!) and others were calling in apparently unable to manage 5! I know full well the BMW would not manage this journey without winters so that's why I've splashed out.
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      10-19-2011, 08:25 AM   #16
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Hi guys I am thinking of going down this route but what do you do if you get a flat tyre as non of these tryes are run flats and as there is no spare in the car. Please excuse my ignorance.
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      10-19-2011, 08:55 AM   #17
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Cross your fingers or buy a tyre mobility kit. Basically an electric pump and a bottle full of gunk.
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      10-19-2011, 09:11 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AFN1980 View Post
Hi guys I am thinking of going down this route but what do you do if you get a flat tyre as non of these tryes are run flats and as there is no spare in the car. Please excuse my ignorance.
Or you call BWM assist or your other recovery company. Loads of cars don't have spares, they don't give a toss whether you've got run flats or not, they will recover any car with a blow out to a tyre place or the dealer (or home depending on your cover)
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      10-19-2011, 10:13 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chris_s1 View Post
Or you call BWM assist or your other recovery company. Loads of cars don't have spares, they don't give a toss whether you've got run flats or not, they will recover any car with a blow out to a tyre place or the dealer (or home depending on your cover)
*some* cars don't have spares; they have cans of goo instead.

Lots of cars don't have a full size spare, but have a space-saver spare.

But all cars have something inside the car which enables the car to be driven for some nominal distance following a flat caused by common problems like a nail or screw in the tyre.

Ditching your RFTs on your BMW and relying on a recovery company is foolish. What if there is no mobile phone reception? What if they don't turn up?
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      10-19-2011, 10:59 AM   #20
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Originally Posted by kaishang View Post
Ditching your RFTs on your BMW and relying on a recovery company is foolish. What if there is no mobile phone reception? What if they don't turn up?
I've got to disagree with you there. Expecting my wife to fiddle about with a can of gunk and poxy little compressor on the hard shoulder of the M25 at night is foolish. Getting safe and calling professionals is not foolish.

In all honesty I do keep a can of tyreweld in the boot of course. But there is almost no situation I would use it. I have called recovery several times before even when I had full size spare on board. No way I'm risking my neck on the side of the road, that's what I pay them for.
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      10-19-2011, 02:58 PM   #21
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But if you have RFTs you don't even need to wait in the breakdown lane for a recovery truck. You just drive home and fix it later.

A lot of people on this forum bitch about RFTs.... but forget to mention their plus points, such as the ability to keep going with a flat tyre, the ability to maintain control of your car in the event of a rapid loss of tyre pressure at high speed and the ability to pick a location to change your tyre or call a recovery truck instead of an inconvenient or dangerous location being forced on you by circumstance.

Plus as I've mentioned before, I have never seen anyone with SE suspension or 17 inch wheels complain about harsh ride quality. So why not just get the OEM RFTs, in a standard size, with a standard suspension and save a lot of money, a lot of worrying and be more comfortable?
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      10-19-2011, 03:35 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kaishang View Post
Plus as I've mentioned before, I have never seen anyone with SE suspension or 17 inch wheels complain about harsh ride quality. So why not just get the OEM RFTs, in a standard size, with a standard suspension and save a lot of money, a lot of worrying and be more comfortable?
Simple. 17" wheels look sh*t and SE suspension handles like a boat. You're right its a trade off though, RFT's do have advantages of course.

But its not like punctures are a common occurance, we are talking about an rare unfortunate occurance here. I've done 50k+ in 2 years since I changed to non-RFTs and not had any punctures. If I have to wait 2 hours to get recovered once every 3 years thats worth the 4 hours a day I spend in a smart looking car not having my bones shaken.
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