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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Wheels and Tires Forum Sponsored by The Tire Rack > changed to 18 inch Pirelli P Zero's



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      06-16-2008, 03:10 PM   #1
SROC3
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changed to 18 inch Pirelli P Zero's

So I changed my tires recently to Pirelli's....The car feels so wobbly now. I guess its because of the lack of stiff sidewalls - like those found on the RFTs.

But the car does feel skitterish. Would increasing the tire pressure make this better? or not necessarily?

I'm running on Nitrogen filled tires, front is 36psi/rear is 39psi

Any thoughts gentlemen?
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      06-16-2008, 03:16 PM   #2
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Did you get an alignment after the tires were mounted? Also, it usually takes anywhere from 200-300 miles for the tires to break-in, best to drive conservatively during that period. Tire pressures look good.
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      06-16-2008, 03:26 PM   #3
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yup, did the whole road force balancer thing and all. So i should drive slow till break-in period?
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      06-16-2008, 04:13 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by SROC3 View Post
yup, did the whole road force balancer thing and all. So i should drive slow till break-in period?
Not slow, just normal, speeds under 100mph, etc.
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      06-16-2008, 04:49 PM   #5
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Try lowering the tire pressure to between 32-35psi

What model did you purchase?
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      06-16-2008, 06:06 PM   #6
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Think back to when you got the car. I felt it want to pull everywhere in the beginning too.
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      06-16-2008, 06:48 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray View Post
Try lowering the tire pressure to between 32-35psi

What model did you purchase?
335i E92. But if I lower the pressure, that makes the tire "softer" and more open to the wavy movement of the car when i corner. The pro that aligned my car before said I should increase front and rear pressure to improve handling. I don' think adding sway bars will change anything as the wobbly-ness is directly related to the softer sidewalls I now have.
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      06-17-2008, 01:52 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SROC3 View Post
335i E92. But if I lower the pressure, that makes the tire "softer" and more open to the wavy movement of the car when i corner. The pro that aligned my car before said I should increase front and rear pressure to improve handling. I don' think adding sway bars will change anything as the wobbly-ness is directly related to the softer sidewalls I now have.
I meant to ask which model Pirelli tire you purchased.

Too low of a pressure level will adversely effect the vehicle's performance, but the same applies to a higher than normal level.

Over-inflated tires are stiff and you also minimize the contact patch. Your tech is not wrong, but since you have a stiffer suspension and no LSD I would lower the pressure to make up for other variables.
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      06-17-2008, 02:26 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SROC3 View Post
335i E92. But if I lower the pressure, that makes the tire "softer" and more open to the wavy movement of the car when i corner. The pro that aligned my car before said I should increase front and rear pressure to improve handling. I don' think adding sway bars will change anything as the wobbly-ness is directly related to the softer sidewalls I now have.

Your tire tech is an idiot. You don't raise pressure you lower it since they get warm and increase pressure. Sidewall stiffness does NOT mean better handling. 99% of cars run on NON-RFTs for a reason. There is NOT a performance advantage to the design, it's a safety/weight (no spare no jack) that they are selling to you. F1 cars have HUGE sidewalls and use tires for suspension.


And I'd run the pressure recommended on the tire. Also remember that really you adjust the tire pressure so you see wear across the contact patch, not a set pressure at all.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think you understand handling and tire characteristics to say your RFT sidewalls are better. The M3 comes with standard tires....
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