Matteeboy

Just has my tyres checked - one slow flat, one on 1.6mm (both rears), fronts legal but nearly gone - so ordered 4 a Conti Sport Contact 3s in a non run flat style - goodbye crashiness and tramlining!!

mrtheedge2u2

Great post

nie

great

ScoobyJawa

Ha, I changed my Z4's to non RFT's, less crashy for sure, stop the tramlining - not one fooking bit - horrendous for it that car was - guess its a BMWism.

Matteeboy

What size are they? Mine are only wee.

stilover

Don't BMW tune their suspension to run the run-flat tyres?

Have heard that changing to normal tyres can have a detrimental effect on the suspension parts. Any failure, and no warranty.

Or is this just a random scare story i've picked up on?

Matteeboy

Stilover - totally random scare story. It's been done to death on chat forums. It does nothing to the warranty or insurance (I double checked) and all that happens to the ride is that it gets much better. Also lets go more progressively at the limit (not that I get there often). Many proper enthusiasts have changed to non run flats and think it cures the only weakness in high end non M BMWs (apart from looking like a ****).

BMW seem to have accepted their error is speccing RFTs on all but M cars and are starting to offer them as an option.

3rd gen runflats are meant to be better but are some way off.

Sorry for the dull thread but I was hoping to share opinions with anyone that's done/considering a similar course of action!

ScoobyDoo555

Out of interest, why the conti sports? Are they a BM preferred tyre?

I know that my Audi S4 was always shod in Pilot Sport 2s, and fwiw, my Scoobs were in GSD3s..... even though Subaru championed P-Zeros (sh1te imho)

Matteeboy

I had them on another car and they were utterly brilliant.

Most choose Conti sport 3s or Michelin Pilot 2s for their BMs. I think Contis last better and resist aquaplaning better (I had PS2s on my R32 Golf).

Devildog

Matt,

Presumably your tyre pressure warning system picked up on the slow puncture?

Good choice of tyre though

Matteeboy

It did but I check then at least once a month anyway - low pressure = inner tyre wear = extreme expense!

Got a Ring 12v compressor/pump and will get some tyre weld. Highly recommed the former - only £22 of ebay and very effective. Set the pressure, leave it for a minute or so, it turns off when it's done.

ScoobyJawa

On my Z4 they were on the 18" wheels - horrendous

Matteeboy

No experience of the Z4 myself but last month's Evo claimed that the Z4 handled a fair bit better (but looked worse) in 17s.

john banks

FWIW, on 225/40R18 on the GTI, CSC3 are noticeably better than CSC2 for smoothing out the ride and traction in the wet. I had CSC2 before on it, and also on the M3.

Should be nice compared to the run flats, it may feel a bit squirmy initially, but the compliance will probably help it once you get over that. See if anyone on BMW forums has comments on tire pressure, you may want to go higher without the run flats.

Funny how it comes around, some recent P0 do very well in user reports.

Matteeboy

John - I had CSC2s then CSC3s on the Ashtray (also 17" 225/45 -bit OTT for a 150bhp car!) and the 3s were definitely better.

Some say run them higher, some say run them the same.Will try stock pressures first (a rather low 2.1bar for the fronts, 2.6bar for the rears!) then raise them if needed.

Looking forward to trying them out!

ScoobyJawa

Yep pretty much exactly what they said re the E46 M3 and the 19's vs the 18's!!

Matteeboy

Holy cr4p what HUGE improvement! The road I use to drive here is very potholey. RFTs really crashed over them, new tyres just glide. Didn't push the car really hard but so far so very very good.