Weird one for you - tyre profiles.

MarkN

Just been looking at prices for rear tyres and while my fronts do not need to be replaced in the near future I am still a bit stumped by this...

Eiretyres have the Bridgestone Potenza RFTs for the rears on my car (255/30/R19 speed rating 91Y) but if I type in what the fronts are (225/35/R19) it comes up as not available and even if I change the profile on the fronts to 30 too, the search is still blank.

So I have two questions... what is the story with the two different profiles for front and rear anyway and when BMWs nearly always have wider tyres on the rear, how have Eiretyres not got my tyres in 225s??

Yes, I can email them, no I don't want to.. yet!

kdevitt

Guess they just don't stock them - found the same when buying 19's for my own. Camskill were far cheaper than eiretyres when I was buying anyway!! Full set of Toyo Proxies (albeit minus the VAT) for €640.

MarkN

Had a look at that site, they don't seem to do RFTs or Goodyears for 255s but they do for 225s??!

I'm in two minds about the RFTs. I hate the things.. but I'd like to keep my warranty.

jayok

MarkN wrote: »

I'm in two minds about the RFTs. I hate the things.. but I'd like to keep my warranty.

Does changing from RFT to "normal" ones really invalid the BMW warranty??

btkm8unsl0w5r4

MarkN I reciently got a 335 e92 also, am very interested in how much the four corners are costing you?

JHMEG

The profile (height of the side wall) of your rear tyres is 76.5mm (30% of 255), and for the front it's 78.75mm (35% of 225), so for all intents and purposes they have the same profile.

Wider tyres on the back is a tradition on RWD cars, as you can have phat tyres for traction, and at the front you can have narrower tyres for steering.

Eiretyres doesn't have your tyres as they're rare. Very few cars aside from 4x4s have 19" wheels, never mind runflats, so you're kinda lucky they have any.

But shur your main dealer will get them for you no problem.

TheBazman

I know the 18" run flats on the 5series (240/45 I think) were around 320 each . Most places I rang didn't stock them as "they are too expensive".

Wishbone Ash

jayok wrote: »

Does changing from RFT to "normal" ones really invalid the BMW warranty??

A relative of mine wished to replace his RFTs with ordinary ones but BMW said he would nullify his warranty if he did so.

TheBazman

i know when you are speccing up a new 5series you can select 19" combination (?) wheels which I think are non run flats ( but I could be wrong )

-Chris-

I'd start by pushing this one back on BMW, just to see what they say. It would be pretty bad form to be supplying cars with a tyre-size that's very rare while not allowing you to change the spec of your tyres without hurting your warranty.

I don't think that "no RFTs, no warranty" rule is fair... could give people grounds to change to normal tyres if they wanted.

I don't think 19" are especially rare at the moment at all, btw.

MarkN

Samara Hallowed Peep wrote: »

MarkN I reciently got a 335 e92 also, am very interested in how much the four corners are costing you?

Eiretyres have the ones on the rear of my car for €360 a corner. You're going to be talking about €1,400 to do the whole car I'd guess. The fronts will last a lot longer though.

JHMEG wrote: »

But shur your main dealer will get them for you no problem.

Yeh, I can just imagine the nice figure they would come up with for them.

AudiChris wrote: »

I'd start by pushing this one back on BMW, just to see what they say. It would be pretty bad form to be supplying cars with a tyre-size that's very rare while not allowing you to change the spec of your tyres without hurting your warranty.

I don't think 19" are especially rare at the moment at all, btw.

I'd agree that 19s are not rare these days, a lot of mass production coupes have them - A5 and the 3 series just two examples.

You could be onto something though Chris, I wrote a two page letter to BMW Ireland yesterday asking why the 2007 International Engine of the year needs to be topped up with a litre of oil every 4,000kms and has it something to do with the fact that Duffy's sold me a car with f**k all oil in the engine so when I get a response I might raise the issue about the tyres.

I have no doubt a normal tyre specialist will be able to order 225/35/R19s but if Eiretyres don't stock them, it limits my choice of supplier quite considerably.

Cyrus

jesus thats nuts money for tyres isnt it, decent 19" tyres can be had for €170 a corner (falken 452s) or €215 or so (vredestein ultrac sessanta) if you want normal tyres.

i have normal tyres on the m3 and some m mobility gizmo if i get a flat (no spare wheel) i dont understand why someone with a non m car gets a voided warranty if they run non runflats yet the m cars run normal tyres?

MarkN

Cyrus wrote: »

i dont understand why someone with a non m car gets a voided warranty if they run non runflats yet the m cars run normal tyres?

Probably because they want M cars to ride properly

I'm sure if you took BMW to the European Court (who has the time OR money!!) they would rule you should be allowed put whatever bloody tyres you want on your car.

Cyrus

im sure you are right

i cant imagine the ride with rfts, girlfriend has a sore back at the moment and did some serious complaining about the ride comfort in mine yesterday as we negotiated the bumpy side roads of south county dublin

MarkN

Cyrus wrote: »

im sure you are right

i cant imagine the ride with rfts, girlfriend has a sore back at the moment and did some serious complaining about the ride comfort in mine yesterday as we negotiated the bumpy side roads of south county dublin

The amount of rubber sitting under an E92 M3 is really quite a surprise when you see one in the flesh - it looks like they are something mad like 65s.

Cyrus

is that on the 18s or 19s?

saw my first one up close at the weekend, i like, that said i reckon ill go for a 335i next and then hopefully see about a porker

MarkN

Save the beans and I'll do ya a deal on a well looked after 07 335i in a while!

That's the 19s, as you can see they're pretty thick.

JHMEG

MarkN wrote: »

Yeh, I can just imagine the nice figure they would come up with for them.

They don't exactly do good deals on cars either...

E92

If you click the "Current Product Catalogue" bit in this page you will see that BMW offers their European Customers the option of a 5 series with 17 inch wheels and no run flat tyres yet if you put no run flats on your 5 series here or in the UK you can kiss goodbye to your warranty.

BMW's original thing with the E60 5 series was that you had no run flats if you got ones with 16 inch wheels(even though they still offered those in the continent the option of no run flats) but heaven help you if you wanted an E60 with 17 inch wheels and no run flat tyres.

This is nothing but sheer lunacy. I wish someone would take BMW to court over the 5 series situation, whatever about the 3 series and 1 series(which had suspensions designed specifically for run flats from the off).