New wheels and tires on my wife's car

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Wife's car needs some love sometimes too.

BBS CH; 19x8.5 35mm offset front, 19x9.5 40mm offset rear
Continental Extreme Contact DW Y-rated, 235/35 front, 255/35 rear

I never liked the wheels that came with the M-Sport option package. IMO, car looks much better now. I got rid of the runflats. The ride is much more supple over pavement seams; 9 pounds of weight savings PER wheel/tire combo.

Scott

 
Always liked those basket weave type wheels on bmws. What are you doing with the old set?

Are the new b&s wheels forged?
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Always liked those basket weave type wheels on bmws. What are you doing with the old set?

Are the new b&s wheels forged?


Gonna sell the old set, which have nearly new Bridgestone RE050A RFT IIs.

The BBS CH wheels I bought are not forged, they are "a low pressure type of casting that uses a special machine that spins the initial casting, heats the outer portion of the casting and then uses steel rollers pressed against the rim area to pull the rim to its final width and shape. The combination of the heat, pressure and spinning create a rim area with the strength similar to a forged wheel without the high cost of the forging."

Scott
 
Originally Posted By: hpb
They look awesome. She's lucky getting an early Christmas present!


Haha, if only you knew. After 38 years of marriage (good years too) my wife has resigned herself to the fact that I am a bit OCD about cars. I've bought far too many cars that we've not really needed, and nearly all the cars I've bought have had piles of money spent on them even though they needed nothing. My crowning glory of "excess" was when I bought a very nice V12 E-type Jag. We already owned a near mint 1963 Austin Healey 3000 plus my original owner 1971 Triumph TR6 that I proposed to my wife in. We also had my wife's 1995 Nissan Quest minivan (young kids at the time), plus my flawless and heavily modified 1991 Taurus SHO. We needed that Jag like a hole in the head. That Jag still comes up in conversation 20+ years after selling it - and it's never good. That said, I think every gear head should own a V12 at some point in their life. A V12 is incredibly smooth and they make magnificent sounds!

Long story short, the wheels were not a Christmas present. Instead, they are another example of my OCD behavior! Haha!

Scott
 
Originally Posted By: SLO_Town
Originally Posted By: hpb
They look awesome. She's lucky getting an early Christmas present!


Haha, if only you knew. After 38 years of marriage (good years too) my wife has resigned herself to the fact that I am a bit OCD about cars. I've bought far too many cars that we've not really needed, and nearly all the cars I've bought have had piles of money spent on them even though they needed nothing. My crowning glory of "excess" was when I bought a very nice V12 E-type Jag. We already owned a near mint 1963 Austin Healey 3000 plus my original owner 1971 Triumph TR6 that I proposed to my wife in. We also had my wife's 1995 Nissan Quest minivan (young kids at the time), plus my flawless and heavily modified 1991 Taurus SHO. We needed that Jag like a hole in the head. That Jag still comes up in conversation 20+ years after selling it - and it's never good. That said, I think every gear head should own a V12 at some point in their life. A V12 is incredibly smooth and they make magnificent sounds!

Long story short, the wheels were not a Christmas present. Instead, they are another example of my OCD behavior! Haha!

Scott

I have same "problem."
I buy something for my wife's car, and she is: I need that?
Me: Yes, you do.
She: I did not know that
Me: well you know, because of ..............
She: Ok, you lost me in second sentence. Am I OK to drive?
Me; Yes
She: Well that is what I needed to know
 
Originally Posted By: SLO_Town
I got rid of the runflats. The ride is much more supple over pavement seams; 9 pounds of weight savings PER wheel/tire combo.

Scott


Not too worry about that? Your wife is driving the car, right?
Do you have something in case she has a flat, except calling a truck?

I am asking because I will have to change my summer tires in a few months, and I am wondering about what way to go, runflat or not?

That is the way I did with my winter tires, and I am not sure it was a wise choice now...

I agree with you, the ride is way more comfortable without the runflats, more subtle, but in the same time, there is more roll, more leaning in the curves, and that is the part I am worry about: putting too much pressure on the sidewalls using no runflat on a car set to use them.
OTOH, my windshield is cracked now (will need to be changed soon) and I believe it is a combination of our nice roads (potholes avenues and boulevards) and the stiff suspension-runflat set-up.

If you could let me know your way of thinking, that could help me decide, thanks.
 
Originally Posted By: edyvw
I have same "problem."
I buy something for my wife's car, and she is: I need that?

LOL!

Mine has similar approach...

Me: I bought this for your car.
She: Oh, OK. And what have you bought for me?
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: edyvw
I have same "problem."
I buy something for my wife's car, and she is: I need that?

LOL!

Mine has similar approach...

Me: I bought this for your car.
She: Oh, OK. And what have you bought for me?


cheers3.gif

All are the same. That is why they became best friends after 5 minutes of knowing each other.
 
Originally Posted By: Pesca
Originally Posted By: SLO_Town
I got rid of the runflats. The ride is much more supple over pavement seams; 9 pounds of weight savings PER wheel/tire combo.

Scott


Not too worry about that? Your wife is driving the car, right?
Do you have something in case she has a flat, except calling a truck?

I am asking because I will have to change my summer tires in a few months, and I am wondering about what way to go, runflat or not?

That is the way I did with my winter tires, and I am not sure it was a wise choice now...

I agree with you, the ride is way more comfortable without the runflats, more subtle, but in the same time, there is more roll, more leaning in the curves, and that is the part I am worry about: putting too much pressure on the sidewalls using no runflat on a car set to use them.
OTOH, my windshield is cracked now (will need to be changed soon) and I believe it is a combination of our nice roads (potholes avenues and boulevards) and the stiff suspension-runflat set-up.

If you could let me know your way of thinking, that could help me decide, thanks.

I think BMW sell's small spare tire in dealerships. But, I would expect that it costs fortune, so try to find some used spare tire.
I hate RFT!
 
Edyvw,

I am not sure BMW sell small spare tires anymore: There is no more space for it in the trunk and it has been a while they promote the RFT over the conventional ones.

I have one of my all season tire in the trunk for winter as a spare, but it is only for my commute, as I need the space if I go buy something big or go on vacation.

I also have an old gummy repair kit, but I am not sure it will still work if I need to and a mechanic told me it will create more a mess than anything else if I have a puncture and use it.

So still pondering my options for my next all season tires...
 
Originally Posted By: Pesca
Do you have something in case she has a flat, except calling a truck?

Realistically, I see calling a truck as the only viable option regardless. The wife's SUV does have a spare (an inflatable one), but there is no way she could swap a wheel on the side of the road by herself. These large wheels are pretty heavy. Even I struggle with them.
 
Originally Posted By: Pesca

....Do you have something in case she has a flat, except calling a truck?

I am asking because I will have to change my summer tires in a few months, and I am wondering about what way to go, runflat or not?

I agree with you, the ride is way more comfortable without the runflats, more subtle, but in the same time, there is more roll, more leaning in the curves, and that is the part I am worry about: putting too much pressure on the sidewalls using no runflat on a car set to use them.

If you could let me know your way of thinking, that could help me decide, thanks.


Pesca:

My biggest concern with non-RFTs was that the car not only doesn't have a spare, there's no place to put one except strapped to the trunk floor. But alas, BMW actually makes a kit for exactly this purpose! I may purchase one of those. Not sure yet.

If I do purchase a spare tire kit my wife would be up to the task. Even at 59 years old she's still blessed with the naturally athletic body she was born and grew up with. She's still a good athlete and has amazing physical strength and endurance.

In the mean time I bought a Continental "Comfort Kit". It's a nice apparatus with a powerful inflator and a way to inject goop if needed to seal the puncture. But, this has no use in the case of a sidewall puncture, or more serious tire damage.

I agree there is an element of risk in not having a spare but I honestly cannot remember the last flat tire we've had. It's been 10 years or more.

With respect to putting non-RFTs on a car designed for RFTs; that makes no difference what-so-ever with respect to chassis dynamics and tuning. The Continental Extreme Contacts are not even what I consider "hard core rubber". Regardless, the cornering power has improved markedly over the OEM RFTs. Much more grip. Way, way more grip!

I considered putting Bridgestone RE-011s on, like I have on my BMW. The RE-011s are close to being a track tire. But putting those on her car would serve no purpose because her car doesn't get tossed around mountain roads like mine does. :)

Scott
 
And speaking of run flats....

Did you know it's illegal to patch or plug one that's been punctured?

Did you know it's illegal to install run flats on a car without TPMS?

Scott
 
RFTs are also only good for up to 50 miles once they've been punctured. So if you're further away from home or shop than this, you will be calling a tow truck anyway unless you have a spare with you.
 
Hi,

Thanks for all the information.

Comparing RFT and non-RFT, I believe it is more noticeable on my rims (I have 205-55R16 on both all season and winter tires).
I definitively feel a difference in the curves... that I don't take slowly either, with the less rigid sidewalls of the non-RFT, therefore my fears and questioning.

But I will probably move to 18 inch rims next summer, so, from what I understand from you, it should be better.

As for having a flat, I am as lucky as you, don't remember even having one my entire life (but I have seen 3 in the last month or so on the side of the road).
So it is basically the same thing as deciding what type of insurance you want to take, consider the risks compare to the savings.

Fuel for thoughts... thanks.
 
Pesca, another thing to remember. I think TPMS are an effective middle ground in a car with non-RFTs and no spare. IMO, the most common situation is when you have a tire slowly deflate with the nail still inside. The TPMS would alert you to the situation early on. You could periodically refill with air (if you have the Comfort Kit), and/or lower your driving speed or destination to better accommodate the tire situation.

Said another way, I would NOT want to drive a car without a spare tire if it did not have TPMS. A car with TPMS provides sufficient protection for everything but immediate and total tire failure.

Know what I'm saying?

Scott
 
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