A few questions on mods

relic222

Member
Hi All,

I was discussing with an ex-Z4 owner about switching to non run-flat tyres on the weekend but he was saying that when he mentioned it to his dealer they told him it wasn't a good idea as the Z4 is set up for the harder ride of RFs, and when changed over would result in a very soft ride - wallowing through corners etc. Is this true? I'm aware that many people on this forum have changed over so I'm interested to get some first hand views on it.

Secondly I'm looking at getting a set of 224s so would probably do the change all in one go. I currently have a 2004 3.0, would I need any spacers or anything if I were to fit 224s?

I went on a track day on the weekend (videos and pictures are currently being edited and will be uploaded shortly). I absolutely loved it and the Z4 was a complete hoot to drive. Unfortunately my brakes were a major weak link - they tended to overheat after about 3 or 4 laps which limited my track time somewhat. In the long run I'm looking at possibly turning the Z4 into a track car, getting a Brembo BBK etc but it's a bit expensive to justify at the moment. I've seen a few cheaper alternatives mentioned on the forum so it would be nice to get a few thoughts on those. In the short term some better pads and fluid should help out a little.

The other possible (and much cheaper) upgrade is a new set of springs, again I've noticed a number of people fitting Eibachs to their cars. do you just need the springs or would you need to get a whole new suspension setup? Also, what affect does this have on the ride height? I wouldn't mind it lowered slightly but I don't want to drop it too much as it's still a daily driver. I'm a complete beginner when it comes to both Z4s and car mods so any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
224's will go straight on.

You may need to get skinny rears though as some get rubbing with standard size tyres
 
relic222 said:
I was discussing with an ex-Z4 owner about switching to non run-flat tyres on the weekend but he was saying that when he mentioned it to his dealer they told him it wasn't a good idea as the Z4 is set up for the harder ride of RFs, and when changed over would result in a very soft ride - wallowing through corners etc. Is this true? I'm aware that many people on this forum have changed over so I'm interested to get some first hand views on it.
I don't think I've seen a single comment from anyone who has switched from run-flats suggesting that the experience has been anything other than positive
 
DPG said:
224's will go straight on.

You may need to get skinny rears though as some get rubbing with standard size tyres

Good to know, thanks.

PerryGunn said:
I don't think I've seen a single comment from anyone who has switched from run-flats suggesting that the experience has been anything other than positive

That's exactly what I had thought. It surprised me when he said that as most people say the ride is much nicer but I thought I'd better check just in case.
 
After seeking advise on this forum I changed to non runflats and they are much much better
I wouldn't believe what the main dealers tell you, they will only assume that the manufacturers are right because they don't want to be seen to contradict them
They only drive the cars for a few miles when road testing where as owners will drive them for thousands of miles so I am sure that owners will give a more accurate feedback
 
I agree, I have never read that about non-RFTs. I a pretty sure that dealer was talking 'theoretically', and has never driven a Z with and without back to back...

When DPG says 'skinny rears' he means get the standard tyre sizes for your car - so 225/18/40 up front and 255/18/35 on the rears. M standard sizes have profiles of 45 and 40 respectively as they have a different suspension set-up - tyres with these profiles will rub on a non-M.
 
Great, well that's enough people calling bulls*** for me. Non run-flats will be going on when I next change.

I've been looking at these wheels on ebay. The description states that it has the 45 and 40 profiles but when I messaged the seller they said they'd been running it on a 2005 3.0i without any issues. Could someone explain what 'rubbing' is and whether it's a big problem or just an annoyance? It seems a fairly good deal - the 4 tyres all have good tread and are a decent tyre, it's just the profiles that could potentially cause an issue.
 
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