Do different makes of RFT give better ride.

[G-A-R-Y]

My car has two different budget tyre makes on the front axle,
I wondered if which particular brand has a better ride.
I have 16 inch wheels.

 

[skelters]

Can we assume it's a Z4 you have?!

Bin the Runflats as the Z4 drives better with normal tyres.

I always put matching tyres on front and back axles.

Believe that you can have different tyres on front or back but shouldn't have different tyres on the same axle.

I'm now on Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 front and back as the Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta tyres were at the end of their life.

Already found an extra 3 MPG from the new tyres without any change in driving style.

Might be worth looking into 18" wheels if you're also replacing the tyres.

 

[G-A-R-Y]

Yes I do have a Z4, 2.5. For me the ride is harsh enough for the roads where I live, I deliberately chose a car with 16 inch. I usually buy Michelin and wondered if premium brands would improve the ride without going to non run flats and all the fuse that entails.

 

[skelters]

It's no fuss at all.

If you have runflats then that may be causing the harshness.

 

[Marlon]

Listen to skelters - he knows what he's talking about. I have Vredestein's on all 4 corners

 

[skelters]

There's probably 1000 threads on here about tyres and the benefits of changing from runflats.

 

[TR4man]

I had Michelin Pilot Sports put on my coupe last month (although 18"). Some good offers at the moment, I had 25% off a set of four.

 

[RickRob]

G-A-R-Y you have been found guilty of having made 8 posts on the Forum and none of those have included posts of pics of your Zed.

So get your camera out!!!

 

[LeeZ4MR]

I have had both Bridgestone and Dunlop run flats and both were crap...swapping them for normal tyres is a night and day transformation for ride and overall feel of the car for sure.

 

[G-A-R-Y]

Pictures for RickRob:

So I switch to non run flats, buy a jack, what space saver will fit, ie; which model of BM's space saver are suitable.

 

[Roundozo]

E46 m sports space savers (18") fit I believe but you just really need some tyre weld or something similar.

 

[daviddi]

I have Michelin pilot sport run flat on 18 alloys, for me they are the dogs,,,,,,

 

[85genius]

personally I'd avoid going for 18's as some have suggested as I found they are more prone to blowouts, at least with the state of the potholes on the crappy roads here in Yorkshire, I suppose it depends on where you live and the state of the roads. Seriously have a look on ebay for a set of used 17's with nearly new tyres on will probably be cheaper than a full set of tyres for your current 16" alloys it will improve the look of the car, and you can sell the old 16's and make a big chunk of the outlay back

 

[G-A-R-Y]

I think I'll go for non run flats on my original 16 inch rimms. Will any E46 space saver fit, 16,17,18 inch. Shouldn't they all have the same rolling circumference? Is there a jack specific to the Z4's little black jacking blocks.

 

[skelters]

Lift the floor of the boot.

Tools etc. may be under there.

 

[DPG]

100 % yes.

I swapped from Bridgestone RFT's to Pirelli RFT's and the difference was night and day.

 

[G-A-R-Y]

I've done a little research, a 16 inch space saver from a E46 is 3% different (smaller) to the rolling circumference of the original 225/50/16. A 17 inch space saver from a E46 is identical but much harder to find as they were only fitted to more powerful E46 with bigger brakes and discs. It is however slightly narrower by 1/2 inch. It might be possible to fit it in the boot and raise the floor. I also rang my insurance company (RAC) who said it would be OK as long as I didn't change the wheel size.