How Tough is the Z4

C

cghath

Member
I recently pruchased a 2007 3.0si Roadster with less than 4,000 miles on it.
In addition to the run flat tires, it has the Sport pkg.
Needless to say, the ride is very SOLID.
Road repair in Hampton Roads, VA is marginal at best.
Therefore, when you hit one of these attempts at a road repair, the car really gets a jolt.

The question I have is, is the Z4 built tough enough to take these jolts without starting to rattle and loosen up over the course of time?

I have read about the advantages of going to a non run flat tire (and that may be in the future).
Till then, will the car hold together?

Thanks for the advice in advance.

CGH
 
you're in the US so check into the non-rfts before you go with them--you may have in-tire TPMs and they don't like goo.

As to solid, mine's holding up very well. ANY car will need more attention if it's run on rough roads-things like alignments, etc.

Enjoy, they're a lot of fun.
 
The car is certainly built well enough but the "rubber band tires" don't do much to cushion the rims from impacts with major urban obstacles. A non RFT will give you a better ride but won't protect you from bent rims. A RFT, having stiffer side walls, might be a better bet. But, if it's really that bad, get a X5.
 
cghath, welcome to the forum... :thumbsup:
We have some pretty bad roads in Pennsylvania and I would even say much worse that in Virginia. I have been driving a Z4's for over 6 years and have never damaged one yet and I don't have RF's.... :!:
Now I have hit some bad sections of road a number of time and have been concerned that I might have bent or broken something but so far so good... :driving:
 
cghath, welcome to the forum. I also live within the Hampton Roads area and my 2004 Z4 3.0i rides just as tight as when I purchased it new. I did replace the Bridgestones with Michelin PS2 ZP's.
 
I drove a fellow board members on the West coast USA fast though the hills last year. With IIRC 160,000 on the clock it felt like new :)

That said it's a roadster so is generally more flexy than a box saloon, it runs tight suspension and hard RFT tyres, so is likely to develop more rattles and squeeks over time.
 
I've decided to go with the non run-flat tires.
I have another complete set of series 108 wheels that I'll have them mounted on.
I checked w/ BMW and the tire pressure module is $131 per tire and an additional $30 per wheel for the associated valve stem.
Therefore, I've decided that it would be advantageous to not mount the pressure modules and stem in the wheels, which eliminates the problem of what a can of Fix-a-Flat will do to them.
I'll keep everything in tact for the 4 wheels that I take off and use them for winter.

QUESTION: does anyone know what the effect of running without the tp modules and valve stems are (i.e., is it just a light on the dash?)

Thanks again,

CGH
 
cghath,

I have had my Zed in VB for the last 18 months. They are tough little cars. I use it as a daily driver, back and forth from Pungo to the Naval Base......

The only thing I recommend is to get rid of your RFT's and get your car aligned every 12-18 months.... Other than that, they are tough little cars... :driving:

Without your TMP modules, you WILL get a tire pressure warning light and it will not be amber but RED.... Mine was when I shredded a tire a couple of weeks ago.... Do you really want a blinking red light right in the center of your instrument cluster for four or five months?

Since we only get snow here once in a blue moon, I keep the summer tires on year round with out any real adverse effects..

$131 seems a bit steep. Check here for prices: http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?siteid=214760

I only go to the dealer in an emergency.
 
I hit a pot hole the other day, a real wallop of a bang... checked the wheel upon arrival at my destination and it was fine (running non-rft 18")

I think you need not worry about the chassis generally, the bushings and tyres are the wear items there, as much as it feels like a bang into the body shell, it isn't really THAT bad... what will wear are those wear items, so bushings, tyres, possibly wheels, and as Shipkiller said, alignment will then suffer more.

I'd just make sure stuff is replaced in good time (ie, before the MOT picks up on it and fails it), and the car should drive very nicely :)

Dave
 
Mines done 70k on run flats and 18"s, a rattle from the passenger seat area is all I get, seems to be ok if I move the seat forward a bit.
 
Apart from the odd tiny rattle and squeek, for a roadster mine seems pretty well screwed together. Which is what you would expect from a BMW :D
 
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