Tyre confusion

[glewpot]

Ummm rather confused, I know folk have touched on this subject before but I'm a little confused. My car has conti sport contact 3 on the front & conti m3 on the rear. Now the fronts are good but the rears have about worn out, so I have just been to a local garage and asked to price some conti sc 3 & was advised against them and to stick with the m3 as the the load ratings on the sport contact 3 are wrong for my car. Could some one with some unbiased knowledge Please help.
I really hate having different tyres front to rear just sounds wrong to me, & I not sure what I'm being advised sounds right either

 

[mmm-five]

I think the SportContact 3 in our size is an extra load model (usually for Mercedes - M0/M1 code), which just means it will ride a tad harder due to a thicker sidewall.

I don't believe there's any law about having a HIGHER tyre load than prescribed, but you shouldn't go below it.

I got a similar thing at Costco today when they told me I couldn't fit some Michelin Pilot Super Sports to the front only and would have to do them in a set of 4.

So, I asked the guy to price up the rears, and lo & behold the PSS isn't available in that size yet (as I already knew)

He then tried to push me over to the PS3 (about the same price), but I pointed out that those were a step down from the PS2 and PSS, so why should I pay the same price for an 'inferior' tyre.

Did have the PSS in the front size for about £200 though.

 

[ga41]

mmm-five, i'm sure i've read on the forums that the Supersports are available for our sizes. In fact i was just about to post a thread and ask where everyone with Pilot Supersports got theirs! I've been looking online for a set myself but no luck so far!

 

[mmm-five]

mmm-five, i'm sure i've read on the forums that the Supersports are available for our sizes. In fact i was just about to post a thread and ask where everyone with Pilot Supersports got theirs! I've been looking online for a set myself but no luck so far!

I've looked everywhere for our rear size (255/40r18) in both Michelin SuperSport and Continental 5P, but no luck so far - and the one's I have found for the front are not the same load rating as standard (slightly higher 95 rating).

According to Michelin, Supersports are available in 245/45r18 or 265/40r18 in the UK - so I might go for the slightly wider rear (only about 1% larger diameter), but they're only in an XL load rating of 101.

As for the Continental, it only goes up to a 245/40r18 at the moment - and the ForceContact is not available in 18" sizes yet.

 

[lacroupade]

Are these them?

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m61b0s5615p0/Car_Tyres_-_MPV_Tyres_-_People_Carrier_Tyres_-_18_inch_R18_inch_-_255_40_18_255_40_R_18_BMW

or Pirellis...?

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m61b0s5059p0/Car_Tyres_-_MPV_Tyres_-_People_Carrier_Tyres_-_18_inch_R18_inch_-_255_40_18_255_40_RF_18_Runflat

or Continentals but wrong sort

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m61b0s473p0/Car_Tyres_-_MPV_Tyres_-_People_Carrier_Tyres_-_18_inch_R18_inch_-_255_40_18_255_40_R_18

 

[mmm-five]

Are these them?

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m61b0s5615p0/Car_Tyres_-_MPV_Tyres_-_People_Carrier_Tyres_-_18_inch_R18_inch_-_255_40_18_255_40_R_18_BMW

No, they are Pilot Sport PS2, which is being phased out and replaced by the Pilot Super Sport (which is reported as being better in every area). There's also a PS3, which confusingly is a 'downgrade' to the PS2.

or Pirellis...?

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m61b0s5059p0/Car_Tyres_-_MPV_Tyres_-_People_Carrier_Tyres_-_18_inch_R18_inch_-_255_40_18_255_40_RF_18_Runflat

They're runflats - the ones for the Z4M would be the P-Zero Rosso. But I've gone off Pirellis since I had two consecutive sets of P-Zeros on my M5 (after finding the first set disappointing and thinking it was just an age of tyre issue) and have swapped & stuck to either Conti or Michelin (except for the tyre test I did for Pistonheads where I ran a set of budget tyres until they wore out - but they were still better than the Pirelli).

or Continentals but wrong sort

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m61b0s473p0/Car_Tyres_-_MPV_Tyres_-_People_Carrier_Tyres_-_18_inch_R18_inch_-_255_40_18_255_40_R_18

They're the standard ones that are really old tech, and what I'm trying to replace with the PSS or SC5.

 

[glewpot]

Ive looked at the conti sport contact three`s for the rear but they dont actually make them for the z4m with the correct load rating, is this a major issue.
Would the best advice be to stick with the oem m3 conti`s?
Thinking down the lines of i know they are supposed to be old tech but they are the correct tyre for the car?

 

[ga41]

Ive looked at the conti sport contact three`s for the rear but they dont actually make them for the z4m with the correct load rating, is this a major issue.
Would the best advice be to stick with the oem m3 conti`s?
Thinking down the lines of i know they are supposed to be old tech but they are the correct tyre for the car?

Apart from arguably the ones the car left the factory with there's no "correct" tire per se. You just have to see what suits your driving style and budget.

 

[mmm-five]

Ive looked at the conti sport contact three`s for the rear but they dont actually make them for the z4m with the correct load rating, is this a major issue.
Would the best advice be to stick with the oem m3 conti`s?
Thinking down the lines of i know they are supposed to be old tech but they are the correct tyre for the car?

You might not find the exact load rating, but I'm sure there's SC3 with slightly higher ratings, which will be fine.

The performance difference over the standard SC M3 tyre will more than make up for the slightly stiffer sidewall - and might even make initial turn in sharper.

 

[ga41]

Ive looked at the conti sport contact three`s for the rear but they dont actually make them for the z4m with the correct load rating, is this a major issue.
Would the best advice be to stick with the oem m3 conti`s?
Thinking down the lines of i know they are supposed to be old tech but they are the correct tyre for the car?

You might not find the exact load rating, but I'm sure there's SC3 with slightly higher ratings, which will be fine.

The performance difference over the standard SC M3 tyre will more than make up for the slightly stiffer sidewall - and might even make initial turn in sharper.

And make for a slightly better steering response.

 

[glewpot]

I have already got sc3 on the front so guess might as well have them on the I guess

 

[glewpot]

Well I think I've answered my own question sc3 on the front already, which are the wrong load rating as oem scm3, hence why they say extra load rate tyres around them. Pzeros on the rear seem the same as oem conclusion I've come to is guess it don't matter to much !

 

[mmm-five]

Well I've just ordered 2 x Supersports for the front, and I'll make the decision on the size of the rears when I need them, as I've still got 6mm on the rears, and our size may even be available then.

 

[pilchardthecat]

I've just put Conti 3s on the front of mine - still have conti m3s on the back. The BMW main dealer sourced and fitter the Conti 3s at my request. No mention of them not being suitable.

The conti 3s are a much much better tyre than the m3. Car has developed an oversteery tendency having quite a bit less grip (relatively) at the back now

 

[glewpot]

Yes sounds about right conti 3 on front with about 6mm and shot rear tyres = manic over steer hence no confidence and new tyres required rapido