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BMW 3-Series Tires and Wheels
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Comments
That won't work... the 323i had smaller rotors than the 330's, 328's, and I think even the 325's. If you go to tirerack and put in the 330, only one sixteen inch wheel shows up. If you put in the 323, there are 9 choices.
When I got my 330Ci, I wanted to go with a 16" winter setup. At that time, there was also only one 16" wheel that would fit over the rotors (ATA brand if I remember correctly). It was different from the one that's currently there so there may be other choices available elsewhere.
BTW, the rotors would have been "ATE", not "ATA." Other than that grievous error, you're completely correct.
And thanks for the generous responses and opinions to my questions about the wheel size and tire for summer sport driving.
It sounds like finding the right size 16" wheel is a challenge ... I do have 17" x 7 now - what would be the adv/disadv of using the 7" width vs the 17x8" widths ?
And what size tire would fit the wheels?
One fellow told me that 17s would be great with 225s ... but I don't know what wheel width he was considering....
I hate the idea of going to a tire store and buying what they want to sell me vs what I determine I need! But I need to define those needs better!
Comments/ help????
Comments/ help????
I strongly suggest calling Tire Rack and speaking with one of their sales advisors. I'd be willing to bet that fewer than one in twenty tire store salespeople know anything about selecting the right tire for a true performance car. I've used Tire Rack exclusively since 1992 with zero complaints.
Call 'em.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
It appears that the recommended wheel sizes for my 330ci are 8 x 8.5, with a less expensive but recommended alternative as 7 x 8.5 [not staggered, same sizes all around]... my stock wheels are 7 x 7.0. the larger wheels would be for summer driving schools and around town use.
Anybody have experience with these?
I'd really rather not add a 3rd vehicle. My division doesn't always get plowed out early, and I would be need to drive thru a few inches of snow on a semi-regular basis. Any one out there who has experience doing this? Suggestions?
Buy the tires & a set of cheap wheels for use in the winter.
Enjoy.
Better.
Currently I have Bridgestone Turanza E30 225 45ZR17 91W, which Tire Rack lists as summer touring tires. These tires do need to be replaced because of tread wear, so I have to get some kind of new tires now.
Do I buy summer tires now and then winter tires when it snows, or would replacing them w/ all season get me thru the snow?
I love the way the car handles now. Would the all season reduce the crisp handling? I wouldn't say I drive it hard, but I do like to take the curvy, twisty roads.
I wouldn't mind feeling every bump on the road a little less ;-)
It would be nice to not have to find room in my garage to store extra tires, and ask someone with a pick-up to transport them for me twice a year.
I've never really driven this car in the winter, but on the couple occasions I got caught in unexpected snow, it wasn't fun. Situation has changed, and I want to make the car my year round primary vehicle now.
Any help from you guru's is much appreciated.
Thanks
I thought if I get all-season and they don't cut it, I could always then go w/ winter after the snow starts. But I don't know how much handling I would loose w/ an all season over a summer tire in the summer months?
If you go with a high-performance all-season, your handling will actually improve, but you'll sacrifice some quietness. All-season tires are basically a year-round compromise - they aren't the best at anything, but they are solid performers in all areas.
As for actual snow traction, I've gotten by with all-seasons during our infrequent snow storms here in Seattle, but they are not confident in the snow. If you are careful and don't try to go up/down too steep hills, you will be OK. Probably.
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I'm heading out to the tire store, and hope with what I've learned here and what they tell me, I'll be able to make a good choice.
Thanks all.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Hope they work on the white stuff this winter.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
If the car isn't going to see the track or autocross course I would go with the 17" wheels. You might also find the ride to be a bit more compliant and the 17" wheels will be less prone to damage from potholes and such.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
I would have to say that my 325 with the full set of snow tires was better in the snow than my previous Audi A4 with all-wheel drive and the OEM all-season tires.
Just my experience. I also had them mounted at a shop that stores my alternate set of tires, so I just take the car there twice a year to have them swapped. Unfortunately, the price seems to go up every time, but for now it beats trying to store them at home.
Was really educated by the folks on this site.
THANKS!
Like JingleJill...have a 2003 BMW 330ci (sports package with 17 ZR) and...in south Texas....Austin.....between this website and tirerack.com....did TONS of reading and research....settled on the GENERAL Exclaim UHP....380/91W/AA/A ratings.....got them for $80 each.....plus a a $50 dollar rebate back from Continental/General.......for 360$ at my door....50 bucks to come via rebate....and add $80 for 4 installed......ANYWAY, replaced OEM MIcheline Pilots.....car only has 35K......
The GENERAL tires are awesome!!!!!!!! Like JingleJill...we obviously have no snow....HOTTER than heck....and then when there is the occasional ICE....we stay home because of the steep hills......
The tires HUG the road and are super quiet in their first 2500K......should be relative to the 35K Michelins, right!!!!
We drive aggressively of twisty roads here every day....it holds the road like we are riding on rails.
Had previously replaced the back 2 with Michelins....for 210$ EACH!!!!!......so at 80 bucks each AND THE VERY HIGH RATINGS FROM USERS AT the TIRERACK site.....figure at $80 dollars each.....we can afford to have them wear out early!
Here is a separate question for SHIPO and the braintrust.....at what spec would you replace your rear rotors? Have multiple maintenance or extended warranties on this car.....dealer replaced pads last week but NOT the rotors!
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERTISE!
Signed,
the student
FWIW, rotors for your car aren't all that expensive, however, unless you start feeling a pulsing in the brake pedal I'd leave them alone and run them until they're gone.
Best Regards,
Shipo
What the service rep could not tell me....what is the minimum on the rotor before they'll replace it! He did not know and I was late so I had to leave ASAP. Was wondering if they were trying to avoid doing work that is covered by my extended maintenance plan. Can NOT find minimum rotor specs any where!
HMMMMMMMMMMMM!
THANKS!
Best regards,
Shipo
Thanks again for your valuable contribution to this site!
Cheers from AUSTIN!
I wouldn't sweat it- especially if you aren't going to track the car. In my experience most 3 and 5 Series BMWs will only need new rotors every other pad change. That's been the case since the first E3s back in the '60s. The M cars and SUVs are another matter.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Thanks
Best regards,
Shipo
Go to TireRack.com and look up your car and then play with the filters to see a significant number of tires that will fit. ;-)
Best regards,
Shipo
IDOC
I drove through the snow this morning on Mass Pike too. My 2006 330xi which I bought last month has replacement tires. The drive was NOT fun. All wheel drive, my as*.
I had more comfort riding in snow on my 97 Honda Prelude with year old performance tires from Tire rack. And Prelude is a front wheel drive, not all wheel.
Best regards,
Shipo
I live in a hilly part of CT where we get plenty of snowy/icy days. I also frequent the Green Mountains of VT to ski; Stratton and Okemo this weekend . My 328xi with all-season Conti RFTs (now with 38K miles) is more than "passable" under winter conditions, its very good. It is far better than was my FWD Maxima with 4 snow tires. I'm sure that my 328xi with snow tires x 4 would be best of all but the down sides of expense, inconvenience of switching twice per year and a noisy rough ride make them undesirable. Based on my actual recent experience where I do agree with you is that performance tires, even on AWD, are awful!
IDOC
While that may well be, I'd bet that a 328i with four winter tires would perform as well as or better than your all-season shod 328xi when in the white stuff in every driving metric except acceleration.
Best regards,
Shipo
Agreed!
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Those two particular cars? No.
That said, back when I worked for MB-USA, I was afforded the opportunity to drive an All-Season shod AWD and Winter tire equipped RWD version of the E-Class in a controlled environment (i.e on a track) in wintery conditions. Apart from the theoretical logic of the RWD performing better in turns and in braking due to it weighing less, having better Front-to-Rear weight balance, and having tires with more grip both laterally and linearly; the drives on the track handsomely underscore the true apples to apples difference.
As I said before, the AWD car with all season tires did in fact accelerate better (and by extension climb steep hills better), however, in the braking department, the winter tire shod RWD car stopped in a significantly shorter distance from any given speed (like forty feet shorter from 50 mph). That leaves turning; this is an area that showed mixed results with the RWD car handily besting the AWD car in all but the off-camber turn test (where the AWD was the victor by a narrow margin).
In addition, there was test between two versions of the E-Class and two versions of the Audi A6 that was published by Car & Driver a few years ago that quantifies what I've written with hard facts. If you're interested you might want to take a peek in their archives for the article.
Best regards,
Shipo