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1) The near 50/50 weight distr certainly would induce more even wear.
2) The fronts are solely responsibly for directional changes, so I would expect wear patterns more latitudinal in nature -- perpendicular or diagonal to the tread.
3) Rears are solely responsible for propulsion, so I would expect wear patterns parallel to the tread.
Because of this, the wear happens to come out relatively the same (versus a front-driver where fronts have the burden of BOTH directional changes and propulsion). Also, due to the differences in wear patterns, BMW figures it's probably best NOT to rotate, keeping the tires on one duty for the duration of their lifetime -- rotating produces no lifetime benefits, and could potentially reduce handling characteristics. Why risk recommending to compromise one of the most satisfying aspects of the car?
I could be totally off-base on this, but it seemed to make sense to me
Diesel/Gas
HP: 245@2700/245@4000
TQ: 505@1600/345@3200
A very BIG difference, the Diesel is generating 505 pound feet of torque at 1600 RPM's, in some cars, that is just above idle!
Best Regards,
Shipo
I still can't figure out how it is better to make torque at high rpm than at low rpm, because you can take advantage of gearing (e46fanatics' faq on HP and torque)
It's hard to believe that only a few short years ago manufacturers were still fitting 3-speed autos to some engines. The Neon comes to mind -- talk about a mis-match of engine and tranny. Putting a 3-speed auto with a relatively high-revving, low-torque 4-banger optimizes nothing, except perhaps cost. I guess I've answered my own question there, huh?
Stacy
I have come across a good deal on a set of BMW OEM rims that are 17x8 all-around, fitted with 225/45/17 tires. What would be the pros/cons to altering my stock set-up?
1) Wider rears = greater contact area with pavement = better traction, especially on launches.
2) May make a difference to suspension calibration, but the profile affects this much more than the width.
Any truth to this?
dave
This subject was explained to me once using the following analogy:
- oversteer - you take a corner too fast and begin to lose it, you may hit stationary object (tree for example) with the rear of your car.
- understeer - you take a corner too fast and begin to lose it, you may hit stationary object (tree again) with the front of your car.
If this is accurate, wouldn't you want the collision to be with your rear/tail rather than your front-end??
My younger brother is looking into getting an A4 1.8T Quattro. I was just doing some checking around for him. Yes, he is well aware of this and other sites, but I am just an over protective older brother. :-)
jnscheong
However, I'm slightly confused by BMW's use of wider rears on the 330i SP and M3. It appears that they have taken it too far, giving the car a propensity for understeer. I wonder if a stock 3-series with the same size tires all-around under/over steers? Isn't the 325i SP set up like this? Thoughts brave? What about C&D's review of the 325i SP - what do they say?
The other wheels I really like are the style 5s (bolted cross spoke composite wheel). These were the ones on the '98-'00 528i SP cars, and I think are still available on the '01 525i SP. (Pain in the !?* to clean though.)
Wouldn't 18s be excessive? It's my understanding that anything bigger than 17s on these cars is just for show, and could actually hinder performance.
plat - Don't remember off the top off my head what C&D says about the 325i's over/under but I can tell you how I feel about it. It has a slight oversteer which I really like because it makes the car more predictable and controllable. The oversteer can be turned into understeer relatively easy. I think the 245-wide tires on the 330i are impressive (if not too much to look at) but I seriously doubt that they improve handling a lot. The 325 and 330 are very similar (identical wheelbase) and I would expect that if the 325 handles great with all-around 225's, so should the 330. It is likely BMWNA added the 245's on the 330 to differentiate it better from the 325 but the end result is mixed. See, the M3 would need those 275's or whatever rears it is using for traction because of the significantly higher HP. At 107", though, the wheelbase may be a little too long for tires that fat and now that I understand your points better, I can see how it may result in understeer. In short, I'm perfectly happy with my 325's equal tire width all around and I'm guessing the 330 would be just as fine if not even better overall with 225's all-around.
Lewparker: If you are unable to use the amp you have in the shopping bag, I would encourage you to sell it on EBAY. You might be surprised at what that might be worth to someone. I have sold a couple of items I found while cleaning out the garage. The winning bidder paid MORE than what I paid for the items originally!!!
"One man's trash is another man's treasure" seems to be alive and well!
BTW, your comment on the DSC - how often do you drive with it on/off?
Same question to the others on this board...
Hey, I love that parking lot "learning experience" if you can seriously call it that. You know that I park on the street, so often I have to make U-turns at the end of the street if I don't find a pkg spot. Having a RWD helps a lot in achieving that, especially in snow, and I'm really looking forward to that )
18's definitely overkill. it hinders performance (too heavy) and slows down steering response. stick w/ 17's - sweet spot.
But, by definition, any tire slippage (understeer or oversteer) occurs at the limits of adhesion. Otherwise, there is no slippage with adhesion.
Yeah, I love that article from Patrick Bedard that you are talking about. This guy has been racing all his life and knows what he's talking about. He gets a little monotonous but if you can get past his writing style, he is a wealth of knowledge. I remember him saying that "on-rails" handling is not necessarily better than higher profile tires that allow you to feel the slippage better before it occurs. However, I think he admitted that lower profile is marginally better on dry and wet roads but you give up a lot of handling in snow/ice. What I got out of it is that if you don't feel like swapping tires for the Winter, you'd be better-off with all-seasons for everyday driving and not giving up TOO much performance that way. Makes a lot of sense but I'd still take the low profile tires and suffer with them during the Winter OR put in snows if I can't take the pain. I guess it all comes down to driving style.
Like brave1heart, I prefer to drive on the safe side of the traction limits while on the road... never know when one of those big eight-point whitetails are gonna leap from behind a tree.
However, grabbing a big handful of throttle (sorry, motorcycling term) coming off of a corner does occasionally cause DSC to kick in.
INSTRUCTIONS ON REPLACING MOUSE BALLS
> >> > >
> >> > >This memo is from an unnamed computer
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> >> > >Especially note the last sentence
> >> > >
> >> > >Mouse balls are now available as FRU (Field Replacement Unit).
> >> > >
> >> > >Therefore, if a mouse fails to operate or should it
> >> > >perform erratically, it may need a ball replacement.
> >> > >Because of the delicate nature of this
> >> > >procedure, replacement of mouse balls should only be
> >> > >attempted by properly trained personnel.
> >> > >
> >> > >Before proceeding, determine the type of mouse balls by
> >> > >examining the underside of the mouse. Domestic balls will be larger
> >> > >and harder than foreign balls.
> >> > >
> >> > >Ball removal procedures differ depending upon the
> >> > >manufacture of the mouse.
> >> > >
> >> > >Foreign balls can be replaced using the pop-off method.
> >> > >Domestic balls are replaced by using the twist-off method.
> >> > >
> >> > >Mouse balls are not usually static-sensitive. However,
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> >> > >
> >> > >Upon completion of ball replacement, the mouse may be
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> >> > >
> >> > >Any customer missing his balls should contact the local
> >> > >personnel in charge of removing and replacing these necessary items.
Thanks for responding.
Den right,
It sounds to me like your are getting jerked around. Weren't you the one that was contemplating waiting for the 02 but decided not to?
add123
Best Regards,
Shipo
Thanks for responding.
Den right,
It sounds to me like your are getting jerked around. Weren't you the one that was contemplating waiting for the 02 but decided not to?
add123
I will check with my dealer whether: a.) the warranty is affected adversely by adding these and b.) whether the new generation "vented" Kleen Wheels do not cause rotor overheating, as Frank69 claims.
veekay1
Imagine you are cornering too fast--you are near the limits of adhesion. If your car understeers, your angle will lessen, and you will retreat from the limits of adhesion, and hopefully, the tires will hook up well. If you oversteer, your turn angle will increase, and you may well exceed the adhesion limits, and spin or slide out.
Generally speaking, 99% of the people are better off in situation #1--with understeer. I'm careful in the rain, myself, if i turn and punch it, the back wants to step out on me. I waited to get a BMW with a modern traction control.
Now, almost any car will understeer through turns in a lot of situations. If you can provoke enough oversteer to balance this, you can sail through most corners like a champ. I can kind of do this, but i do have DSC backing me up!
And, geez, slow down! I can't keep up with this topic!!
dave
do over."
-muhammad ali