[malibulivin]

Good afternoon. I need to put a new set of shoes on the D and was looking for recos from the audience as to what you guys have found is a great all around RFT. Do you reccomend the stock 17" Contis again or is there something better performing. I live in New England, but have a set of snows. So something for this climate and it has to be RFT unfortunately.

Many thanks. You guys are always super helpful on here

[Yozh]

This is a good thread: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=926563

[GreekboyD]

Why do they have to be RFT?

[daveN007]

Originally Posted by GreekboyD

Why do they have to be RFT?

Frost heaves.

You really need tank tracks on your car back there.

My company is headquartered in MA. If the pilgrims had landed in San Diego, that whole part of the country would still be uninhabited. New England is the result of a historical accident, and the subsequent "hand crafting" of so much beer that the locals lack the motivation to leave.

[Hoooper]

The best RFTs are the ones leaving with the recycler.

[CT_335D]

Originally Posted by malibulivin

Good afternoon. I need to put a new set of shoes on the D and was looking for recos from the audience as to what you guys have found is a great all around RFT. Do you reccomend the stock 17" Contis again or is there something better performing. I live in New England, but have a set of snows. So something for this climate and it has to be RFT unfortunately.

Many thanks. You guys are always super helpful on here

I ended up buying the Michelin Primacy MXM4 ZP run flat tires, but I haven't installed them yet. Took off the winter tire/wheel set and put my old continental tire/wheel set so that I could do some burnouts before I get the new tires mounted. Should have them installed this weekend.

[335dFan]

I think you should call Tire Rack and tell them your requirements. They can steer you right. Plus you can go on line and educate yourself before speaking to them. I understand there are some nice Michelin RFTs, but that may be more tire than you need. For New England I am surprised you don't want a second set of wheels for winter tires. Heck, I even have them here in Maryland. Blizzaks.

[geko29]

Originally Posted by 335dFan

For New England I am surprised you don't want a second set of wheels for winter tires. Heck, I even have them here in Maryland. Blizzaks.

He said he has a set of snows.

I would (did, actually) get a second set of wheels and put your summer tires on those.

OP, can you talk a little bit more about the frost heaves necessitating RFTs? We get plenty of that (and potholes that can swallow a Suburban) in Chicago as well. Non-RFT would give you a better ride over the bumps, while also making it less likely to crack a wheel, since there's some give in the rubber (all the shock doesn't transmit directly to the wheel). Are you saying they're required because you know no matter what you ARE going to break a wheel, and want to be able to continue driving when you do? Or is there something else I'm missing?

If I HAD to have RFTs (I run 19" PSS in the summer and 17" Blizzaks in the winter, both non-RFT), I'd probably go with 18" Michelin PS2 ZP.

[usna2k]

If you have snow tires already and don't mind being a little spendy to get arguably the best summer/wet performance tire out there, take a serious look at the Michelin Pilot Super Sport. They are NOT runflat, but you can get piece of mind by picking up an M Mobility Kit/similar kit and putting it in the trunk.

The PSS are amazing, AMAZING tires that have the grip to deal with the torque monster that is the M57. I swapped to them last year and would NEVER go back to RFTs again.

You won't be disappointed...and I know there are more of you guys out there that can attest to this!

[geko29]

Originally Posted by usna2k

The PSS are amazing, AMAZING tires that have the grip to deal with the torque monster that is the M57. I swapped to them last year and would NEVER go back to RFTs again.

You won't be disappointed...and I know there are more of you guys out there that can attest to this!

I should be able to put my 19" SuperSports back on in a week or two, cant wait! The blizzaks were awesome over the winter, but now that the snow's gone it's starting to get annoying to not be able to punch it on highway on-ramps without the DSC light giving me an epileptic seizure. The PSS will spin if you hammer them hard enough, but you really have to WANT them to spin.

[Jhayd11]

Conti's are the only RFT with a manufacturer warranty and I find the best at not getting impact bubbles. If you are going with the ContiProContact All season, they are pretty quiet, have good tread life, but they are definitely not as sporting as some of the alternatives. These were my favorite on my 328i and Mini to keep on year round in VA.

Michelin Pilot Super Sport ZP's were the best RFT summer tire I have had on any e90 (what I have on my 335i now), but impact bubbles happen frequently while driving in Jersey, esp. with that heavy engine up front. Back down the the Pilot Sport ZP for a bit better traction in the rain and a little longer tread life.

[AzureHaze]

The best RFT is no RFT.

[Yozh]

I found that I frequently bent my stock 18" rims with RFTs especially at the back 255/35/18 as rim is 8.5" wide. Switching to non-RFT snows for the colder season, same size, resulted in straight rims. Fixing rims is expensive and is something to consider. When I wear out my summer RFTs, definitely be switching to normal ones with a spare in a trunk. Cheaper, easier to fix, anyone can mount them, less bent rims and way nicer ride. Also, I would rather a tire take a hit than my rim or suspension components. RFTs always had sidewall cord damage too. Nice concept, too impractical in some parts of North America's potholed roads.

[ddeliber]

Originally Posted by CT_335D

I ended up buying the Michelin Primacy MXM4 ZP run flat tires, but I haven't installed them yet. Took off the winter tire/wheel set and put my old continental tire/wheel set so that I could do some burnouts before I get the new tires mounted. Should have them installed this weekend.

Tirerack.com still has these on sale for $135 a piece in17"

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...r=Base%20Model

Just installed a set this past weekend. So far so good, as smooth as butter - and no DSC light so far (just a few miles though).

[Kjelly]

I have the Yokohama Avid ENVigor ZPSs. They did great this past winter in both snow and ice. Got them from Tirerack. They feel fine as compared to the Conti DWS I had on my previous car (05 Acura TL)

[Pierre Louis]

I'm getting ready to buy a new set of tires - the original RFT's have worn in the back after 40,000 miles. The RFT's are much more expensive but may have advantages in sidewall stiffness (cornering) and safety (such as getting a flat on I-495 around D.C. during rush hour).

The Michelin PSS are more expensive than other non-RFT's and have soft sidewalls, but many are very pleased with them, so cost doesn't come into play there. I love Michelins but found my OEM Bridgestone Potenza RE050A I RFT Max Performance Summer tires on my sport suspension were pretty good (they are a bit sensitive to tire pressure - better with higher).

So I'm still on the fence since I wish to track the car again but don't want to spend additionally for a separate track tire setup.

PL

[335dFan]

Originally Posted by Pierre Louis

I'm getting ready to buy a new set of tires - the original RFT's have worn in the back after 40,000 miles. The RFT's are much more expensive but may have advantages in sidewall stiffness (cornering) and safety (such as getting a flat on I-495 around D.C. during rush hour).

The Michelin PSS are more expensive than other non-RFT's and have soft sidewalls, but many are very pleased with them, so cost doesn't come into play there. I love Michelins but found my OEM Bridgestone Potenza RE050A I RFT Max Performance Summer tires on my sport suspension were pretty good (they are a bit sensitive to tire pressure - better with higher).

So I'm still on the fence since I wish to track the car again but don't want to spend additionally for a separate track tire setup.

PL

So far I have been very pleased with the overall performance of the Michelin PSS non-RFT in the DC Metro area, for Summit Point HPDE use, and for long distance road trips, most recent 6,500 miles last summer. Wear has been good and even, comfort level is good, adhesion good in dry and wet, and they even stuck to the road better in the initial cold weather than my original Conti RFTs did. Having said that, I do carry a donut spare, a compressor, slime, and plugs with me at all times. That is a little inconvenient, but in my situation not a big problem.

[Hoooper]

Sidewall stiffness shouldnt be confused with traction though. Wagon wheels have a pretty stiff sidewall

[BOTUS]

Originally Posted by Yozh

I found that I frequently bent my stock 18" rims with RFTs especially at the back 255/35/18 as rim is 8.5" wide. Switching to non-RFT snows for the colder season, same size, resulted in straight rims. Fixing rims is expensive and is something to consider. When I wear out my summer RFTs, definitely be switching to normal ones with a spare in a trunk. Cheaper, easier to fix, anyone can mount them, less bent rims and way nicer ride. Also, I would rather a tire take a hit than my rim or suspension components. RFTs always had sidewall cord damage too. Nice concept, too impractical in some parts of North America's potholed roads.

I can only agree, this is the first car I had with run flats and all I can say its is by far the worse car I have ever owned. Its just bloody awful everywhere. They have no grip whatsoever and no compliance at all.

The roads are pretty horrific round here but all the same some times you just have to go over a mildly sunken drain cover (say 1/2" ) and its a wonder how the windscreen doesn't pop out and I come to a halt with the whole suspension and wheel assembly 100 yards back down the road. It sure sounds and feels like this is what's happened.

I already got the spare wheel but the free tyres I was going to get have fallen through. So I'm still on these bridgestone things made of concrete.

If I was in charge of road safety I wouldn't let these cars on a public highway running these stupidly dangerous runflats, the car won't drive in a straight line on country roads no matter how hard you fight it

[CT_335D]

Originally Posted by CT_335D

I ended up buying the Michelin Primacy MXM4 ZP run flat tires, but I haven't installed them yet. Took off the winter tire/wheel set and put my old continental tire/wheel set so that I could do some burnouts before I get the new tires mounted. Should have them installed this weekend.

So I installed the Michelin Primacy MXM4 tires this weekend. So far so good. They feel and sound just like the Continental's that I had on the car originally. They seem smooth and quiet on the highway, but since they are still RFT, you feel every bump, hole and anything else hard you drive over, just like the Continental tires. The difference being the price.