12-12-2015, 09:41 AM | #1 |
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How do you guys do it?
Featured on BIMMERPOST.com How do you guys deal with the tire/wheel/suspension combination of the m235i/ or sport/m-sport 228i? I'm thinking about getting rid of my car because I feel like the roads here are way too crappy for this car. I feel like I'm destroying the bushings and suspension everyday because of all the crappy patches on the roads here. Next year I'll be driving 40 miles round trip a day into the bad parts of Philadelphia with roads and construction areas that are even worse than the suburbs by far. I'm thinking about trading my car in for a rear wheel drive 328i without sport line and or any packages that would ruin the ride quality (like my mothers 528i, which is a tank and can go anywhere). Seriously, I'm at the point where I'm afraid to drive my M235i anywhere because I don't want to pop a tire/bend a wheel/break suspension components. I think the car is way too sensitive and stuff to be able to take on the highways at high speed in the part of the country (because everyone drives like a maniac and there's no room to avoid potholes). Does anyone have a similar experience? Should I get rid of my car? Thanks Dave
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12-12-2015, 09:59 AM | #2 |
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Philadelphia has nothing on the Southeast Michigan area, including Detroit, for crappy roads. Our major political topic is not the presidency, the police, it's how the state will implement legislation for road improvements. Anyway, it's not so much the car...it's very much the wheels and tires.
Here is one solution. http://www.2addicts.com/forums/showt...&highlight=BBS And, a ready finger for the Comfort setting on the MAdaptive suspension switch. I choose Comfort vs. Sport based on two factors: 1) Is my wife in the car 2) What route/road conditions I'm facing Perhaps DWS06 tires, which as UHPAS, will also be a more forgiving model, while still providing very good performance, although clearly not PSS league. Life is full of trade-offs, but you don't need to trade off the entire car.
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12-12-2015, 10:03 AM | #3 |
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Awesome recommendation on the DWS. I had them on previous cars like my VW GLI and 330ci. They did improve ride, but they also bubbled frequently. Are Supersports really that much stiffer than DWS06?
And for some reason I thought 17s wouldn't clear the brakes but I guess you're proven that's not true...
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12-12-2015, 10:38 AM | #4 |
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In RI and we have the worst roads in the country (seriously someone did a study). I have a 13' 328i x-drive w/o adaptive suspension, stock dampers, stock springs on on the OEM Conti 18" RFT's.
I've had my car 2 1/2 years and in that time I've been through 5 wheels and 4 tires. I literally had a collection of bent/damaged wheels in my shed. The point is with crappy roads no matter what you drive you are going to have problems. Will you have less with a softer suspension and higher profile tires? Probably but its not a guarantee. BMW wheels can be a bit prone to bending. On my E92 I had 19" Alufelgen wheels with Conti DWS tires and the ride was better than the stock 17" wheels with Cont RFT's. I can't wait until I can order my M235i (March/April 16') and I envy you guys that drive them. I went from a 135i to an E92 to my current F30 (there was a GTI in there as well) and I've been waiting 2 1/2+ years to get back into something more sporty like the M235i.
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12-12-2015, 10:54 AM | #5 | |
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12-12-2015, 11:03 AM | #6 |
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The DWS06 has a similar name, but is a new product and the latest improvement from Continental. I personally prefer AS3, but DWS06 have a greater likelihood of ride improvement.
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12-12-2015, 11:28 AM | #7 |
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I have DWS06 as my winter setup and like them a lot.
Previously I almost never used comfort mode because of negligible comfort difference it provided but now comfort setting is noticeable improvement in comparison to sport setting mode. Also the lighter Enkei wheels used may be also contributing to ride comfort. Here is my setup. |
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12-12-2015, 11:39 AM | #8 |
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The benefits of living in Texas....we take off all season tires here for studless winters, such as Blizzak WS80! Although, maybe not this year....60 degrees F in December!
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12-12-2015, 11:56 AM | #9 |
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i look like a drunk driver swerving around all the potholes and slowing down to crawl over rough patches.
The BMW X-1 would have been the ideal car for my environs but was afraid my older family members would have difficulty getting into a slightly higher vehicle. |
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12-12-2015, 12:13 PM | #10 | |
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Winter is very unpredictable here. It is mostly warm but occasionally we get a few inches of snow and they are too much for stock PSS tires. This is reason I went for high performance all season tires that can cope with light snow. So far these tires performed so well that the thought of using them all year long crossed my mind. But they likely will feel too soft during near 100 degree summer temperature. |
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12-12-2015, 03:24 PM | #11 | |
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12-12-2015, 05:39 PM | #12 | ||
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12-12-2015, 06:02 PM | #13 | |
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12-12-2015, 11:02 PM | #14 |
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i was following some guy in a stanced G37 or whatever it was, in downtown Manhattan (Canal Street)...that guy was zigging some zags....
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12-12-2015, 11:32 PM | #15 |
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I doubt you will find a 3-series on RFTs to be an improvement. My '11 on 17" OEM Continental RFTs rides worse than my M235i on non-RFT Pilot Sports. And RFTs are MUCH worse for bending wheels than non-RFT. With nearly no give in the sidewalls, the force of an impact has to go somewhere - right to the rim of the wheel.
My suggestion would be to get a set of 17" wheels with non-RFT tires. The taller sidewalls will help a great deal. Much cheaper than replacing the car.
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12-13-2015, 02:47 AM | #16 | |
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A few comments from someone who has owned a few lowered cars in urban areas (read: Boston, New York City, Rochester NY, Dayton OH, Denver, CO). Bottom line: You shouldn't get rid of your car because the roads are bad, you should change the way you drive it. If you don't like driving it this way, then I guess you might want to consider something a little more compliant, or taller tires and smaller wheels. If you're on run-flats, that's your first step either way, get rid of them! I've seen quite a few bad roads in the ~10 lowered cars I've owned in these areas but have learned that no matter the kind of road, it's incumbent on me, the driver, to look after my car and drive cautiously to avoid potholes, large gaps and other obstacles. Do I swerve into other lanes to avoid them? Absolutely not! I do, however, use the skills I've picked up at HPDEs to use "high eyes" to scan the road ahead of me to see in advance where the potholes are and safely maneuver around them (be it a lane change or just adjusting my line). I've picked out 2 routes between my home and work place that I've all-but memorized (20 minutes, 11 miles) and I know where the big bumps are and how I can avoid them. As for new routes, I am constantly moving my focus to increase my situational awareness of cars around me, pedestrians and obstacles (potholes, sunken and raised manhole covers, construction, etc.) and ensure that I avoid as much of it as safely possible. I've found that this is more or less a "tax" of owning a sports/lowered car. In the end, it adds to the engagement I seek in my daily commute and I rather enjoy the drive, I find that I'm much more connected to the environment around me. Just my $0.02!
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12-13-2015, 11:08 AM | #17 | |
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Owning a sporty BMW is all fun and games when you have a commute that's fairly consistent, and you have time/low enough stress levels to enjoy your car. But when you're in class for 9 hours a day (8 to 5) and have exams every friday, I can imagine that i'll have to put my car enthusiasm asaide for a year or two, and losing valuable study time sitting at the tire place or waiting for a tow truck isn't exactly how I want to spend my afternoons in graduate/professional school. I think i'm going to keep the car and hopefully find a route that's easy on the car, but worst comes to worst, I'll have to get rid of it. Most likely i'll throw on a set of soft all-seasons and enjoy the car for the next few years . Hell, if I don't mind the commute, maybe i'll get the M240i like I plan to.
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12-13-2015, 11:12 AM | #18 | |
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But yeah, we always replace run flats with DWS, except for the most recent f10 we've had (barely put 8k on it in one year) and my car (apparently winter was cancelled this year). All they do on the previous e92s we've had and the 640 is bubble/absorb the impact without transferring it to the wheel so you don't bend the wheel. You still have to wait for a tow truck though.
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12-13-2015, 11:33 AM | #19 |
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It's an annoyance to me that the low profile tire fad has driven the automotive industry to a point where it's hard to find a non base model car with enough sidewall on the tires to be practical on Northeast roads. BMW is a big culprit here. I really wish they would go through the trouble of offering a downsize wheel/tire package from the factory, because the stuff they sell on the M sport and sport line cars just doesn't hold up, and I am past the age where I am happy to zig and zag across the road on my way to pick up a carton of milk just to have a bit more aggressive stance on my car.
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12-13-2015, 02:15 PM | #20 | |
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12-13-2015, 03:47 PM | #21 |
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12-13-2015, 04:37 PM | #22 | |
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