[SmallTownBoy]

And the clearance is.... good?

Likely going with the same setup but WS80.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by mmmmm235i

Anyone know if these are offered in 18-19 for the 2? Great winter set OP

I didn't see on tire rack but I didn't look too hard bc I wanted 17.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by SmallTownBoy

And the clearance is.... good?

Likely going with the same setup but WS80.

Based on my unscientific stick my hand back there quick test it's as good if not better than stock on the face and fine on the side of the caliper.

[///MCFC]

Originally Posted by mmmmm235i

Anyone know if these are offered in 18-19 for the 2? Great winter set OP

18s would be the sweet spot for me. vanity would prob not allow me to go 17s. but they do good OP...congrats.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by ///MCFC

18s would be the sweet spot for me. vanity would prob not allow me to go 17s. but they do good OP...congrats.

I sacrificed some looks for a better winter setup. That said they really don't look that small compared to stock bc the wheel is so open and the profile on the tire is so much beefier. Side by side the whole setup is basically same diameter as stock.

[SmallTownBoy]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

Based on my unscientific stick my hand back there quick test it's as good if not better than stock on the face and fine on the side of the caliper.

Thanks!

[CONTROL ONE]

Did you get the TPMS installed as well? They were a $355 option from Tirerack.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by CONTROL ONE

Did you get the TPMS installed as well? They were a $355 option from Tirerack.

I got them but I paid signficanlty less than that when I ordered two weeks ago. They have since increased their pricing apparently. One thing to note you need the sensor and the titanium colored sleeve or whatever it is called, not the BMW piece which if memory serves is another $50 or thereabouts. The website will make you put 3 things in your cart, you only need 2 so call them to order.

[TB///M3]

Did you go with a square setup? 225/45R17 all around?

[USPSALIMITED]

Blizzak & PSS tire tidbits.


On the phone today Bridgestone rep said that 54 F and above is the point when Blizzaks start "wearing extremely fast".

The Michelin folks did not seem anxious to give a clear answer about minimum temps for the pss. They finally got to 'don't use them below 40 F' after two or three somewhat conflicting emails, and I got the feeling the answer was more just wanting to say something safe and get rid of me than something based on testing & data. The point at which you have to worry about them cracking remains a mystery, they directed me to a consumer reports article which referenced a GM letter stating that the tires could crack at temps below 20 F but I was never able to find any evidence of tire damage above this temperature (that is not meant to imply that I doubt what is said about the tires getting hard and slick at around 40 f).

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by BluF22

Did you go with a square setup? 225/45R17 all around?

Yes square same all around.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by USPSALIMITED

Blizzak & PSS tire tidbits.


On the phone today Bridgestone rep said that 54 F and above is the point when Blizzaks start "wearing extremely fast".

The Michelin folks did not seem anxious to give a clear answer about minimum temps for the pss. They finally got to 'don't use them below 40 F' after two or three somewhat conflicting emails, and I got the feeling the answer was more just wanting to say something safe and get rid of me than something based on testing & data. The point at which you have to worry about them cracking remains a mystery, they directed me to a consumer reports article which referenced a GM letter stating that the tires could crack at temps below 20 F but I was never able to find any evidence of tire damage above this temperature (that is not meant to imply that I doubt what is said about the tires getting hard and slick at around 40 f).

Good to know - I've also been told the PSS will handle like garbage when cold and hard not sure on temp though.

[boost82]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

Good to know - I've also been told the PSS will handle like garbage when cold and hard not sure on temp though.

When it's really cold and wet they are dangerous

[five3three]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

Good to know - I've also been told the PSS will handle like garbage when cold and hard not sure on temp though.

The temperature piece is kind of overrated I believe. I ran PSS for the last several years in winters where the temperatures were consistently below the freezing mark and even on 0 to 10 degree days. Tires warm up as you start driving so tire temperature does not stay that cold for too long. They drove just fine on any day when it was dry outside.

Now, as with any other summer tire, they drove like crap when there was even a dusting of snow on the ground and was a challenge to even control. Good luck getting up your driveway if it even has the slightest slant to it if there is any snow on the ground. I was too lazy to get winters on my 335 and I figured I wouldn't drive if it snowed so only got stuck driving in light snow once or twice.

I also had zero problems ever driving in cold temperatures with rain (30-40) on a regular basis as long as it was not icy outside. The tires handled just fine. And for the record, during the past few years I was pulling about 20-25k/year so did quite a bit of winter driving solely on PSS.

I think I'm doing winter performance tires this year mainly because I don't want to have to care too much about what the weather will be.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Congrats!!!
BBS make some awesome wheels

[TaigaTii]

Finding wheels/tires for winter for this car has been a challenge!

The high offsets of the OEM setup makes finding the appropriate set difficult especially since the 2 series is new (2014). I really liked the idea of the BBS SR in 17" with the Blizzak 225/45/17 LM-32 tires (as per BEM-S4). However, while they could be brought in by a local outlet, they were more expensive and there were questions of fit (from my enquiries to BBS in Georgia).

I live near Vancouver, so winter is coastal with lots of rain and some snow and cold conditions (less than 7 degrees centigrade). I want to be able to drive the car in the winter but I don't want to be "caught-out" in freezing or snowy conditions with the OEM PSS tires.

Most of my local wheel/tire places cannot provide an aftermarket solution that is reliable in terms of fit and price.

So, BMW Canada recommends OEM style 380 wheels with Continental Winter Contact TS830P tires (performance winter tires) in 205/50/17 (so narrower and much higher profile). Clarification is needed to determine if these are the run-flat (SSR - self sealing) version or not? For winter driving I'm not so concerned so much about the sharpness of the performance (so even run-flats may be OK).

What surprised me was the price of the tire set would compute out to be in the same ballpark as much of the aftermarket sets (remembering that all of this stuff is more expensive in Canada).

If anyone has any opinions on the BMW recommendations please feel free to comment.

Thanks - pete

[RedRocketM2]

I can confirm that the PSS's loose a great deal of traction and feel very rigid as you approach the freezing mark. They are down right sketchy in wet near zero conditions and are not safe in the snow. Remember these are high performance summer tires. I have used them on three different cars so far 911 4S, S5 and 135i.

My concern is going down to a 205/50/17, that is so narrow compared to the summer set up.

I am going to test fit my 17" rims from our old 135i and if they fit I will try using 225/45/17

[Killramos]

Originally Posted by RedRocketM2

I can confirm that the PSS's loose a great deal of traction and feel very rigid as you approach the freezing mark. They are down right sketchy in wet near zero conditions and are not safe in the snow. Remember these are high performance summer tires. I have used them on three different cars so far 911 4S, S5 and 135i.

My concern is going down to a 205/50/17, that is so narrow compared to the summer set up.

I am going to test fit my 17" rims from our old 135i and if they fit I will try using 225/45/17

Narrow is significantly better for any significant ammount of snow. If you have mostly ice and dry roads then wider isn't deteimental.



Example of how thin snow rally tires are. And they have a lot more hp/tq than we do.

[Killramos]

Originally Posted by TaigaTii

Finding wheels/tires for winter for this car has been a challenge!

The high offsets of the OEM setup makes finding the appropriate set difficult especially since the 2 series is new (2014). I really liked the idea of the BBS SR in 17" with the Blizzak 225/45/17 LM-32 tires (as per BEM-S4). However, while they could be brought in by a local outlet, they were more expensive and there were questions of fit (from my enquiries to BBS in Georgia).

I live near Vancouver, so winter is coastal with lots of rain and some snow and cold conditions (less than 7 degrees centigrade). I want to be able to drive the car in the winter but I don't want to be "caught-out" in freezing or snowy conditions with the OEM PSS tires.

Most of my local wheel/tire places cannot provide an aftermarket solution that is reliable in terms of fit and price.

So, BMW Canada recommends OEM style 380 wheels with Continental Winter Contact TS830P tires (performance winter tires) in 205/50/17 (so narrower and much higher profile). Clarification is needed to determine if these are the run-flat (SSR - self sealing) version or not? For winter driving I'm not so concerned so much about the sharpness of the performance (so even run-flats may be OK).

What surprised me was the price of the tire set would compute out to be in the same ballpark as much of the aftermarket sets (remembering that all of this stuff is more expensive in Canada).

If anyone has any opinions on the BMW recommendations please feel free to comment.

Thanks - pete

Bmw recomends SSR tires. That's what I ordered at least.

I have good reason: it's damn cold in alberta and my fiancé uses the car. Therefore being stranded isn't an option. I just accept that come winter fun is over

[BWilliams]

Sorry to bump an old post, but which BMW center caps did you use? I'm looking at the same wheels for the winter setup on my 5, and I can't find caps that are supposed to fit these wheels.

[2+3=5]

Originally Posted by TaigaTii

Finding wheels/tires for winter for this car has been a challenge!

The high offsets of the OEM setup makes finding the appropriate set difficult especially since the 2 series is new (2014). I really liked the idea of the BBS SR in 17" with the Blizzak 225/45/17 LM-32 tires (as per BEM-S4). However, while they could be brought in by a local outlet, they were more expensive and there were questions of fit (from my enquiries to BBS in Georgia).

I live near Vancouver, so winter is coastal with lots of rain and some snow and cold conditions (less than 7 degrees centigrade). I want to be able to drive the car in the winter but I don't want to be "caught-out" in freezing or snowy conditions with the OEM PSS tires.

Most of my local wheel/tire places cannot provide an aftermarket solution that is reliable in terms of fit and price.

So, BMW Canada recommends OEM style 380 wheels with Continental Winter Contact TS830P tires (performance winter tires) in 205/50/17 (so narrower and much higher profile). Clarification is needed to determine if these are the run-flat (SSR - self sealing) version or not? For winter driving I'm not so concerned so much about the sharpness of the performance (so even run-flats may be OK).

What surprised me was the price of the tire set would compute out to be in the same ballpark as much of the aftermarket sets (remembering that all of this stuff is more expensive in Canada).

If anyone has any opinions on the BMW recommendations please feel free to comment.

Thanks - pete

I got the BMW recommended setup installed this week as temperature hit 2 degrees last night... Ride is more bouncy and more road noise but handled well at 120+ kmph ... haven't driven in rain yet.

My PSS def needed warming up on cold mornings but gripped well during a couple heavy down pours on the highway at 120+ kmph

I drive my car hard and expect a lot out of my tires

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by BWilliams

Sorry to bump an old post, but which BMW center caps did you use? I'm looking at the same wheels for the winter setup on my 5, and I can't find caps that are supposed to fit these wheels.

There is no BMW center cap that will work, at least not that I could find. The BBS ones looked fine, but I prefer to minimize different logos on my cars. I just got a blank 56mm center cap on ebay (black plastic) and found a 56mm metal sticker to apply to it (no longer for sale). If you search 56mm BMW you should be able to cobble something similar together.