[Alpintosh]

I own a 2.18i with M Sport package. For that model, factory fit tyre sizes are 225/45/R17 for front, 245/40/R17 rear Bridgestones. It's a 5 year old car (25K km though) and I feel the grip is slightly off occasionally.

I want to replace those with non RFT's, based on opinions and experiences who replaced RFT's with non RFT's. However I'm trying to find the best move. I'm thinking of Goodyear Asymmetric 5's however, I can't seem to find 245/40/R17 XL's anywhere in stock.

First of all, is this a right way to go with XL (stiffer on sides) tyres or it doesn't matter at all?
Can I just replace all 4 with 225/45/R17's?
If yes, I can change my route to 225/45/R17 Michellin PS4 RFT's all round, without the hasitation of non RFT's, since they seem to be the softest and comfiest RFT's.
If I shrink the width of the rear tyres from 245 to 225, would there be a dramatic difference, hence the need to adjust the wheels (toeing in or out etc)?

I appreciate your answers. It's my first BMW and need your advices.

[overcoil]

just wan to verify your wheel diameter is 17 inches ?

not 18 inch wheel diameter ?


also check the load rating in your owners manual or door jamb. You should not go to a lower load rating tire ideally.

Also...go to your regions Goodyear, Michelin etcetera web site and enter your car model to get recommendations.

if you can't find that Goodyear tire in stock, imagine what would happen if you had a flat and needed a replacement tire.

Also, look at the tread pattern that was on the tire delivered with your car and if you vary to far from that design you could possibly run into noise or tracking issues. So it's a good idea to chk with dealer for recommended tires for your car and look at the tread designs so you have an idea what to look for.

[Winemaker2]

If I only new the weather in Istanbul. There are some great all season tires out there that truly can be defined as ultra performance for our 2 series. In order of my preference: Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate, Michelin Sport AS 3+ and Continental Extreme Contact DWS 06. These are all non-run flat and perform well in the winter vs summer tires.

[cristo]

Yes, these are the right 17 staggered
sizes for a 218i.

I would go with 225/45/17 front and
245/40/17 Michelin PS 4S regular NonRF
tires.

They’re GREAT summer tires.

Could go with 225/45/17 all around if all
your wheels are 17x7.5, but if you have
the wider rear wheels (17x8), would keep
the 225, 245 setup.

[Alpintosh]

Originally Posted by cristo

Yes, these are the right 17 staggered
sizes for a 218i.

I would go with 225/45/17 front and
245/40/17 Michelin PS S4 regular NonRF
tires.

They’re GREAT summer tires.

Could go with 225/45/17 all around if all
your wheels are 17x7.5, but if you have
the wider rear wheels (17x8), would keep
the 225, 245 setup.

Appearantly wheel sizes are 7.5Jx17 / 8Jx17
So It would be best to keep the original setup.
I was in between PS4's and Goodyears actually. Will take a deeper look into PS4's. How about XL versions?

[Alpintosh]

Originally Posted by ScottSinger

just wan to verify your wheel diameter is 17 inches ?

not 18 inch wheel diameter ?


also check the load rating in your owners manual or door jamb. You should not go to a lower load rating tire ideally.

Also...go to your regions Goodyear, Michelin etcetera web site and enter your car model to get recommendations.

if you can't find that Goodyear tire in stock, imagine what would happen if you had a flat and needed a replacement tire.

Also, look at the tread pattern that was on the tire delivered with your car and if you vary to far from that design you could possibly run into noise or tracking issues. So it's a good idea to chk with dealer for recommended tires for your car and look at the tread designs so you have an idea what to look for.

Yes they are 17"'s.

if you can't find that Goodyear tire in stock, imagine what would happen if you had a flat and needed a replacement tire.

I had not thought about that. Thats a good point. Since I won't have a spare tyre in the trunk, it must be an easy to find tyre.

I'll consider your suggestion about the tread patterns. Thanks for that.

Edit: I checked Michelins recommendations page and it recommends PS4's, RFT for the front, Non RFT for the rear. I assume thats because they don't have 245/40 RFT's.
I wouldn't fit RFT's and Non-Rft's together. Thats pointless.

[cristo]

Get the non runflat Pilot Sport 4S
tyres front and back unless you
decide to stay with runflats (front
and back).
All my tyres for my 240i have been XL
(original P7 all season RFT (205/40/18)
that the car was delivered with, winter
X-ice xi3 (215/50/17) non-RFT, and
PS4S non-RFT (225/40/18)). I have
a non- staggered setup for both winter
and for summer. The P7s were discarded
except for one I kept as a spare on a generic
MSW wheel.

[sethwas]

Originally Posted by Alpintosh

Can I just replace all 4 with 225/45/R17's?

Yes you can.
Given your climate I would recommend an all season.

The choice will really be limited to what is available to you.

If your roads are perfect you can get something more sporty, if not, I would recommend something more comfortable. You won't notice any grip loss (your car with the M setup is already aggressive) but will notice the worse ride and noise.

Seth

[MikeG12]

I have the Michelin AS3+ all season non-RF on my 228MSport and they work very well in the staggered size. I also have Bridgestone performance winter tires in the 225 size all around on staggered size wheels and those work fine too. Both are better than the original Bridgestone summer run flats.

[Alpintosh]

Update:

I've purchased GoodYear F1 Asymmetric 5's, 225/45 - 245/40 setup (Factory sizes)

Tyres are pretty silent. Noise level dramatically decreased. Pretty comfortable tyres. Did cut out most of the trim noises inside the car.

However; I lost steering feel a lot. Feels like there is delay between my movements and the aim of the car. First 5 degrees in turn almost don't change the direction of the car. Sharpness is gone. Therefore my confidence in the agile maneuers is gone. Car feels jelly. I thought pressure might be the issue. Tried the edges (30 PSI and 40PSI) but no good. Returning them as soon as possible. I've driven lots of different cars. This setup is by far the worst driving experience ever. Cannot blame the tyres. They are probably great on different setups but not for me. I'll rebuy the Bridgestone RFT's. I'm not taking any chances by moving from RFT's to Non-RFT's anymore.

[DanG]

I think your problem was your choice of tires. Michelin A/S 3+ or PS 4s would give you a much better steering feel.