Tire Philosophy

Ohmess

Ohmess

I wanna DRIVE!
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I am wondering what type of tires folks like?

I was leaning toward high performance tires, but I note many here use all season and/or "touring" tires. I have long thought all weather tires are too much of a compromise.

The Michelin Pilot/Super Sport tires that I have on my e39 are excellent tires, with particularly good braking performance (which is one of my things; love good braking performance). That said, they are not recommended in the cold, and downright dangerous if run in snow (never again). And not available in a size that will fit my car.

I don't plan to drive my coupe in snow, of course, but plan to run her on clear cool days (30s). So, I was thinking I would seek a summer high performance tire, understanding that the car is not really a super high performance machine, and tire selection is extremely limited.

Do folks favor summer "performance" tires, or is a grand touring type of tire more in keeping with the character of the car?
 
First question is what size rims, this will greatly affect the philosophy due to limited choices.
 
Indeed it will. While I love the look of the 225 width racing slicks, they would be up against my front shocks and extend outside both front and rear fenders.

So, I am looking for new rubber for the 15" Weds, and would like to run 215 60 R15s. I found someone advertising Pirelli P6000 high performance tires, but I believe they no longer make these, so the tires are old stock.

I also found Michelin MXV4s (which I believe is what you are running), which seems like it would be ok.
 
When I decided to run performance tires on 2270011, I got some "modern" (for the time) Pirellis, 180AA UTUG rating. They were fabulous, quiet, my coupe was like a different car! And when winter came (in Northern California) I didn't notice anything remotely related to concerning, which I somewhat expected because of the "ultra-high performance SUMMER" rating. No problems with wear it seemed either. I drove that car a lot with that wheel tire combination (its pictured in the registry) at least 300 miles a week as my daily driver.

BUT...

the FOLLOWING winter, I was out on 280 between Crystal Springs and San Andreas Lake, by Hillborough, in the rain, heavy rain, and a gust of wind was enough to lift it off those now worn 180AA tires and I spun and bounced twice off the center divide (right rear and then right front) my bad for not monitoring tire wear, but later examination showed they were still quite "legal" as far as the wear bars and the old penny test.

Point being, performance tires are quite cool, but for the track. ONLY. There have been such huge inroads in tire technology, I'll have no problem at all with high performance all season tires now. Heck don't buy anything else for road cars. They last MUCH longer, stereos are better today too so tire noise is a non-issue, and I expect they will ALWAYS perform better in surprise driving conditions than a high performance summer tire tire which...with only a few months wear, may only be suitable for dry track days.

Oh, after the surprise, I walked down the road and picked up the rear window which had popped out after the initial impact (!) and drove the car home, where it awaits return to service after restoration of damages sustained in that shunt. Glad to be here to talk about it, frankly.

-30-
 
deQuincey said:
+1
i talked yesterday to a pirelli dealer,...ha, ha, ha,...no chance in 195/70 R14 91 V,...N O T H I N G !!!!

so, as i can not afford XVXs, i will keep myself vredesteined ;-)
Click to expand...

Vredestein Sprint Classic?
Do you like them?
I have Michelin Pilot but they are old and I cannot find 225/60 R14 that I like.
Although, surprisingly the BF Goodrich don't look that bad, raised white letters inside...
 
Vredestein experience

Stan,

I have Vredestein Classics on my tii. Replaced very aged Pirelli P4000s. Have been very satisfied with performance both in terms of cornering and braking (note: turn in is much much sharper with a tii than a coupe). Noise has not been any worse than the Pirellis. I intend to buy a set of Vredesteins for the coupe shortly, though I'll have to move up to a 70 sidewall from the 60's I have now.
 
Stan said:
Vredestein Sprint Classic?
Do you like them?
I have Michelin Pilot but they are old and I cannot find 225/60 R14 that I like.
Although, surprisingly the BF Goodrich don't look that bad, raised white letters inside...
Click to expand...

i love them, and i do not drive exactly as an old lady,...
is my second. set of vredesteins since i own my coupe
 
I just put a set of 15" BF Goodrich Advantage TA tires on my 911 in 215/60 and 195/65 sizes.

I like them a lot and they have a reasonably vintage look. Cheap too. I suppose they technically are more of an all season passenger car tire, but for street driving that's fine.

On the coupe I have 14" dunlops that are now 7 years old....need to be replaced soon.

I have thousands of street miles on R compounds to and from the track and I don't do that anymore....white knuckles in the rain for sure.

IMO the new tire compounds and technology are very good, even in an "all season" tire...I like the peace of mind that even if I hit a damp spot, some sand or it's 30 degrees out I'll still get good grip in a panic situation.
 
Thanks for all the input.

I have had very good experience - on the road and on the track - with Michelin Pilot Sports in wet weather. So if wet were the only factor, I would not view all season tires as preferable.

Accordingly, from my perspective the primary difference with the all season tires is the operating temperature range. Summer tires are not recommended below 45 degrees; having driven them in near freezing temperatures my experience is that they become harder and break lose much more rapidly and do not grip as well under braking as it becomes cooler. So, while the engine in my e39 loves the air density as it get colder, my tires are not up for it.

In this part of the country, summer performance tires would likely be fine because even in winter it doesn't get and stay cold for long periods of time. And of course, the coupe will not go out as much in the colder weather. However, I would prefer a lower wider tire even though tall tires with high sidewalls were the look back when our cars were made.

So, I'm leaning toward the MXV4s.
 
I like my mxv4's. I wanted a safe highway tire for my yearly drive to Amelia island and decent looks and these fit the bill for me.
 
I've always had great consistent service out of Michelin tires.
 
I have Bridgestone Pole Position 960AS (non-run flat) on my 16" staggered Alpinas. Came mounted to the wheels when i purchased them.

Really capable tire, quiet and great adhesion.

That said...as much as I like the staggered Alpinas, upon reflection I prefer 14" wheels on the car. Looking for a set of 14" Alpinas and if I make the jump I'd go with the XWXs.

This car is so flexi I feel the taller sidewalls better suit the chassis given the geometry of the day..even with the H&B suspension and added negative camber.

Great second choice? Vredesteins. the Sprint Classic is an excellent tire.
 
i have to say that the best look on the coupe is the 15" alpinas on Stevehose's polaris coupe. perfect look.
 
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