Winter wheel set up
Discussion
I will more than likely be running my E91 all year round. I got stuck a couple of time last year where I couldn’t get out of our street and got stuck in town (10” rears and MPS4’s). I’m going to get a set of winters for it soon. What’s everyone running who has a set? Staggered or square set up? Is there a preferred size for winter tyres? Was think a set of 7x17 steels as a starting point.
You don’t say what model of E91 as some of them (335i, 335d and possibly the 330i/d) run larger brakes.
A square set of 17s will fit over all of the range and are very cheap used now. I had 284 wheels, but 285, 185 and others will fit.
Seen a few on eBay with winter tyres, although I’d be putting on new winters as they wear pretty fast.
A square set of 17s will fit over all of the range and are very cheap used now. I had 284 wheels, but 285, 185 and others will fit.
Seen a few on eBay with winter tyres, although I’d be putting on new winters as they wear pretty fast.
MDMA . said:
I will more than likely be running my E91 all year round. I got stuck a couple of time last year where I couldn’t get out of our street and got stuck in town (10” rears and MPS4’s). I’m going to get a set of winters for it soon. What’s everyone running who has a set? Staggered or square set up? Is there a preferred size for winter tyres? Was think a set of 7x17 steels as a starting point.
All the E90 wheels here: https://www.auto-treff.com/wcf/index.php?tagged/55...Yours is the 320D, unless you've maxed out the brakes, you could even go 16s
My E91 325i came fitted with 16" wheels and winters just a couple of weeks before the Beast from the East arrived in 2018 and they were great.
I replaced it the next year with an E90 330i that came with 2 sets of Style 158 wheels, summers and winters. They are square sets of 8J x 17 with 225/45 tyres and while I've swapped them every year we haven't really had any bad weather in the South since 2018 thankfully.
The 330i (and 330d I expect) need 17s to clear the front brakes.
I replaced it the next year with an E90 330i that came with 2 sets of Style 158 wheels, summers and winters. They are square sets of 8J x 17 with 225/45 tyres and while I've swapped them every year we haven't really had any bad weather in the South since 2018 thankfully.
The 330i (and 330d I expect) need 17s to clear the front brakes.
225/45/17 is the size to maintain the original radius in a 17”. I use this size with a set of 17” E9x alloys. Style 285. Re tyre choice I have non run flat Mich Cross Climates. I find them noisy and they make the car feel very soft and floaty at higher speeds.
I’ve not used them in snow yet. I wouldn’t recommend them.
I’ve not used them in snow yet. I wouldn’t recommend them.
Edited by helix402 on Tuesday 8th August 23:11
helix402 said:
225/45/17 is the size to maintain the original radius in a 17”. I use this size with a set of 17” E9x alloys. Style 285. Re tyre choice I have non run flat Mich Cross Climates. I find them noisy and they make the car feel very soft and floaty at higher speeds.
I’ve not used them in snow yet. I wouldn’t recommend them.
I'm curious about your reasoning here. Assuming that these are pure 'winter' rims, wouldn't it make more sense to run a full winter tyre, rather than an all-season. Cross Climates are OK on snow, and pretty good at shifting water. But Pilot Alpins or Pirelli Sottozeros are much better in most cold / wet / snow / mud conditions, and presumably you'll have summer tyres on for the rest of the year?? If you're running one set of tyres all year, then all-seasons make sense, but I wouldn't use them if swapping summer / winter every year.I’ve not used them in snow yet. I wouldn’t recommend them.
Edited by helix402 on Tuesday 8th August 23:11
MDMA . said:
Thanks for the replies. Think I’ll get a set of 17” steels and run the 225/45/17 square set up.
Best way IMOI've gone for Goodyear Vector 4Season Gen 3s this time around for my F31 in 235/45/18 flavour (via Asda Tyres of all places); they'll do perfectly for over the winter months and the road trips up to The Highlands and back etc. If I could have fitted 17s I would have done, but they won't clear the M Sport brakes
For winters on my previous cars; I've run Michelin Alpin A4s, Avon WV7s and Nexen Winguard Sport 2s as dedicated winters and they've all been superb and coped with cold, snowy weather as well as lots of rain etc. But for the limited mileage we do, dedicated winters aren't really needed, the Goodyear all-seasons will do perfectly
Magnum 475 said:
I'm curious about your reasoning here. Assuming that these are pure 'winter' rims, wouldn't it make more sense to run a full winter tyre, rather than an all-season. Cross Climates are OK on snow, and pretty good at shifting water. But Pilot Alpins or Pirelli Sottozeros are much better in most cold / wet / snow / mud conditions, and presumably you'll have summer tyres on for the rest of the year?? If you're running one set of tyres all year, then all-seasons make sense, but I wouldn't use them if swapping summer / winter every year.
The Cross Climates were used and cost around £1 with wheels. I agree entirely with your point and would have gone for full winters if the budget allowed.Magnum 475 said:
helix402 said:
225/45/17 is the size to maintain the original radius in a 17”. I use this size with a set of 17” E9x alloys. Style 285. Re tyre choice I have non run flat Mich Cross Climates. I find them noisy and they make the car feel very soft and floaty at higher speeds.
I’ve not used them in snow yet. I wouldn’t recommend them.
I'm curious about your reasoning here. Assuming that these are pure 'winter' rims, wouldn't it make more sense to run a full winter tyre, rather than an all-season. Cross Climates are OK on snow, and pretty good at shifting water. But Pilot Alpins or Pirelli Sottozeros are much better in most cold / wet / snow / mud conditions, and presumably you'll have summer tyres on for the rest of the year?? If you're running one set of tyres all year, then all-seasons make sense, but I wouldn't use them if swapping summer / winter every year.I’ve not used them in snow yet. I wouldn’t recommend them.
Edited by helix402 on Tuesday 8th August 23:11
They're still hell of a lot better than dedicated summers in the cold/wet conditions and even proper wintry weather...
I ran a 17” square winter setup (Bridgestone Blizzak) on my E92 and now run a Staggered 18” winter setup (Continental WinterContact) on my F32. Can’t say I’ve experienced any real difference between square and staggered. Do be aware that because we don’t get proper, consistent winters in the UK (assuming you are there), winter tyres can be a liability when temperatures are upwards of around 7c. If it wasn’t for the patches of snow we get (or sometimes don’t!), I wouldn’t put winters in at all. But, they are a life saver when it does actually snow.
MarkJS said:
I ran a 17” square winter setup (Bridgestone Blizzak) on my E92 and now run a Staggered 18” winter setup (Continental WinterContact) on my F32. Can’t say I’ve experienced any real difference between square and staggered. Do be aware that because we don’t get proper, consistent winters in the UK (assuming you are there), winter tyres can be a liability when temperatures are upwards of around 7c. If it wasn’t for the patches of snow we get (or sometimes don’t!), I wouldn’t put winters in at all. But, they are a life saver when it does actually snow.
Not just for snow; but for the cold wet weather we DO get every year...For me, they're worth it just for that
d_a_n1979 said:
MarkJS said:
I ran a 17” square winter setup (Bridgestone Blizzak) on my E92 and now run a Staggered 18” winter setup (Continental WinterContact) on my F32. Can’t say I’ve experienced any real difference between square and staggered. Do be aware that because we don’t get proper, consistent winters in the UK (assuming you are there), winter tyres can be a liability when temperatures are upwards of around 7c. If it wasn’t for the patches of snow we get (or sometimes don’t!), I wouldn’t put winters in at all. But, they are a life saver when it does actually snow.
Not just for snow; but for the cold wet weather we DO get every year...For me, they're worth it just for that
MarkJS said:
Do be aware that because we don’t get proper, consistent winters in the UK (assuming you are there), winter tyres can be a liability when temperatures are upwards of around 7c.
Not sure I would agree with that at all.I've run winters all year around on several vehicles now and I've always marvelled how there hasn't been a big drop off in tyre performance when the tyres have been working in conditions of >25degs C.
I ran my 6.5t motorhome on Michelin Agilis Alpin all year round for 4yrs since I didn't want the hassle of running two sets of 6 wheels/tyres. That performed equally well in -26C in Austria as +40C in the South of France. I'm sure they wore a little quicker than running summers in summer but they still had 5.5mm 4yrs and 20k miles later.
I ran my F11 530d for a year almost exclusively on winters (Continental Winters) during my divorce when I didn't have any space for an extra set of wheels. No discernable difference in performance.
And we're currently running our F48 X1 on its winters still since the cold period lasted so long that I decided to leave them on in April when I'd normally change them and then general inertia has set in and haven't had a chance to get to the tyre hotel to get them swapped over. It's performed so well on them right up to 30+ degs C that there's been no reason to change them other than potential additional wear they're getting.
In terms of all seasons - I ran a set of Pirelli All Seasons on my MacanS and there was a noticeable difference between those and the Michelin summers it came on in terms of outright cornering performance. However, not to the point it would realistically trouble me on public roads. On my previous T6 California I popped Michelin CrossClimate2's on them and wasn't as impressed I was expecting to be. They were ok but had no-where near the grip of winters when the going got tough. Definitely better than summers, but not good enough when I needed them in all honesty.
For me, winters all year around would be preferable to all-year round tyres. In fact, I think when I replace the X1, I may just run whatever I get on winters going forwards. And I live in the traditionally temperate N Essex/South Cambs area.
In Germany the rule/advice is that if you can only afford/want to run one set of tyres all year around, they should be winters.
Edited by Spuffington on Thursday 10th August 13:13
Spuffington said:
MarkJS said:
Do be aware that because we don’t get proper, consistent winters in the UK (assuming you are there), winter tyres can be a liability when temperatures are upwards of around 7c.
Not sure I would agree with that at all.I've run winters all year around on several vehicles now and I've always marvelled how there hasn't been a big drop off in tyre performance when the tyres have been working in conditions of >25degs C.
I ran my 6.5t motorhome on Michelin Agilis Alpin all year round for 4yrs since I didn't want the hassle of running two sets of 6 wheels/tyres. That performed equally well in -26C in Austria as +40C in the South of France. I'm sure they wore a little quicker than running summers in summer but they still had 5.5mm 4yrs and 20k miles later.
I ran my F11 530d for a year almost exclusively on winters (Continental Winters) during my divorce when I didn't have any space for an extra set of wheels. No discernable difference in performance.
And we're currently running our F48 X1 on its winters still since the cold period lasted so long that I decided to leave them on in April when I'd normally change them and then general inertia has set in and haven't had a chance to get to the tyre hotel to get them swapped over. It's performed so well on them right up to 30+ degs C that there's been no reason to change them other than potential additional wear they're getting.
In terms of all seasons - I ran a set of Pirelli All Seasons on my MacanS and there was a noticeable difference between those and the Michelin summers it came on in terms of outright cornering performance. However, not to the point it would realistically trouble me on public roads. On my previous T6 California I popped Michelin CrossClimate2's on them and wasn't as impressed I was expecting to be. They were ok but had no-where near the grip of winters when the going got tough. Definitely better than summers, but not good enough when I needed them in all honesty.
For me, winters all year around would be preferable to all-year round tyres. In fact, I think when I replace the X1, I may just run whatever I get on winters going forwards. And I live in the traditionally temperate N Essex/South Cambs area.
In Germany the rule/advice is that if you can only afford/want to run one set of tyres all year around, they should be winters.
Edited by Spuffington on Thursday 10th August 13:13
Just my experience. The German rule is that you should have tyres fitted with winter properties for use in winter conditions - you can get all season tyres with ‘winter properties’ and use them without breaking any rules which would make sense to run all year round. Where I’ve lived in other parts of Europe, it is law to have full winter tyres fitted between specific dates.
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