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Thread: For those of you running 15" tires...

  1. #1
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    moroza is offline MORΩN ΛABIA BMW CCA Member
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    For those of you running 15" tires...

    ...what are you using, and how is it for straight-line stability?

    I need to replace the Garbaga-- excuse me... Granada Touring currently on my car, and going for maximum comfort. Comfort is noise first, bumps second. However, if I have to make large, heavy, constant, and imprecise steering corrections - which is the case with these tires - overall comfort goes down; what my ears and my ass gain (which with these tires isn't much anyway), my arms lose. The car becomes tedious and unenjoyable to drive no matter how soft and quiet.

    I've had 15" before, some even softer and quieter than these, but I simply don't remember directional instability being noticable either way (assuming sorted-out steering hardware; with slop, of course the car wandered and was a chore to drive regardless of tires). Is that because it was a while ago? I had 17" between 2010 and 2018. Or because I have a lot more car experience now and know what to feel for? Or because my first 15" in years just happen to be junk?

    I'd like to stick to 15" but want to hear some feedback on current offerings.
    Last edited by moroza; 10-05-2018 at 02:20 AM.

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    Last ones I had were CooperCS4(believe now superseded by CS5), H rated and were satisfactory for me.

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

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    Not a lot of choices last time I checked. Interested....

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    Quote Originally Posted by zubbie View Post
    Not a lot of choices last time I checked. Interested....
    +1... All you can find nowadays are those Donks fitted to pretty much every modern car, and in the rare case you find 15s, they almost always are puny 195/XXs or something like that...

  5. #5
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    I just put Kumho ecsta lx platinum v rated tires on mine a few months ago. Would highly recommend these tires, very supple. Huge improvement over the 10+ year old Toyos that were on there as far as cornering stability and ride.

    They cost me less than $450 installed.

  6. #6
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    I’ve got 15” style 5s if you want them.


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  7. #7
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    General Altimax RT43 is available in 225/60-15. H-rated, very popular tire at Tire Rack. I have a set on my wife's car.

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    Quote Originally Posted by The Chauffeur View Post
    +1... All you can find nowadays are those Donks fitted to pretty much every modern car, and in the rare case you find 15s, they almost always are puny 195/XXs or something like that...
    Yea... big wheel no tire is becoming a thing and it's pretty shit.

    I went 225/50/16 firestone indy 500 recently because everything in the 225/55/16 are not too ideal unless you want LONG TERM butt rollers. 235/245/50/16 has limited selection or expensive.

    Overall the 225/50/16 actually ride and look good but also helps that I am lowered and not stock or it'll look "too small"

    15s do have some decent tire selection but as a previous poster mentioned usually around 195/205/215/225 but sidewall is going to be much smaller than what you'd run on a 15 for the E34 and that does not usually go w/ your comfort first wants.
    Last edited by Furreals; 10-05-2018 at 12:26 AM.

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    The Hankook ventus s1 noble2 comes in 225/55/16 if you decide to go with 16" wheels. They were $80 something a tire last time I bought them, but looks like they are ~$100 now. I use them on my daily driver e32. The comfort aspect is great, and the 225 on an 8" wide wheel gives very precise turn in response with loads of grip (for a heavy e32). It's dead stable on the highway too.

  10. #10
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    I have Cooper CS5 Tourings that I fitted to my 15” Style 5s and they’re awesome. Major improvement in grip and I can confidently push the car now. Before that the ass end would swing out with no effort and rain wasbasically a white knuckled affair

  11. #11
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    I have been using vredestein sportracs in 225/60r15 with a V speed rating (149 mph). They are summer only and VERY sticky. They are a similar compound to Michelin pilot sport 2’s iirc. As with all 15” tires the turn in response is poor compared to 18” m-pars on pilot sport 4s (have driven this setup) but once the car settles into the turn they are spectacular. I experience no tramiling and road noise is very low. Their wet and dry performance blew me away not to mention how they look. The drawbacks are as follows: short lifetime (~20k miles with my driving style and these will be showing secondary rubber) and being seasonal tires. I got mine through tiresbyweb.com


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    Glad I saw this post. I'm a die-hard purist, and love representing these cars the way I remember them when they were new. The proportions and design were admired in brochures, books and magazines for many years. The 5 things that are changed the fastest for various reasons are: wheels, exhaust, radio, lights and wipers.... my cars never strayed from stock or period-correct for any of these items. For design and proportion, and being true to what I remember when they were new, I love the most period-correct examples. Though I respect and understand the appeal of mods just the same. So when I hear someone wanting to stick to 15's, I applaud you!


    I've received more compliments on my 225/60-15 tires at shows than on any other tire.... including the Michelin's on my M5 Wheels on the 533i. The E34 looks like a Euro `92 535i. I've even had someone solely take photos of the tires alone, never mind the rest of the car. So what are these tires? Vredestein Sportrac 5. They have unique sidewall styling cues. Overall they sit fat and stout, like a 70s-80s Aston Martin Vantage. Not at all 'the in look' of today. Retro and period correct at it's finest. They ride well, over normal roads, but the V-rating can make the sidewalls respond more harsh on bad roads than the old 205/65 Nokians and Michelins I used to have on my E34. H-rated avail. I believe.


    The 10 yr. old Michelin Energy MXV4 (I believe) my car came with in 2008, were the most comfortable (non-snow) I've had on this car. They handled well for an all-season. Not available anymore. I replaced them with Nokian V tires in 2009, size 205/65. Little firmer, but sharper handling just a bit. Tracked them 5 times and used on Skid Pad and Autocross. No longer avail. - seeing a trend?. Replaced with the Vredestein's in 2014. All tires tracked well, and did not jump, tramline. Tires by Web is where I've purchased them. The Tire Rack does not carry them.

    I've heard good things about the Nokian ENTYRE also. Both these Vredestein and Nokian tires are available in 205/65-15. I wrote Vredestein praising them for offering the best summer tire in one of the rarest tire sizes out there.... 225/60-15. They were happy to hear that, and said they'd continue offering it. Sadly Nokian does not offer a summer tire in 15" anymore, but all-seasons have come a long way and are quite impressive. They also offer a winter-acceptable all-season WRG4 in 205/65. In my opinion, Vredestein and Nokian rank very high, if not the highest, out of all tires 15" tires on the market that offer correct sizes for the E34. That said, I had the chance to test the Michelin A/S, avail. in 205/65, at a product-launch event for the BMW CCA in CA in 2014, and I was amazed how well they performed especially in the wet when 1/2 worn.
    Last edited by E28E34; 10-05-2018 at 12:38 AM.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Chauffeur View Post
    +1... All you can find nowadays are those Donks fitted to pretty much every modern car, and in the rare case you find 15s, they almost always are puny 195/XXs or something like that...
    TireRack has 61 choices for 205/65R15, which is the smallest size officially approved for the E34. The more ideal 225/60 is indeed uncommon. I'm thinking of running 215/65 (I like slightly oversized wheels) but want some idea of how much stability to expect from such a tall sidewall.

    Quote Originally Posted by mrgraybeard View Post
    General Altimax RT43 is available in 225/60-15. H-rated, very popular tire at Tire Rack. I have a set on my wife's car.
    Quote Originally Posted by ihm96 View Post
    I have Cooper CS5 Tourings that I fitted to my 15” Style 5s and they’re awesome. Major improvement in grip and I can confidently push the car now. Before that the ass end would swing out with no effort and rain wasbasically a white knuckled affair
    Can you speak to straight-line stability and highway road noise as experienced in an E34? Do they wander, or contribute to perceived steering slop? Are those CS5 the "Ultra Touring" or "Grand Touring"? I can't find RT43 in that size, though in similar ones.

    Quote Originally Posted by E28E34 View Post
    ...
    I'm a purist in a sense; it's balanced with fussiness (my goals are largely, but not perfectly, aligned with the E34's designers') and realism (tire technology has advanced since 1994).

    I want a quieter ride even if that costs treadlife or some handling, but not to the point that the extra steering slop becomes a comfort problem by itself. I'm trying to make an educated guess on where the limit is. I'd use stock 225/60 as a benchmark but it's been ages since I've driven on quality 15"; I remember Yokohama somethingorother "dB" being very quiet and smooth (and dying when I tracked them), and an overall impression that Dunlop SP5000 was good for a 535i in a general sense, but nothing more specific.

    I can live with a firmer ride easier than a loud one; my 544iT with various 245/45 or 225/50R17 was relaxing to drive despite not hiding bumps like a good 15".
    Last edited by moroza; 10-05-2018 at 03:55 AM.

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    I've found these online, with overall decent reviews:

    http://www.acceleratireusa.com/passe...res/eco-plush/

    Never heard of that brand before, but as a plus, they seem to be one of the few 225/60s that don't cost an arm and a leg. According to the web, the brand is from Indonesia, and established in 1996; they don't come across as the junk brands sold at wallyworld.

    Anyone here running these?

  15. #15
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    Can you speak to straight-line stability and highway road noise as experienced in an E34? Do they wander, or contribute to perceived steering slop? Are those CS5 the "Ultra Touring" or "Grand Touring"? I can't find RT43 in that size, though in similar ones.
    Here's a link to the Tire Rack page showing the Generals in 225/60-15. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...RatingsReviews

  16. #16
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    Sure enough, there they are. How's tread noise? Other comments on the RT43?

    Has anyone run 215/65?

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    Well, tread noise sounds OK to me ... I generally buy touring tires vs high performance, which (IMO) tend to generate more noise. I'd say they're a little firmer than the usual offerings from value brands.

    Judging from survey info from Tire Rack customers, I'd expect them to be pretty similar to the current offering from Cooper. They handle well on wet roads, which is my top priority. Tire Rack also gives them a relatively high rating in snow -- we put winter tires on my wife's car (also Generals) but it's nice to know they can handle a few flakes if necessary.

    BTW, I see from Tire Racks test that they do mention road noise. My hearing has gone the way of most of my hair, so I may be a poor judge on that issue.

  18. #18
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    Noticed while browsing 225/60 x 15 at Tire Rack that the Coopers are offered at a very good price with a rebate to boot. The CS4s I had weren't noisy although a dedicated summer tire as the Vredestein another posted would undoubtedly be quietest.

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

  19. #19
    moroza's Avatar
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    Every tire specialist I've talked to says summer tires are noisier than equivalent all-seasons.

    Quote Originally Posted by E28E34 View Post
    The 10 yr. old Michelin Energy MXV4 (I believe) my car came with in 2008, were the most comfortable (non-snow) I've had on this car.
    Energy MXV4, or Primacy MXV4? Despite their very similar name, the latter are much higher-praised in forums and other reviews I've been reading. Also, a few places still stock the Primacy in 205/65R15. Right now that's my first choice.

  20. #20
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    I'm running Toyo Extensa 225/60-15's A/S on original baskets with pretty good results. 535iA with ~50K original miles and tight steering box. No tramlining but flat-spotting is not great (I live in the Northeast so cold nights are common). Road noise is minimal once they smooth out. Seems every tire I purchase lately, including 17" Pirelli Cinturato P7's, have this issue to a large degree. I read an article years ago explaining about the materials used in tires today causing more flat spotting. Miss my old Pilot XGT's!

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