330i wrong tyre choice

I have a 330I sport saloon which is 14 months old and done 10,500 miles
(hard miles) I needed a pair of rear tyres and was told the original
Bridgestone 255/35/18's were not available and on back order. I finished up
buying continentals which were the same price so its not as if I tried to do
this on the cheap. BIG MISTAKE ! it made the car lethal ! imagine driving
with 15lb of pressure in the rear and that's what it felt like.

I rang the tyre supplier who is a big wholesale supplier and they tried to
make out it was the car. I took one of the tyre fitters out in it and he
declared the car lethal and said it was the side walls of the continentals
that were not up to the job. Somehow they managed to find 2 x Bridgestones
same as the originals. They fitted them and the car drives drives like a 330
again.

The side walls on the Bridgestones were far harder than the continentals you
could not bend the side walls on the bridgestones even with both hands.

The word of warning is don't play around with the makes of tyres, I can't
understand that it would make so much difference to car especially when you
think you are safe with a make supposedly as good as continental.

The tyre company replaced the continentals which by then I had done 500
miles on with the Bridgestones free of charge.

On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 22:02:54 +0000 (UTC), "Chap"
> wrote:

>I have a 330I sport saloon which is 14 months old and done 10,500 miles
>(hard miles) I needed a pair of rear tyres and was told the original
>Bridgestone 255/35/18's were not available and on back order. I finished up
>buying continentals which were the same price so its not as if I tried to do
>this on the cheap. BIG MISTAKE ! it made the car lethal ! imagine driving
>with 15lb of pressure in the rear and that's what it felt like.
>
>I rang the tyre supplier who is a big wholesale supplier and they tried to
>make out it was the car. I took one of the tyre fitters out in it and he
>declared the car lethal and said it was the side walls of the continentals
>that were not up to the job. Somehow they managed to find 2 x Bridgestones
>same as the originals. They fitted them and the car drives drives like a 330
>again.
>
>The side walls on the Bridgestones were far harder than the continentals you
>could not bend the side walls on the bridgestones even with both hands.
>
>The word of warning is don't play around with the makes of tyres, I can't
>understand that it would make so much difference to car especially when you
>think you are safe with a make supposedly as good as continental.
>
>The tyre company replaced the continentals which by then I had done 500
>miles on with the Bridgestones free of charge.
>

I would've sworn *everyone* already knew well enough not to mix radial
tires...

"daytripper" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 22:02:54 +0000 (UTC), "Chap"
> > wrote:
>
>>I have a 330I sport saloon which is 14 months old and done 10,500 miles
>>(hard miles) I needed a pair of rear tyres and was told the original
>>Bridgestone 255/35/18's were not available and on back order. I finished
>>up
>>buying continentals which were the same price so its not as if I tried to
>>do
>>this on the cheap. BIG MISTAKE ! it made the car lethal ! imagine driving
>>with 15lb of pressure in the rear and that's what it felt like.
>>
>>I rang the tyre supplier who is a big wholesale supplier and they tried to
>>make out it was the car. I took one of the tyre fitters out in it and he
>>declared the car lethal and said it was the side walls of the continentals
>>that were not up to the job. Somehow they managed to find 2 x Bridgestones
>>same as the originals. They fitted them and the car drives drives like a
>>330
>>again.
>>
>>The side walls on the Bridgestones were far harder than the continentals
>>you
>>could not bend the side walls on the bridgestones even with both hands.
>>
>>The word of warning is don't play around with the makes of tyres, I can't
>>understand that it would make so much difference to car especially when
>>you
>>think you are safe with a make supposedly as good as continental.
>>
>>The tyre company replaced the continentals which by then I had done 500
>>miles on with the Bridgestones free of charge.
>>
>
> I would've sworn *everyone* already knew well enough not to mix radial
> tires...

Not everyone! But didn't we just cover this on the " Steering on E46
325Ci Sport (18" wheels)" thread?

Tom

"Tom Korth" > wrote in message
news
>
> "daytripper" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 22:02:54 +0000 (UTC), "Chap"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>I have a 330I sport saloon which is 14 months old and done 10,500 miles
>>>(hard miles) I needed a pair of rear tyres and was told the original
>>>Bridgestone 255/35/18's were not available and on back order. I finished
>>>up
>>>buying continentals which were the same price so its not as if I tried to
>>>do
>>>this on the cheap. BIG MISTAKE ! it made the car lethal ! imagine driving
>>>with 15lb of pressure in the rear and that's what it felt like.
>>>
>>>I rang the tyre supplier who is a big wholesale supplier and they tried
>>>to
>>>make out it was the car. I took one of the tyre fitters out in it and he
>>>declared the car lethal and said it was the side walls of the
>>>continentals
>>>that were not up to the job. Somehow they managed to find 2 x
>>>Bridgestones
>>>same as the originals. They fitted them and the car drives drives like a
>>>330
>>>again.
>>>
>>>The side walls on the Bridgestones were far harder than the continentals
>>>you
>>>could not bend the side walls on the bridgestones even with both hands.
>>>
>>>The word of warning is don't play around with the makes of tyres, I can't
>>>understand that it would make so much difference to car especially when
>>>you
>>>think you are safe with a make supposedly as good as continental.
>>>
>>>The tyre company replaced the continentals which by then I had done 500
>>>miles on with the Bridgestones free of charge.
>>>
>>
>> I would've sworn *everyone* already knew well enough not to mix radial
>> tires...
>
> Not everyone! But didn't we just cover this on the " Steering on E46
> 325Ci Sport (18" wheels)" thread?
Sorry not sure what you guys are getting at here.

always knew not to mix radials with cross plys but can you still get cross
ply tyres anyway??

I have also had bad experience with Continentals, I have a mondeo ST220 and
the Continentals supplied on the front lasted 9000 miles and were replaced
with Pirelli zero Rossos which so far have 15k and plenty of life left in
them

My wifes Clio had Contis which had to be replaced after 12k and she drives
like a nun so as far as I am concerned continentals are german engineering
on a car where i would like it least!!!!

On 2/7/05 6:40 PM, in article , "Scott"
<scott251170not @hotmail.com> wrote:

> Sorry not sure what you guys are getting at here.
>
> always knew not to mix radials with cross plys but can you still get cross
> ply tyres anyway??
>
> I have also had bad experience with Continentals, I have a mondeo ST220 and
> the Continentals supplied on the front lasted 9000 miles and were replaced
> with Pirelli zero Rossos which so far have 15k and plenty of life left in
> them
>
> My wifes Clio had Contis which had to be replaced after 12k and she drives
> like a nun so as far as I am concerned continentals are german engineering
> on a car where i would like it least!!!!
>
I think what they mean is that its possible that the problem is not with the
Conti's per se, but with the fact that you put Conti's on the back and kept
the Bridgestones on the front. Besides, there are many different types of
tires (I'm American) within each manufacturer's product lineup. Many
companies use Continental for OEM tires with good results. Maybe the model
of tire wasn't well suited to your car. My 330i came with Conti Touring
Contacts (non sport package), and they were fine. I don't think you can
generalize about one tire brand over another. Its a very competitive
business and there winners and losers within each manufacturer's product
line.

"John Stone" > wrote in message
...
>
>
>
> On 2/7/05 6:40 PM, in article , "Scott"
> <scott251170not @hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Sorry not sure what you guys are getting at here.
>>
>> always knew not to mix radials with cross plys but can you still get
>> cross
>> ply tyres anyway??
>>
>> I have also had bad experience with Continentals, I have a mondeo ST220
>> and
>> the Continentals supplied on the front lasted 9000 miles and were
>> replaced
>> with Pirelli zero Rossos which so far have 15k and plenty of life left in
>> them
>>
>> My wifes Clio had Contis which had to be replaced after 12k and she
>> drives
>> like a nun so as far as I am concerned continentals are german
>> engineering
>> on a car where i would like it least!!!!
>>
> I think what they mean is that its possible that the problem is not with
> the
> Conti's per se, but with the fact that you put Conti's on the back and
> kept
> the Bridgestones on the front. Besides, there are many different types of
> tires (I'm American) within each manufacturer's product lineup. Many
> companies use Continental for OEM tires with good results. Maybe the model
> of tire wasn't well suited to your car. My 330i came with Conti Touring
> Contacts (non sport package), and they were fine. I don't think you can
> generalize about one tire brand over another. Its a very competitive
> business and there winners and losers within each manufacturer's product
> line.
John

Good point,

But my experience in two very different cars and also a third, which was
rear wheel drive make me think that continentals are less than spectacular.
My feeling haven driven them is they may be putting grip over longevitey too
much

I have conti sports on my M3 (the "M3" branded ones) and although I
haven't tried any other tyres on this car I'd rather have my 325i back
with the S03s on. Actually I'd rather have it with the S02s.

I've always found that new tyres get a little getting used too even the
same type.

"Scott" <scott251170not @hotmail.com> haute in die Tasten:

> My wifes Clio had Contis which had to be replaced after 12k and she
> drives like a nun so as far as I am concerned continentals are german
> engineering on a car where i would like it least!!!!
>

I really do not know what you two dow ith your cars. I used to have a
Renault R19 convertible and had continental eco contact in summer and
winter contact in summer. Both tires were smooth yet safe, and they lasted
longer ast the rest of this POS.

Being located in germany, I do not like the price of Continentals.
Otherwise I'd highly recommend them. Continental tires frequently get good
ratings from independent tests like the german car drivers club ADAC (like
AAA in the US).

Frank

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Citroen - Made in Trance

Frank Kemper > haute in die Tasten:

> I used to have a
> Renault R19 convertible and had continental eco contact in summer and
> winter contact in summer.

BS. The Winter Contact were my winter tires, of course;-)

Frank

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Citroen - Made in Trance

daytripper wrote:

> I would've sworn *everyone* already knew well enough not to mix radial
> tires...

Weirdly, no. Over the years I've bought three just-off-lease BMWs that
each handled poorly when I got them, sometimes dangerously so. In each
case I had one of those head-smacking days when I realized what it must
be, and in each case it turned out that when the mechanics had prepped
the car for sale they had simply chosen tires that looked to be in good
nick, polished them up and mounted them. Once I started checking, I
found the mechanics couldn't even guarantee that they hadn't
cross-mounted the tires from one side of a car to the other. (Once I
even got the response, from a trained BMW mechanic, "but they're all
steel-belted radials...")

And worse, this dealership is owned by a former racer and a huge
car-enthusiast. Somehow, a level of critical knowledge and/or care
didn't make it down to the prep-room mechanics. Or perhaps their
average customer uses their car as a fancy grocery-getter, and can't
tell the difference, so their standards fell to the level they could get
away with.

Now, at risk of insulting anybody, I talk to the mechanics and salesmen
about tires and make sure they know what I want, and that I'm going to
be picky about it. Most often I just spec the brand-new tires I want,
even on a used car, so there won't be any mistakes.

Alan Brooks