Looking for a smoother ride (Wheel size and tire options)

[Frankygoes]

Hi,

I run the 18'' style 135 staggered setup with original suspension.
Stock as can be. I never track that car. I have an E36 M3 for track duty.

This is my granny car for the summer so I'm looking at softening the ride just a tad.
Here in Quebec the roads are pretty rough and the stock setup on older Envigor tires is harsh.

After reviewing this forum as well as other and watching the Tire Rack test videos I narrowed it down to 5 tires in either 17'' or 18''.
I have no problem going down to 17'' wheels to gain a little comfort and compliance.

Looking for opinions in relation to ride quality:

Pirelli P-Zero All Seasons Plus (17'' or 18'')
DWS 06 (17'' or 18'')
DW (17'' or 18'')
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position in 17''
PSS in 17''


I can't get myself to set the PSS aside completely as I know it is the best all around tire. Maybe on 17'' wheels it would yield a better ride quality... or not.
Presently leaning towards the first two in 17'' but maybe that is a little to soft ? Might be a more interesting compromise on 18'' wheels...

Criteria in decreasing importance are:
-Ride quality, get rid of some of the ZHP harshness
-Wet traction
-Low Noise across the life of the tire

Thank you very much for sharing.
I'm hoping to catch a break next week with all the black Friday deals coming up.

[NoVAphotog]

Myself and BMWCURVES are very satisfied with our 17in Apex ARC-8 wheels and Michelin Pilot Super Sports. Car is a lot quicker with the lighter wheels and bumps aren't nearly as strenuous. Would recommend to a friend aka Frankygoes

[az3579]

You can noticeably improve road noise and wet traction by changing your tire, but the comfort isn't going to be that big of a difference. It is the nature of the sport suspension. The only way to change that is to change the suspension...

The 17" wheels and tires combo is ever so slightly cushier. If you think the stock suspension is too harsh, then this isn't going to do much for you honestly.

[UdubBadger]

PSS are like warm butter on toast


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[ELCID86]

PSS are like warm butter on toast


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Lol. But they don't like the cold. I got a DSC light the other morning pulling out of my street---it was 28F.

And they are being replaced as Someone pointed out the other day (BP?).

[holyc0w]

Lol. But they don't like the cold. I got a DSC light the other morning pulling out of my street---it was 28F.


I wouldn't expect any summer tire to work well at that temperature.

[Vas]

Dw are great in the wet and have a softer sidewall. Would recommend those.

[slater]

i personally wouldn't recommend the DW or DWS, too squirrely for me.

i have michelin PS AS3's on my 17" Style 68s, and they feel much more compliant than my 245/35/18 PSS... the stock-sized PSS are somewhere in the middle of those.

if you have stock dampers, i would replace those as well. quality dampers will make a big difference too - koni FSD would probably be your best choice.

oh - and welcome from ontario! where in quebec are you? i'm 3.5hrs west of montreal.

[BMWCurves]

As Daniel said, 17" will provide some improved ride quality given the larger sidewall, although the sidewall stiffness is highly variable on the tire itself. Downsizing the wheel size and making the unsprung weight does have some added performance benefit though (see pic of interesting article below). Unlike what slater said, I quite like the Continental ExtremeContact DW tires, specifically for their wet weather capability and decent traction when the temperatures drop to the 40s and high 30s. If you dip below that, pretty much all summer tires will be hard as a rock and about as grippy as a damp piece of paper. He may have had a different experience but they've been very comfortable, quiet, and well performing tires for me in the Pacific Northwest.

http://i.imgur.com/n4yXxdt.jpg

[holyc0w]

I would think maybe DWs on 17s would do the trick. While the difference isn't major, there is a bit of extra "damping" in a higher sidewall. I'm not sure if that would be too soft for you.

[Jon D]

I would tackle new shocks first. If you're still on factory shocks it's time. As suggested above Koni FSD or Sports set fairly soft is simple solution. If that doesn't improve ride enough then higher sidewall wheels/tires. But wheels with an uncomplient suspension won't solve a thing.


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[az3579]

I would tackle new shocks first. If you're still on factory shocks it's time. As suggested above Koni FSD or Sports set fairly soft is simple solution. If that doesn't improve ride enough then higher sidewall wheels/tires. But wheels with an uncomplient suspension won't solve a thing.


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This. Chasing wheels and tires will be fruitless without a properly set up suspension. This is why the new BMWs can be so comfortable despite having 19" and 20" tires.

Perfect example. When I had my H&R Race springs with Bilstein Sport shocks, my car was almost unbearably stiff, and kept fearing my wheels are bending when I went over the many "speed bumps" we have on our crappy roads, as it always made a loud thud. Now that I have my Bilstein PSS10 coil overs, it is a LOT more comfortable despite using the same wheels and tires. Now, those same bumps don't sound like a hammer hitting my car, but instead like someone lightly tapping their fist on the car. :)

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[Frankygoes]

Holy smoke !
I had a feeling this was the place to ask for information.
It usually takes 2 weeks to get 12 replies on Bimmerforums Lol !!

Yes I am in Montréal. The ZHP is sleeping for the next 6 months.
Thank you for the welcome. I will put some info this week in the new member introduction section.

I must say that I was trying to keep this car stock. I guess this plan just got ditched.
Come to think of it the OEM suspension is built to operate on the silky smooth Autobahn.
Not the 3rd world roads we have here...

The more I think of it, the MCS double adjustable on my E36 M3 race car is not as harsh even with 900# springs.
On the softer setting it is very very firm but not harsh. And the DOT BFGoodrich R1s have a very stiff sidewall.

I still think the tire choice will make a difference but I will start with the suspension with the old tires to compare and see what tires make sense.
Could the SFD make such a difference that I could go with the PSS :-)
This is exciting. I will definitely keep you guys posted but you will have to be patient while the car sleeps.

Thanks and keep sharing your experience.

[az3579]

If you're saying your E36 M3 with 900# springs isn't as harsh, something is seriously wrong with your E46's suspension. Perhaps you just need to replace it with new factory replacements and it'll be fine!

My car is stiffer than factory suspension but is still comfortable. I've never heard someone say the stock suspension wasn't comfortable, so I'm guessing you're just in need of a suspension refresh. :)

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[Simmsled]

I have stock springs with Koni FSDs on stock ZHP wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport AS3s on my ZHP and it rides smoother than my 325xi with 16 inch wheels, Goodyear RSA tires (came with car) and fresh Bilstein Touring shocks (stock springs as well).

Honestly, the FSDs are incredible for ride and handling. The tires can make a difference, but not nearly as drastic as shocks/struts.

[fw_fw]

I have FSDs as well in my ZHP with stock springs, wheels, and tires. Great setup!!!

[BMWCurves]

Agreed with everyone else. Suspension refresh is a good idea if the shocks/struts in the car are original, or exceed 50k miles since they've been replaced. There are tons of options, several here with Koni FSDs or Sports on stock springs (I have Sports and love them). I have a thread here that I used to crowd source a good suspension refresh I did about a year or two ago that has part numbers and other useful info:

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?16182-Help-with-Suspension-Refresh-at-50k-miles-10-years

[Aeternalis]

+1 for the Koni FSD and stock springs. I have them on my ZHP w/ 17" Style 68s; comfortable ride and very responsive.