# First Winter with 335i, Winter Tire Help Please & Question for Gary!



## amjustice (Jan 29, 2008)

First of all forgive me if some of these questions have been answered before, I looked around the forms but couldnt find a quick answer to any of these. 

I am a new 2008 335i Sedan owner who just got their car in April (I have been loving it). I have the sports package with RFTs no mods other then what comes with the sports package. I am looking into getting some winter tires in the next month or two to get ready for winter in Chicago. While this car is not currently my daily driver (I travel Monday-Thurs a lot) it could likely become a daily in the next year or so. In Chicago you never know what kind of winter you are going to get, last year was particularly bad with lots of heavy snow. 

So Some questions....
Do I have to buy new rims for winter tires to go on?
What size winter tires should I get?
What tires are reccomended for a Chicago winter/daily driver?

Question for Gary...
My inlaws live in South Bend so I was thinking of coming to the Tire Rack to pick up my winter tires. Will you guys install the tires there? What do you charge for install?

Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated!


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## [email protected] (Jun 10, 2003)

We would recommended minus sizing to 17" for winter use on this car using a 225/45R17 tire size on all four corners. There are handful of wheels we carry that will clear the brakes and work well. Two of the more popular choices have been the Sport Edition A7 and Rial Salerno. For maximum winter traction, consider the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-60. For more of a balance between winter traction and dry road handling/cornering, we've had very good experience with the Dunlop Winter Sport 3D and Bridgestone Blizzak LM25.

You can view the complete list of wheel and tire options, along with costs and availability here :

Winter
http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AH8&url=/winter/index.jsp

No problem to pick up locally and we install wheel and tire packages for no charge , but often our state sales tax costs more than shipping and by the time you're ready to actually drive on winter tires (November or later) we may be out of much of our inventory.


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## gr28 (Nov 22, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> We would recommended minus sizing to 17" for winter use on this car using a 225/45R17 tire size on all four corners. There are handful of wheels we carry that will clear the brakes and work well. Two of the more popular choices have been the Sport Edition A7 and Rial Salerno. For maximum winter traction, consider the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-60. For more of a balance between winter traction and dry road handling/cornering, we've had very good experience with the Dunlop Winter Sport 3D and Bridgestone Blizzak LM25.
> 
> You can view the complete list of wheel and tire options, along with costs and availability here :
> 
> ...


Hi Gary. I have a similar setup, 335i coupe. I see that you recommend 225/45R17, yet when I shop winter tires by vehicle on the Tire Rack website it recommends 205/50R17 as preferable. I understand that narrower tires will grip snow better, but most of my winter driving will not be on snow, so I'm wondering if your recommendation is better. Also, I was planning on going with the Dunlop Winter Sport M3 or 3D runflats, but the website only seems to show the non run-flat Winter Sport 3D, the DSST seems to be on backorder, and I read on another posting that the runflats are no longer being made by Dunlop. Can you shed any light on this?

Thanks,
Glenn


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## [email protected] (Jun 10, 2003)

205/50R17 is a bit more narrow which will help slightly with unpacked, loose snow traction but not in packed snow or ice. This size tire will not mount on a 17X8 and must use a 17X7.5 wheel and has fewer tire choices. For many, the 225/45R17 would be a better option. Unfortunately it does not appear that we will see any runflat Dunlop snows in 225/45R17 or 205/50R17 this season, however the very comparable Blizzak LM22RFT runflat tire is available in 225/45R17 for a great alternative choice.


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## amjustice (Jan 29, 2008)

Gary 2 questions...
Whats going on with the Borbet LV5's any chance they are going to be back in stock before Nov?

Also how is stock looking on the Blizzak WS-60's? I think I am going to go with these. I am planning on being in SB the 2nd week in October to visit my inlaws. If you still think they will be in ready suply by then I will wait. Otherwise I might look into something else like having my inlaws pick them up for me. If I did that could I come back to the TR to have them put on?


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## [email protected] (Jun 10, 2003)

Negative, sorry. My best guess would be late November/ early December ont these wheels. So far inventory levels of the WS60 in 225/45R17 are holding up well. It would be no problem to purchase the tires and come back later for install, but one complicating factor is that the person *purchasing* the tires must be the credit card holder and be here to sign for it. In other words you can't pay in advance and have them pickup. They would need to use their own credit card if they are the ones picking up, or pay in cash.


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## amjustice (Jan 29, 2008)

Another question, sorry I am full of them today. 

Are there more 17" wheels that will fit on a 335i Sport? There are very few listed there, I really dugg the Borbet's and am not wowed by any of the others. The only reason I ask is because when you search by Car the 335i does not have options for 17", so its hard to determine on the site what wheels will work and what wont other than those listed under the winter packages.


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## [email protected] (Jun 10, 2003)

Only those listed on our site to fit the car will clear the brakes. You can search for 17" fitments by using the 'winter' area of the site here :

Winter http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AB2&url=/winter/index.jsp

This would be our complete list.


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## gr28 (Nov 22, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> 205/50R17 is a bit more narrow which will help slightly with unpacked, loose snow traction but not in packed snow or ice. This size tire will not mount on a 17X8 and must use a 17X7.5 wheel and has fewer tire choices. For many, the 225/45R17 would be a better option. Unfortunately it does not appear that we will see any runflat Dunlop snows in 225/45R17 or 205/50R17 this season, however the very comparable Blizzak LM22RFT runflat tire is available in 225/45R17 for a great alternative choice.


Thanks, Gary, I think I'm going to go with the Blizzak LM22RFT in 225/45R17. A followup question. When I do the tire/wheel package online, it shows wheels in 17 x 7.5 and 17 x 8 (there's even one 17 x 8.5 shown). Does it matter which size I get, are they all compatible with 225/45R17?

Also, is there a way that I should place the order so that you and Bimmerfest get some credit?

Thanks,
Glenn


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## gr28 (Nov 22, 2006)

The web site shows the tire pressure monitors "Not Available". Do you know if they are just on backorder, and if so, any idea when they will become available? I was planning on ordering soon to make sure the tires and wheels didn't go out of stock.


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## [email protected] (Jun 10, 2003)

gr28 said:


> The web site shows the tire pressure monitors "Not Available". Do you know if they are just on backorder, and if so, any idea when they will become available? I was planning on ordering soon to make sure the tires and wheels didn't go out of stock.


"not availble" *is* pretty vague isn't it? Sorry about that...

I am confident that we will have these back in stock by the end of next week.


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## Zahnarzt (May 9, 2006)

Gary,

Thanks for the great posts. My daily driver is a 2006 330xi with sport package. I, too, live in Chicago and plan on driving on some snow but mostly paved surfaces. Since it's an AWD car with staggered fitments, I wondered if the computer controlling the AWD system might be programmed for the wheel/tire size differences front to back. Is this an issue I need to consider when picking winter wheels/tires? I wasn't planning on sticking with the staggered setup for the winter unless it still might be of benefit. Is now the time to order, or can I wait until November?

Thanks,

:str8pimpi Rick


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

Zahnarzt said:


> Gary,
> 
> Thanks for the great posts. My daily driver is a 2006 330xi with sport package. I, too, live in Chicago and plan on driving on some snow but mostly paved surfaces. Since it's an AWD car with staggered fitments, I wondered if the computer controlling the AWD system might be programmed for the wheel/tire size differences front to back. Is this an issue I need to consider when picking winter wheels/tires? I wasn't planning on sticking with the staggered setup for the winter unless it still might be of benefit. Is now the time to order, or can I wait until November?
> 
> ...


computer doesnt care. it senses wheel speed differences with a certain tolerance allowed for things like staggered tires. you'll be just fine with a non-staggered setup.


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## [email protected] (Jun 10, 2003)

Orient330iNYC said:


> computer doesnt care. it senses wheel speed differences with a certain tolerance allowed for things like staggered tires. you'll be just fine with a non-staggered setup.


Correct.


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## amjustice (Jan 29, 2008)

Gary, I am going to be in South Bend on Friday and plan on stopping by the Tire Rack to make some purchases (Winter Tires, etc). Anything I should know about coming to your facility in SB? Will you be able to help me there or will I be working with one of the other sales people?


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## [email protected] (Jun 10, 2003)

Yes, it is getting very busy already. Be sure to call in your order in advance. I can provide you with an order # over the phone and get you in touch with someone to set up an appointment.


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## amjustice (Jan 29, 2008)

Gary, I noticed the date moved up on the Borbet LV5s. Is there some credible knowledge that these are going to be in on time? Anything you might have would be helpful.
Thanks,
Adam


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## [email protected] (Jun 10, 2003)

We are indeed still expecting these in late November or early December. Although this is only an estimated date, Borbet has been pretty good in the past with accuracy.

Winter http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AB2&url=/winter/index.jsp


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## mrd (May 12, 2008)

Gary - My brand new 335 hardtop/convertible (non-sport package) has RFTs w/tire pressure monitors. I'd like to save a little money if possible on winter tires and rims. Any reason I couldn't just get "regular " Blizzaks (not run flats) and keep one of those small, temporary, spare tires in the trunk in the unlikely event I have a flat? Is such a temporary tire available for my car? Do you recommend this idea? Thanks for any info.


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## [email protected] (Jun 10, 2003)

mrd said:


> Gary - My brand new 335 hardtop/convertible (non-sport package) has RFTs w/tire pressure monitors. I'd like to save a little money if possible on winter tires and rims. Any reason I couldn't just get "regular " Blizzaks (not run flats) and keep one of those small, temporary, spare tires in the trunk in the unlikely event I have a flat? Is such a temporary tire available for my car? Do you recommend this idea? Thanks for any info.


Yes, it is indeed possible to use a nonrunflat tire on this car, and is actually very common for winter setups. Unfortunately we do not have a temp spare solution, sorry.

Winter http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AB2&url=/winter/index.jsp


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## mrd (May 12, 2008)

Thanks, Gary, for such an instant reply. If I buy new, it'll be from you. One more question, if you don't mind. Must I also include the tire pressure monitor set-up ($200) in order to use these tires on the car? In other words, will the car's computer go haywire or otherwise cause a problem if there is no pressure monitor on the winter wheels/tires? I appreciate that you'd want the monitors when running run flats, since you wouldn't be able to visibly detect a tire getting low on air with run flats. But I'd think that's not important with non run flats. Yes? No? Experience?


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

mrd said:


> Thanks, Gary, for such an instant reply. If I buy new, it'll be from you. One more question, if you don't mind. Must I also include the tire pressure monitor set-up ($200) in order to use these tires on the car? In other words, will the car's computer go haywire or otherwise cause a problem if there is no pressure monitor on the winter wheels/tires? I appreciate that you'd want the monitors when running run flats, since you wouldn't be able to visibly detect a tire getting low on air with run flats. But I'd think that's not important with non run flats. Yes? No? Experience?


the car will chime repeatedly when you first start driving and there will be a (!) indicator (small one) in the cluster.

check the E90 forum for a temp spare tire kit, sticky at the top


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## mrd (May 12, 2008)

Thanks Orient330iNYC, for directing me to your very informative sticky. Lots of good info. However, I'm thinking it probably doesn't make sense for me to jump through all the hoops to do the temporary spare kit thing. First, the cost of the spare kit ($200+) gets me much closer to the cost of run flat snows with pressure monitors. The cost differential between four run flats vs four non run flats from TireRack is about $160. The pressure monitor set is an additional $200, which is something of a wash with the temporary spare kit cost. So the real difference is only $160, or a little less. Considering the serious space limitations of the trunk in the 335 convertible, the extra $160 for the run flats that keep my trunk empty isn't a bad investment.


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

mrd said:


> Thanks Orient330iNYC, for directing me to your very informative sticky. Lots of good info. However, I'm thinking it probably doesn't make sense for me to jump through all the hoops to do the temporary spare kit thing. First, the cost of the spare kit ($200+) gets me much closer to the cost of run flat snows with pressure monitors. The cost differential between four run flats vs four non run flats from TireRack is about $160. The pressure monitor set is an additional $200, which is something of a wash with the temporary spare kit cost. So the real difference is only $160, or a little less. Considering the serious space limitations of the trunk in the 335 convertible, the extra $160 for the run flats that keep my trunk empty isn't a bad investment.


true, i actually got the spare so i could run non-runflat summers on new rims, more for the ride and performance.

i still run runflats for winter, but plan on keeping the spare as it has a few distinct advantages over the runflats that i discovered in person
-extended mileage, popped a runflat on a friday evening out of town. was able to drive around all weekend on the spare (~300 miles) got the blown runflat replaced on monday in time for a long drive home (400 miles) the runflat would not have survived.
- if you suffer a repairable flat, switching to a spare will prevent the irrepairable damage that driving on a runflat (once you drive on it with 0psi, its pretty much garbage)


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## amjustice (Jan 29, 2008)

Gary
I wanted to let you know that I got great service picking up my Tires in South Bend this past weekend. You guys have a great facility there and everyone was very helpful. The only way it could have been better is if I could have taken a spin on your test track, but I dont know what the official policy is for customers getting to use that 

So far the Snows are riding great, I did some driving last night in our latest Chicago snow and they handeled very well. I will make sure to put in a review once I have properly put them through their paces.


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## amjustice (Jan 29, 2008)

Gary-
Loving the snow tires, got them on just in time. Quick question for you, do you have BMW center caps available for the Borbet LV5's?


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## [email protected] (Jun 10, 2003)

amjustice said:


> Gary-
> Loving the snow tires, got them on just in time. Quick question for you, do you have BMW center caps available for the Borbet LV5's?


We haven't found BMW caps that fit these wheels, sorry.


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## doulan77 (Feb 25, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> We haven't found BMW caps that fit these wheels, sorry.


Gary - Any caps this year to fit the Borbet LV5? I used search.


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## amjustice (Jan 29, 2008)

Caps or not these are great tires, I was just thinking the other day when I am going to put them back on. But yes Gary if you do have caps for these I would like to know as well


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## [email protected] (Jun 10, 2003)

Negative, no change on that one, sorry.


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