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[feeutfo]

or is it Dunlop "sp" sport max tt?

Anyway, i'm after these in 245 40 zr18  97y(which is the higher load index, 93 also available but thought that too low for the omega?)

Having driven another members car with these fitted(fairly sure it was this model Dunlop) on standard omega 235 45 17 wheels i've decided i like them and want them fitted to my new 245 40 18 wheels.

2 problems,
One is the price, best i've been quoted is £157 a corner from micheldever tyres. Who have them in stock. Seems to match some web prices too.

The other is availability, wim and a couple others cant get them so cant quote a price either.

Are these a new model or something? Price seems to be alot more than the 120odd i was expecting,and some web sites show differant tread pattern than i thought, others show a tread i recognise, both listed under the same model.


I'm also a little unsure on the load index, 2 available in the 18 inch size, 93 and 97. On the one hand 93 is the lowest quoted in all the tyre sizes quoted in the tyre pressure table on here, but will that be better on the lower 40mill profile assuming the ride will be firmer anyway?
 
Or on the other hand given the weight of the car and my tramlining pet hate would the 97 be best, even on a lower profile than stock at 40mill?

I am expecting more noise and a firmer ride as a trade for better straight line stability, the latter being what impressed me on the other members car.

Cheers

Chris. :-)

[Kevin Wood]

They've got a fair bit more circumference than the 235/45/17s. Almost 10% more.

I wonder if you've hit on an oddball size that's going to be hard to find. Worth playing with the sizes a little and see if you can find something cheaper?

No real idea on the effect of load index, I'm afraid. 93 is 650kg and 97 is 730. That's per tyre so there's not a world of difference between them IMHO. You might find the higher load index has a more rigid structure.

Kevin

[SP_3.2]

I,m thinking of giving them a try for my next set soon. Have the Dunlop sport maxx and happy with them. .

Will have to let use know how you get on with them Chris.

[feeutfo]

had a chat with Tony at wim today re load index. etc. He was quite sure, lower side wall stiffness means less tram lining. The lower/harder the profile/sidewall of a tyre, the less give there is, so if the tread is deflected by a road imperfection, the rim/wheel (and hence feel to the driver) is more likely to follow it with a stiff side wall.
 He pointed to the new run flat tyres fitted to the new BMW's and mercs. Rock hard side walls that take the weight of the car in case of a puncture. He has a long line of customers complaining of tramlining, all with runflats, and must say, the BM i drove in Spain was bad, esp with the roads out there.

He also mentioned alot of run flat owners are taking them off in favour of normal tyres, partly due to handeling and also due to cracked wheels! Run flats weigh so much manufacturers are making the wheels lighter to get back the unsprung weight, meaning thinner and hence cracked wheels  from the lack of give in the tyre when hitting pot holes.

And of course, BMW deny all knowledge of the problem.

So, for me and my new wheel sizes, lower load index the better it seems. I also asked about the strength of a tyre over its life, and the fact that most wheels i take off an omega,when stood upright on their tread will tend to lean or fall to their outside or outboard edge!
This seems strange when you consider the camber setting. You would think inside edge ware would mean the tyre leans or falls in board. He said, or agreed(?), that camber causes that, the tread will ware on the inboard edge if set correctly, but the extra load caused by camber weekens the structure and pressure within it means the tyre expands on the inside edge, so although the tread wares on the inside edge, the tyre can, and usually does still have a larger circumferance/diameter on the inboard side. Meaning its "geared" to pull out board as the tyre wares.  Depends on settings and tyre structure also i guess?

[tunnie]

interesting reading on the side walls of run flats, always wondered how they actually worked. Did Tony mention Falkins?

I guess for you on 17"'s must be more of an issue, as there is a not less sidewall than the 16's  :-/

[SP_3.2]

Some good points to think about Chris, so just to get it right in my head the stiffer the side walls the less tramlining or the other way around....something that i will look out for when replacing mine

[feeutfo]

interesting reading on the side walls of run flats, always wondered how they actually worked. Did Tony mention Falkins?

I guess for you on 17"'s must be more of an issue, as there is a not less sidewall than the 16's  :-/

No mention of "those"tyres this time. We both avoid the subject now in case i "go off on one"

I've given up trying to work the falkens out. They dont make sense. Quite possibly the softest side wall of all the tyres i've "groped" at Wim. (They have plenty on the work shop floor waiting fitting.)
Sports contact 3's i have on now, feel very similar(in terms of squeezing by hand) to the falkens i had previously when it comes to side wall strength. But both tyres give very different feel to drive. Sc3 being far better.

Re profile yes, the 17s on mine are 45 profile side wall. New wheels are 40mill so will be firmer anyway.

[feeutfo]

Some good points to think about Chris, so just to get it right in my head the stiffer the side walls the less tramlining or the other way around....something that i will look out for when replacing mine

Er, disclaimer time, certainly would not spend that sort of money on the back of anything i've reported on here.
 But yes thats the basic story, soft side walls means less tram lining...... Discuss...... :-)

[Kevin Wood]

And of course, BMW deny all knowledge of the problem.

Bavarian engineers for you. Have to work with them on a daily basis.

Run-flat tyres are a totally flawed concept aimed at cheapening the car to the tune of a pump and a can of tyre weld at the expense of handling, ride comfort, noise, tyre cost, etc..

Colleague of mine got a puncture on the motorway, read BMW handbook, run-flat tyres. Great. Set off up the hard shoulder at 40KPH or whatever. Police pull her over, told her not to be so fsck1ng stupid - fun flat my @rse, etc. so she's stranded. No spare, no pump. Call the recovery company and go fetch the Vaseline.

SC3s are certainly the best tyres I've had on the Omega. Same grip level as the Sport MAXX, much quieter and I reckon they tramline less and steer much more precisely. This does rely on my recollection of what the Dunlops handled like when they were new, of course.

I wonder why tyres on an Omega seem to become a liability after the tread is below about 4mm?

Kevin

[feeutfo]

And of course, BMW deny all knowledge of the problem.

Bavarian engineers for you. Have to work with them on a daily basis.

Run-flat tyres are a totally flawed concept aimed at cheapening the car to the tune of a pump and a can of tyre weld at the expense of handling, ride comfort, noise, tyre cost, etc..

Colleague of mine got a puncture on the motorway, read BMW handbook, run-flat tyres. Great. Set off up the hard shoulder at 40KPH or whatever. Police pull her over, told her not to be so fsck1ng stupid - fun flat my @rse, etc. so she's stranded. No spare, no pump. Call the recovery company and go fetch the Vaseline.

SC3s are certainly the best tyres I've had on the Omega. Same grip level as the Sport MAXX, much quieter and I reckon they tramline less and steer much more precisely. This does rely on my recollection of what the Dunlops handled like when they were new, of course.

I wonder why tyres on an Omega seem to become a liability after the tread is below about 4mm?

Kevin

I am certainly questioning why i'm looking so hard at the sport maxx tt, much more expensive, louder, hard to come by, and from some web reports, ware out quicker than the sc3, which are a known quantity as i have them on stock rims now, and if your good self prefers them having experienced both....... Er......maybe best to hold fire and see how the sc3 ware/degrade.....?

If i could be arsed, i'd remove an sc3 shod wheel every now and then and see how they deform, or if they hold their shape. I dare say i'll have to take a wheel off often enough anyway i guess.

If the sc3 turns in better, maybe a lesser camber angle could be set, and still hold their shape by being less stressed on the inside edge?

Discussed this with Tony and he set the base setting to 1.00 degrees but making sure its not less.
So to allow for the road crown so the car doesnt pull to the gutter so much, left side is 1deg 21mins and right side is set to 1.00degree on the money.


The thought also occurs, i had my old falkens sent off to be tested for defects. Obviously just the tyre, not the wheel as well, so unless they fitted them to a wheel, which i very much doubt, to test them for shape they would not have seen the swollen or weakened inside edge that i've so often seen!?!? Both on this and my old omega.
They only measured the tread depth, how could they measure anything else?

Ps. Am expecting some under stear, but not sure 10mins differance is enough to make any noticeable odds at the steering wheel?