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Post by clunes on Sept 27, 2021 8:22:06 GMT
All, After an argument with a neighbours rake that had fallen unseen behind my car I am in need of (at least) a rear tyre replacement as I'm currently running with 'gunk' sealing the hole left by the rake prong (I had no option but to do a sealant repair due to family duties). The 'good' news - the tyre was fairy worn and I was looking to replace, possibly just with all seasons in a couple of months anyway which lessens the frustration somewhat. Bad news - Michelin CC2 (and it seems other good options I have googled) don't seem to be available over here in standard size for my 1-Coupe (245/35/18 read and 215/40/18 front). Options: - Fit standard summer tyres to the rear axle to replace whats on there and 'use-up' the few 1000 left in the fronts - (Approx £250 fitted for good summers)
- Swap onto the 17" alloys I have with an all season tyre now (Approx £575 plus another £50 to swap over)
- Go with an all square setup on the current rims with an all season e.g. 225/40/18 all round which I think would fit (Approx £480 all in as this size is significantly cheaper than the 17" in a 205/50)
Getting standard fit in an all season looks like it would force a different tyre option front to rear which perhaps isn't a deal breaker but I prefer same all round if I can (always the same cross axle of course!)
The 'obvious' choice is probably option 1 - just replace with summers and don't drive if things get crappy - but as a divorced father of 2 I need to be able to guarantee getting to the kids etc on 'my' weekends. The downside to option 3 (all square) is possibly less traction at the rear and if I went all season I'd likely just run them year round.
Appreciate thoughts or advice - especially in case the all square option is me making things up!
O.
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Post by Big Blue on Sept 27, 2021 8:58:29 GMT
Looking on mytyres.co.uk and they have your cross climates in stock for the rear but the fronts are not even listed. In fact that front tyre size is almost not made at all for winters or all-seasons.
I'd probably go for the 17"s with winters and then back to 18"s for summer as the cross climates are not available for 18"s
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Post by alf on Sept 27, 2021 9:02:22 GMT
Firstly I'd be wary of an "all square" setup on the 18's if its not on the door card as a standard fit for your car- potential insurance issues there!
With my 330i I went from staggered 18 RFT to all square 17 normal tyres, and there was such a night and day ride and handling balance improvement - despite it initially being on winters - I sold the 18's and got a set of 17's for summer use too. An all-square setup will feel good, but look worse.
Do not be tempted to mix tyre types (all season/winter/summer) at all, there is no possible way to do it that is safe in all seasons. Really, for the UK, all seasons with a snow bias make more sense for winter use than true winters I think - but with RWD you already have something of a worst case scenario for snow, so personally I use full winters with RWD....
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Post by Martin on Sept 27, 2021 9:11:14 GMT
If you want to keep the cost down / push it further down the road, then I think I'd get some AS tyres on the 17" wheels and put them on now. The latest (CC 2) AS tyres are excellent in the snow, very close to full winters, so even more perfect for UK winters imo. These are the options for your car, 18s should be staggered.  |
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Post by Martin on Sept 27, 2021 9:24:18 GMT
This is the latest test. Similar differences to before in the wet and dry tests, but the best AS tyres are even better in the snow than they used to be, with a few beating the reference winter.   |
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Post by clunes on Sept 27, 2021 9:32:27 GMT
Thanks so far
1. I would never mix tyre types on the car but have had to mix different brands of the same type front to rear (eg all summers) in the past due to availability)
2. Appreciate thoughts on the all square setup - this appears to be fairly common on some of the forums when running winters but I’m not convinced - I’ll double check the door card/sticker anyway.
3. Given availability of the AS options (which given our winters I’d generally prefer to a full winter) - Staggered on 18s is hard to find with the same brand in sizes that would work. Theoretically I could go up on both axles so to 255/35/18 rear and 225/40/18 front to keep the rolling radius near identical and the older Cross Climate Plus (+) is available in that setup (and cheaper than swapping to the 17s).
I guess it comes down to ££ as always. I’ll take another look at the AS options on 17’s. Seem to remember the Vredstein Quatrac Pro getting a good review for mild winters in the latest AS tyre test and those are £105 per corner as opposed to about £133 for CC2 (after current special offers)
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Post by clunes on Sept 27, 2021 9:34:07 GMT
This is the latest test. Similar differences to before in the wet and dry tests, but the best AS tyres are even better in the snow than they used to be, with a few beating the reference winter. Yes, I watch a lot of those - even when I don’t need tyres! I watched that last week. The new AS are impressive - especially in CC2 for snow. The Pirelli abs Vredstein did well in the milder cold wet test I remember |
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Post by Martin on Sept 27, 2021 9:37:29 GMT
Thanks so far 1. I would never mix tyre types on the car but have had to mix different brands of the same type front to rear (eg all summers) in the past due to availability) 2. Appreciate thoughts on the all square setup - this appears to be fairly common on some of the forums when running winters but I’m not convinced - I’ll double check the door card/sticker anyway. 3. Given availability of the AS options (which given our winters I’d generally prefer to a full winter) - Staggered on 18s is hard to find with the same brand in sizes that would work. Theoretically I could go up on both axles so to 255/35/18 rear and 225/40/18 front to keep the rolling radius near identical and the older Cross Climate Plus (+) is available in that setup (and cheaper than swapping to the 17s). I guess it comes down to ££ as always. I’ll take another look at the AS options on 17’s. Seem to remember the Vredstein Quatrac Pro getting a good review for mild winters in the latest AS tyre test and those are £105 per corner as opposed to about £133 for CC2 (after current special offers) The official winter wheels for my last 2 BMWs with staggered summers have been all square, but that doesn't seem to be the case with yours and as ALF posted, I wouldn't want to take the risk with the insurance company. |
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Post by clunes on Sept 27, 2021 9:41:23 GMT
Thanks so far 1. I would never mix tyre types on the car but have had to mix different brands of the same type front to rear (eg all summers) in the past due to availability) 2. Appreciate thoughts on the all square setup - this appears to be fairly common on some of the forums when running winters but I’m not convinced - I’ll double check the door card/sticker anyway. 3. Given availability of the AS options (which given our winters I’d generally prefer to a full winter) - Staggered on 18s is hard to find with the same brand in sizes that would work. Theoretically I could go up on both axles so to 255/35/18 rear and 225/40/18 front to keep the rolling radius near identical and the older Cross Climate Plus (+) is available in that setup (and cheaper than swapping to the 17s). I guess it comes down to ££ as always. I’ll take another look at the AS options on 17’s. Seem to remember the Vredstein Quatrac Pro getting a good review for mild winters in the latest AS tyre test and those are £105 per corner as opposed to about £133 for CC2 (after current special offers) The official winter wheels for my last 2 BMWs with staggered summers have been all square, but that doesn't seem to be the case with yours and as ALF posted, I wouldn't want to take the risk with the insurance company. It’s a great point and the main reason for me raising the question and asking advice. The last thing I want is to give any insurance company an excuse if the worst should happen. |
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Post by johnc on Sept 27, 2021 11:36:44 GMT
My car has staggered summers but the factory fit winters are an all square set up. I have a huge grip advantage on the winters in cool damp conditions and it is laughable in the snow when I can get away from traffic lights as quick as if the road were dry (within reasonable limits)
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Post by clunes on Sept 27, 2021 12:17:59 GMT
I double checked with my local tyre fitters (whom I trust) and they suggested that fitting anything not specified by the manufacturer was definitely questionable regards the potential for insurance issues and, unlike many BMW's, on the 18's there is no officially approved all square setup on the 1-Series (2008). The all-square setup they do approve is the 205/50/17 all round which was standard fit unless the 18" factory upgraded alloys were chosen.
Seeing as I have a set of the 17's I've bitten the proverbial bullet and ordered a set of 4 Michelin Crossclimate 2 in the 205/50/17 size and will run those for the foreseeable. Blackcircles were doing an offer of £40 discount with 4 tyres so works out at £133.80 per tyre (Asda were a little cheaper but I know, and trust, my local fitters).
I'll decide on what to do regards the 18's and summers next year - I certainly much prefer the look of the 18's but at the very least I can store them and swap over come sale time if I decide to stick with the 17's after a few months use.
It's a higher initial outlay than I had preferred but I should claw back some of that over the life of the car and will always have a second set to sell on if needed.
Now I just have to wish for a cold winter so I can feel suitably smug!
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Post by Martin on Sept 27, 2021 12:23:02 GMT
I double checked with my local tyre fitters (whom I trust) and they suggested that fitting anything not specified by the manufacturer was definitely questionable regards the potential for insurance issues and, unlike many BMW's, on the 18's there is no officially approved all square setup on the 1-Series (2008). The all-square setup they do approve is the 205/50/17 all round which was standard fit unless the 18" factory upgraded alloys were chosen.Seeing as I have a set of the 17's I've bitten the proverbial bullet and ordered a set of 4 Michelin Crossclimate 2 in the 205/50/17 size and will run those for the foreseeable. Blackcircles were doing an offer of £40 discount with 4 tyres so works out at £133.80 per tyre (Asda were a little cheaper but I know, and trust, my local fitters). I'll decide on what to do regards the 18's and summers next year - I certainly much prefer the look of the 18's but at the very least I can store them and swap over come sale time if I decide to stick with the 17's after a few months use. It's a higher initial outlay than I had preferred but I should claw back some of that over the life of the car and will always have a second set to sell on if needed. Now I just have to wish for a cold winter so I can feel suitably smug! That's exactly what we said. I can't believe you didn't trust us and felt you had to ask a professional....!  Just a thought, you said earlier that it would cost £50 to swap the wheels over but it shouldn't this time as taking a wheel off/on is in the price, so as long as you can fit 4 wheels/tyres in the car (or get someone to help) you'll be fine. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the CC 2's, even more so when it gets cold and wet. |
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Post by clunes on Sept 27, 2021 12:26:26 GMT
I double checked with my local tyre fitters (whom I trust) and they suggested that fitting anything not specified by the manufacturer was definitely questionable regards the potential for insurance issues and, unlike many BMW's, on the 18's there is no officially approved all square setup on the 1-Series (2008). The all-square setup they do approve is the 205/50/17 all round which was standard fit unless the 18" factory upgraded alloys were chosen.Seeing as I have a set of the 17's I've bitten the proverbial bullet and ordered a set of 4 Michelin Crossclimate 2 in the 205/50/17 size and will run those for the foreseeable. Blackcircles were doing an offer of £40 discount with 4 tyres so works out at £133.80 per tyre (Asda were a little cheaper but I know, and trust, my local fitters). I'll decide on what to do regards the 18's and summers next year - I certainly much prefer the look of the 18's but at the very least I can store them and swap over come sale time if I decide to stick with the 17's after a few months use. It's a higher initial outlay than I had preferred but I should claw back some of that over the life of the car and will always have a second set to sell on if needed. Now I just have to wish for a cold winter so I can feel suitably smug! That's exactly what we said. I can't believe you didn't trust us and felt you had to ask a professional....! Just a thought, you said earlier that it would cost £50 to swap the wheels over but it shouldn't this time as taking a wheel off/on is in the price, so as long as you can fit 4 wheels/tyres in the car (or get someone to help) you'll be fine. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the CC 2's, even more so when it gets cold and wet. I should have trusted my own judgment let alone the collective brains here  Correct - there should be no additional cost this time as it's a straight swap so not really any more effort (I guess unloading/loading the alloys but I can do that). Also glad to report that the 1-series can fit 4 18" alloys plus tyres in the back/boot relatively easily - it's actually more practical than folk think with a pretty reasonable space in the rear as well for most passengers. |
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Post by Blarno on Sept 27, 2021 13:09:25 GMT
I wouldn't have thought there would be an insurance issue, provided you tell them the wheels have been swapped. When I had the 17 inch winters on my E46 last year, they weren't of the size normally fitted to the car and were square instead of staggered and it made no difference to my insurance.
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Post by clunes on Sept 27, 2021 14:10:54 GMT
I agree and that’s what I am doing (dropping to the 17s from 18s and going for a square setup). The slight question mark was whether I could stay on the 18s but move to a tyre size that was different to that specified for the car / alloys ie. Going square on a staggered alloy setup as standard. Either way decision made and probably the sensible one all things considered |
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Sept 27, 2021 15:32:30 GMT
Ah..the old "rake behind the car excuse"? Admit it, it was a police stinger wasn't it? |
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Post by clunes on Sept 27, 2021 16:05:08 GMT
Ah..the old "rake behind the car excuse"? Admit it, it was a police stinger wasn't it? 😂 Coming to an episode of Traffic Cops soon! Joking aside, the annoyance of the tyre wasn’t the worst thing as it wasn’t far off the wear markers anyway but rather the stress of getting half way to picking up my daughter from gym when the pressure monitor pinged then having to get my son to gym a few miles away, then take my daughter home, pickup my son from gym and then his rugby training the next day plus dropping them back to their mums the next evening. Whilst I reluctantly used the stuff the tyre weld has certainly done its job and another parent at the gym had a pump (left my old one in the 6-series when I sold it!) so I’ve been able to get around on the short journeys needed with caution! Edit: new compressor on order - thankfully paid for with some Amazon vouchers work gifted me so doesn’t feel out of pocket |
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Post by PG on Sept 27, 2021 18:04:19 GMT
From question to resolution in 9 hours. Is that a forum record? And that what you did was actually what some people suggested. |
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Post by clunes on Sept 29, 2021 11:34:27 GMT
From question to resolution in 9 hours. Is that a forum record? And that what you did was actually what some people suggested. Indeed - going against the Forum grain! Well - long story short, new Crossclimate 2 tyres fitted on the 17's Nightmare of a morning as the previous garage massively over tightened the wheel nuts and the local fitters couldn't undo them without knowing they would shear the locking wheel nut. Rather than try and fail leaving me in a tricky situation they put me in touch with a local garage 2 miles away who resolved the issue quickly and cheaply (as soon as they tried the 'normal' way the locking nut sheared instantly but they had the tools to get it off regardless). The fitters then sorted the new wheels - great service all round (Merityre in Little Chalfont and CPC Engineering in Amersham for anyone interested). New tyres feel good (after a whole 6 miles!) - definitely a more comfortable ride with the higher sidewall and (possibly!) more forgiving construction. Obviously can't give any indication of the cold weather performance yet but have no reason to think it will be anything less than excellent. |
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Post by alf on Sept 29, 2021 16:40:35 GMT
Glad it was sorted! I fairly shat myself a few times driving back from Telford yesterday, incredible rain at times - and thats with new rears and 5mm on the fronts, being sensible (not that many were.........). On well worn tyres, standing water is a nightmare, so a good time of year to get new ones!
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