Need help with tires...

[PDX318is]

Crap. So I guess I've been in a coma for 5 years. I'm running Yokohama AVS 205 / 50 / 14 on my 318is and while I'm not desperate for tires I checked Tirerack only to find -1- choice. Back when I bought these Yokohamas I had MULTIPLE choices and granted this is a very lightly used car but I'm trippin' on the "BFGoodrich G-force Drag Radial". I really like my stock basketweaves but I need a better tire. Anyone offer some help?

[nomansland92]

try different sizes but still on a 14" rims. Maybe like 205/55-14 or 195/60-14. You get the point. Firth number is width of tire second is side wall height and 3rd is rim size.
Hope this helps

[PDX318is]

Checking out some Ronal LS 15x7-my e30 is lowered about an inch (H&R Springs) - anyone know what tire size to get? I'd still like to go with the stock basketweave if possible but the tire selection isn't looking so good. Any opinion is greatly appreciated.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ronal-LS-Wheels-15x7-5-3-series-BMW-3-1-E30-/280463067149?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item414ce6c80d#ht_1801wt_1023

[PDX318is]

Thanks, I thought I had maxed out the space with the 205/50's. The brake line rubs when you turn in hard-can't imagine a larger tire. 205/55/14 are all track and drag tires although I can still get the Yokohama AVS ES100 on a 195/60/14. Tirerack says the latter won't fit but then again they said the 205/50/14 wouldn't fit either.

[billy_ocean]

i just ordered these for my bottle caps

Falken AZENIS RT-615K 195/60R14

[MR 325]

The ES100 is a great tire, I had no idea it was still made!

You should be running a 195/65/14 or 205/60/14 tire. The others are too short.

[giantkeeper]

i just ordered these for my bottle caps

Falken AZENIS RT-615K 195/60R14

This is what I have on my car now. Awesome tire, though they can be a tad loud.

[PDX318is]

The ES100 is a great tire, I had no idea it was still made!

You should be running a 195/65/14 or 205/60/14 tire. The others are too short.

If I'm running currently a 205/50/14 that is rubbing my front left brake line (and sensor) when on a hard crank do you think the 205/60 is going to rub? The car is lowered about an inch.


Tirerack has the AVS ES100 in a 195/60/14 although stock is 195/65/14

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?width=195%2F&ratio=60&diameter=14

Also in the 205/60/14

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?autoMake=BMW&autoYear=1991&autoModel=318is&autoModClar=&width=205%2F&ratio=60&diameter=14

[KenC]

195/65

[MR 325]

If I'm running currently a 205/50/14 that is rubbing my front left brake line (and sensor) when on a hard crank do you think the 205/60 is going to rub? The car is lowered about an inch.

Those should not be rubbing.

Go with the 205/60 ES100 tire, you'll love it.

Trust me, I've has 205/60/14 on a few of my cars with no issue.

[PDX318is]

Awesome-thank you. I've got H&R springs in there and the brake lines are braided so they don't fit perfect stock in their clip on the strut. I'm getting the basketweaves refinished. I like the ES100 a lot. Had them on my 535is as well. They've done pretty well in rain but they do not like snow. Luckily we only get a couple weeks of snow here a year at the most.

[ACHTUNG]

The majority of people seem to not like the Yoko ES100's. I had a set and didn't like them at all. They were really bad in the wet and they weren't that great when pushing them hard on dry. I'd stay away from them unless they changed the tire compound recently.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=201046&highlight=ES100&page=3

I'm running Hankook Ventus R-S3 on my Ronal LS wheels. 225/45/15. I'm on Bilstein sports and IE3 springs. Great tire!

[PDX318is]

Achtung-my original experience with the Yokohama's is from living in Los Angeles where there is very little weather. The Avid's and ES100's are an amazing tire that stands up to some serious abuse. I moved to Portland about 4 years ago and quickly learned that the ES100's are crap in the wet and not even that good in the few days of snow we get here.

I'm new posting here and couldn't see any pix of your e30 with the Ronal's-do you have a link? In the late 90's I had a "perfect" '89 315is in LA that I put Ronal's on after meeting the company's VP. Ronal is an excellent product and supposedly made from the same design stamp as BBS (I forget the story now but it was something about the company buying the molds from BBS). I forget the tire size I was using but they were Avid's. Very sticky tires and great longevity.

Thank you too Mr. 325 for the tire size on the stock basketweaves. My first idea is to redo the basketweaves. The basketweave is a great stock wheel and extremely light.

[ACHTUNG]

Achtung-my original experience with the Yokohama's is from living in Los Angeles where there is very little weather. The Avid's and ES100's are an amazing tire that stands up to some serious abuse. I moved to Portland about 4 years ago and quickly learned that the ES100's are crap in the wet and not even that good in the few days of snow we get here.

I'm new posting here and couldn't see any pix of your e30 with the Ronal's-do you have a link? In the late 90's I had a "perfect" '89 315is in LA that I put Ronal's on after meeting the company's VP. Ronal is an excellent product and supposedly made from the same design stamp as BBS (I forget the story now but it was something about the company buying the molds from BBS). I forget the tire size I was using but they were Avid's. Very sticky tires and great longevity.

Yeah I had pretty big traction issues with the ES100 in the wet. I made the mistake of driving on them on the first day it snowed (only had about a .5" of snow on the ground. Just a dusting) and I ended up in a ditch. And trust me, it wasn't user error. The tires had zero traction.

I don't have any recent pics of the car with the Hankook R-S3 tires. At the moment my E30 is at a shop getting a motor swap done to it so I can't take any pics. Here are some older shots of it with Falken Azenis RT-615 tires (which is also a great tire but not as good in the wet as the R-S3's.) I'll post current pics of it once I get it back in about a week. However I wouldn't recommend any of these tires for super cold weather and snow.

[Aerton]

try different sizes but still on a 14" rims. Maybe like 205/55-14 or 195/60-14. You get the point. Firth number is width of tire second is side wall height and 3rd is rim size.
Hope this helps

Wow, you have an e30 and a 944 you win!!!