[doughboy]

Originally Posted by m@rk

I have raised the pressures a bit (still within the plated value) as well so will report back.

But the important thing (and this is what made me think long and hard before changing) is that the ride is not ruined. I had the concern that the ride would end up being TOO SOFT and the car would be spoilt. This is simply not the case.

Conti3's are a pretty stiff tyre for a non RFT, I still run just below rated pressures even with the Conti 3's. You have a weighty tourer like me and with 18" I found the standard pressures (2.4f/2.9r bar) much to hard the car would skip and bounce over the road.

I now use 2.2/2.7 with Conti3's.

Originally Posted by seanblee

I'm ditching my RFTs on 7th May I've gone for the new ContiSportContact 5P all round on my 18" wheels - 235/40 on the front and 255/35 on the rear.

Like to know how they go - they seem to be Continentals response to the Michelin PS3.

BTW shouldn't you have a 225/40 on the front? or is that a typo?

[seanblee]

Originally Posted by doughboy

Like to know how they go - they seem to be Continentals response to the Michelin PS3.

BTW shouldn't you have a 225/40 on the front? or is that a typo?

Sadly, they don't do the 5P in a 225, so I've had to step up by one size. Mercedes apparently run these tyres on the C63 AMG, which has 18x8J front and 18x8.5J rear wheels, so all should be fine. Will let you know how they go

[doughboy]

You're right, just checked on the conti site.

Seems odd as 225/40/18 is a pretty common size for hot hatches etc as well as our front size, maybe they'll release more sizes in due course.

When I bought the winter tyres, the 225/40/18 was easy to come by even in January because all the tyre dealers said its such a common size and they really stock up on them.

[seanblee]

Originally Posted by doughboy

Seems odd as 225/40/18 is a pretty common size for hot hatches etc as well as our front size, maybe they'll release more sizes in due course.

Reportedly, the 5P is designed exclusively for 'performance' cars, hence the P. There's supposed to be a ContiSportContact 5 coming out later in the year, which will be a slightly softened version for more mainstream cars. I figure a 335 counts as a performance car though, hence I'm going for the proper ones

[doughboy]

When you get them fitted, can you put up a few angled photos of the front tyre/wheel to show how the 235 fitment looks?

Cheers.

[YvesD]

Originally Posted by seanblee

I'm ditching my RFTs on 7th May I've gone for the new ContiSportContact 5P all round on my 18" wheels - 235/40 on the front and 255/35 on the rear.

Good choice but your front fitment might look a bit odd compared to the rear with that profile...

Contis are fantastic, I'm back on 18 inch Flintstones again at the moment and they are APPALING.

Yves

[seanblee]

I considered that, but then I thought that we're talking about a difference of 4mm profile, which I don't think is really going to be noticeable. Time will tell I guess!

[RichJ]

Are the 5P likely to be better than the sport contact 3's in 19inch?

[chris_s1]

Well, I changed my RFTs yesterday to Falken 452s as many others have done. Just thought I'd post my experience to add to the debate.

I am running the 19" wheels and the Msport suspension, so for the harshness of the ride, that's about as bad as it gets.

I have VERY mixed opinions after the switch, its not as cut and dry as most comments on here have made out.

Yes, the ride comfort is improved 100%, much smoother ride, when you hit a minor bump in the road it feels like a 'normal' car, not like you have just hit something with the bodywork or the sump.
I share the feeling someone else expressed about being embarrassed to take passengers! That problem is cured completely.
Another side benefit is the rattle in my dash has all but dissapeared as well

BUT.....the feel through the steering wheel is completely gone, it feels like there is 2 inches of jelly between the tyres and the road.
Outright grip is no worse, it hangs on in the corners pretty much as before, it's just that sharpness on initial turn in that has dissapeared.

The feeling through the wheel is so different I was convinced they must have got the pressures wrong, but I checked and they are ok.

Now, I do drive the car quite hard and am used to driving cars to their (or my!) limits. So if you're a motorway commuter, don't think twice about changing.
But - if you love the feel of your setup the way it is now, think twice -

Its not all roses, there is a trade-off for the enthusiastic driver. When it comes time to change tyres again, I'm not sure I'll make the same decision.

All that said, I paid about £520 at Micheldever for all 4 Falkens (2x225/35/19 and 2x265/30/19) so they are so much cheaper its probably worth it for cost alone.

Rgs
Chris

[Oli]

What pressures you running Chris? Plus you kept the standard size on the front and oversize on the rear, this would have an effect

[chris_s1]

They're at 2.6 bar all round. I think that is correct for non-RFTs. I might try increasing a bit I guess.
Maybe they will wear in and improve a bit, I've only done maybe 400 miles since they were fitted.

[Oli]

yeah give them a good thousand miles to bed in, and what about your odd tyres sizes? Standard 19" on the front and oversize 19" on the rear?

[Jeff123]

Hi

Some people on other forums seem to take time to adjust to non RFT's. Bit like banging your head against a brick wall - when you stop, you forget how bad it actually was!!

Jeff

[F31-340i]

Chris s1

your post has got me worried as I'm just making the same switch.....

J

[Kongen71]

Originally Posted by Rich Jones

Are the 5P likely to be better than the sport contact 3's in 19inch?

Did some searching on the 5P and they are specially designed to high powered sportscars especially with different size front and back wheels. They have been made from a softer compound for high levels of handling precision, and short braking distances. Already standard fitted on AMG and Audi TTS. Check this link: http://www.tyrepress.com/News/1/22/18416.html.

[Kongen71]

Originally Posted by Kongen71

Did some searching on the 5P and they are specially designed to high powered sportscars especially with different size front and back wheels. They have been made from a softer compound for high levels of handling precision, and short braking distances. Already standard fitted on AMG and Audi TTS. Check this link: http://www.tyrepress.com/News/1/22/18416.html.

Forgot to mention that I have conti's on the 330i M-sport RFT but 17" and they are exellent Bridgestone RFT 19" on the 335i M-sport and a VERY hard ride changing to 5P non-RFT soon.

[craig2859]

Originally Posted by chris_s1

All that said, I paid about £520 at Micheldever for all 4 Falkens (2x225/35/19 and 2x265/30/19) so they are so much cheaper its probably worth it for cost alone.

Rgs
Chris

Good honest feedback there Chris, I am going to make the change myself too - soon, would be interested to know how you feel once you have ran them in a bit and are a little more used to the set up.


Falkens seem a very good price there too - £520 all in.

How are you finding the oversized rears?

Cheers

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by chris_s1

They're at 2.6 bar all round. I think that is correct for non-RFTs. I might try increasing a bit I guess.
Maybe they will wear in and improve a bit, I've only done maybe 400 miles since they were fitted.

Hmm, usually you'd want more presure in the rear, this is reflected in all the rating plates pressures. I'd start at your rated pressures, 2.2 / 2.4 bar or whatever it is for yor E90 and increase equally from there.

Remember falkens are a very soft tyre in both tread block and sidewall, so you have gone from one extreme to the other.

Thats why I went for Conti 3's, they are also designed for powerful RWD cars (as are conti 5P) and have a very stiff sidewall for a non RFT tyre, this helps to maintain the turn in.

Unfortunately by fitting falkens you have now unmasked the soft bushes that BMW have fitted in order to try and hide the runflat harshness, I've changed those too, at more expense, but if I wasn't going to do that i'd still stick with stiff conti3's.

I know Conti3' are more expensive, same bracket at PS2 etc, but theres a reason for that IMO.

[creepy coupe]

I'm running 452's and have played with pressures, for me the best is 36 psi front 40 rear and I've no complains on the front end grip.

[doughboy]

I think the initial change can be disconcerting and make the car feel 'squidgy' and come as a bit of a shock.

The plus's outweight any negatives though, just need to adjust to the new 'feel'.

[creepy coupe]

Originally Posted by doughboy

I think the initial change can be disconcerting and make the car feel 'squidgy' and come as a bit of a shock.

The plus's outweight any negatives though, just need to adjust to the new 'feel'.

+1

[Kongen71]

Originally Posted by seanblee

I'm ditching my RFTs on 7th May I've gone for the new ContiSportContact 5P all round on my 18" wheels - 235/40 on the front and 255/35 on the rear.

Please let us know how they feel. I'm looking at the same 5P option but on 19" (they have the right size in 19" though - 225/35/19 & 255/30/19)