Tyre Question...twitchy Steering

32-BOY · 03-19-2016, 11:48 PM

Hi guys i have recently bought myself a E92 i was driving it today slightly above the speed limit

and noticed that the car is twitchy feels a bit floaty, so i pulled over checked tyres all round it was all fine. So i thought the alignment is totally out as the previous owner has put two new rear tyres on. When i got home i looked closely and realised that he didn't fit run flats on the rear but it is still running run flats on the front....Now the question is would it be the tyres or the alignment slightly confused as never experienced such thing.

Cheers Jake

IanS100 · 03-20-2016, 03:12 AM

It's not advisable to mix RFT with NRFT due to possible handling issues but first off I would get the alignment checked. It's easily knocked out by potholes, can cause handling problems, and a poorly set up car can easily wipe out a set of tyres in no time, so it's well worth the expense.

Digitalize · 03-20-2016, 06:51 AM

There's nothing wrong as such with mixing the two, as long as you're aware that the handling characteristics are different between the tyres.

Probably what you were experiencing.

32-BOY · 03-20-2016, 10:12 AM

Thats exactly what i was thinking, mixing run flats with non run flats would affect the handling. Im gong to get the rear tyres changed and if the problem continues i will get it tracked.

At the moment car seems completely out of balance almost like a boat very strange.

RajB · 03-20-2016, 03:22 PM

Are you still on stock suspension?

At speed and floaty is usually the soft suspension.

If twitchy then alignment. I'd say the mixing of tyres shouldn't generally be causing it.

ndj · 03-20-2016, 05:35 PM

First thing I'd do is ditch the remaining runflats.

My experience over 4 years with OEM spec 18" runflats on my 1 series (with M-Sport suspension) is they are potentially dangerous, especially if you're pushing your car hard. The lack of compliance makes them floaty and even minor road imperfections can upset the directional stability quite alarmingly.

And the ride quality is diabolical. Compared to 19's on my E90 M3 the 1er with runflats and M Sport suspension is shocking.

Aragorn30d · 03-21-2016, 07:46 AM

very much doubt its the tyres.

More likely alignment, or something like worn out shocks or bushes.

OGM2LCI · 03-21-2016, 07:55 AM

Are the tyres the correct size? I recently fitted a size wider on MV4's and this had a huge effect especially at higher speeds

32-BOY · 03-22-2016, 03:06 PM

Anyway got to the bottom of this, what i had is called tramlining....

"Tramlining is the tendency of a vehicle's wheels to follow the contours in the surface upon which it runs. The term comes from the tendency of a car's wheels to follow the normally recessed rails of street trams, without driver input in the same way that the train does"

Ended up thanking off the two run flats that i had on the front, replace them with Bridgestone Potenza...What a difference night and day car handles soo well corners well no more twitchy steering or being pulled all over the place.

If anyone suffers something similar its more than likely to be the tyres all tho it could be other things, but starting with replacing runflats seems like a good way to correct handling issues.

03-19-2016, 11:48 PM	#1
32-BOY New Member 10 Rep 21 Posts Drives: E92 2007 Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: CORNWALL iTrader: (0)	Tyre Question...twitchy Steering Hi guys i have recently bought myself a E92 i was driving it today slightly above the speed limit and noticed that the car is twitchy feels a bit floaty, so i pulled over checked tyres all round it was all fine. So i thought the alignment is totally out as the previous owner has put two new rear tyres on. When i got home i looked closely and realised that he didn't fit run flats on the rear but it is still running run flats on the front....Now the question is would it be the tyres or the alignment slightly confused as never experienced such thing. Cheers Jake
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03-20-2016, 03:12 AM	#2
IanS100 Major General 135 Rep 5,050 Posts Drives: 520d F10 LCI M Sport Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Southport UK iTrader: (0)	It's not advisable to mix RFT with NRFT due to possible handling issues but first off I would get the alignment checked. It's easily knocked out by potholes, can cause handling problems, and a poorly set up car can easily wipe out a set of tyres in no time, so it's well worth the expense.
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03-20-2016, 06:51 AM	#3
Digitalize Photographer 407 Rep 2,635 Posts Drives: 320D Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	There's nothing wrong as such with mixing the two, as long as you're aware that the handling characteristics are different between the tyres. Probably what you were experiencing.
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03-20-2016, 10:12 AM	#4
32-BOY New Member 10 Rep 21 Posts Drives: E92 2007 Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: CORNWALL iTrader: (0)	Thats exactly what i was thinking, mixing run flats with non run flats would affect the handling. Im gong to get the rear tyres changed and if the problem continues i will get it tracked. At the moment car seems completely out of balance almost like a boat very strange.
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03-20-2016, 03:22 PM	#5
RajB Brigadier General 450 Rep 3,305 Posts Drives: E92 335i Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Midlands iTrader: (4)	Are you still on stock suspension? At speed and floaty is usually the soft suspension. If twitchy then alignment. I'd say the mixing of tyres shouldn't generally be causing it. __________________ E92 335i / M3 Hybrid - The Build
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03-20-2016, 05:35 PM	#6
ndj Private 1 Rep 66 Posts Drives: M3 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: St. Andrews iTrader: (0)	First thing I'd do is ditch the remaining runflats. My experience over 4 years with OEM spec 18" runflats on my 1 series (with M-Sport suspension) is they are potentially dangerous, especially if you're pushing your car hard. The lack of compliance makes them floaty and even minor road imperfections can upset the directional stability quite alarmingly. And the ride quality is diabolical. Compared to 19's on my E90 M3 the 1er with runflats and M Sport suspension is shocking.
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03-21-2016, 07:46 AM	#7
Aragorn30d Lieutenant Colonel 169 Rep 1,596 Posts Drives: E90 330d Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Fife iTrader: (0)	very much doubt its the tyres. More likely alignment, or something like worn out shocks or bushes.
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03-21-2016, 07:55 AM	#8
OGM2LCI Lieutenant 42 Rep 445 Posts Drives: E87 M2 LCI Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	Are the tyres the correct size? I recently fitted a size wider on MV4's and this had a huge effect especially at higher speeds
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03-22-2016, 03:06 PM	#9
32-BOY New Member 10 Rep 21 Posts Drives: E92 2007 Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: CORNWALL iTrader: (0)	Anyway got to the bottom of this, what i had is called tramlining.... "Tramlining is the tendency of a vehicle's wheels to follow the contours in the surface upon which it runs. The term comes from the tendency of a car's wheels to follow the normally recessed rails of street trams, without driver input in the same way that the train does" Ended up thanking off the two run flats that i had on the front, replace them with Bridgestone Potenza...What a difference night and day car handles soo well corners well no more twitchy steering or being pulled all over the place. If anyone suffers something similar its more than likely to be the tyres all tho it could be other things, but starting with replacing runflats seems like a good way to correct handling issues.
	Appreciate 0 Quote