Handling

[KingSix]

OK first let me just say I hope everybody is having a great 4th of July weekend ... I drove my 535 over 400 miles yesterday, it was a hot hot day and I had the AC on for the kiddo in the back set... never got the temp above the halfway mark.. something to be thankful for. I did notice that the handling was a little off. It seemed as though the car was on casters, not wheels.. meaning it seemed to wander a bit almost felt as though I was ridiing around on bias ply tires ( for those of you who remember those).. I have Michelon Pilots all the way around, but they are rapidly approaching the end...wondering if this is the issue... or something deeper.. anybody else had this "loss of handling" feeling towards the end of their tires life? thanks for reading...

[gtopaul]

OK first let me just say I hope everybody is having a great 4th of July weekend ... I drove my 535 over 400 miles yesterday, it was a hot hot day and I had the AC on for the kiddo in the back set... never got the temp above the halfway mark.. something to be thankful for. I did notice that the handling was a little off. It seemed as though the car was on casters, not wheels.. meaning it seemed to wander a bit almost felt as though I was ridiing around on bias ply tires ( for those of you who remember those).. I have Michelon Pilots all the way around, but they are rapidly approaching the end...wondering if this is the issue... or something deeper.. anybody else had this "loss of handling" feeling towards the end of their tires life? thanks for reading...

I drive Bimmers with worn out tires all the time at work (dealership) and would certainly consider them them suspect first with the indicators you're getting. A quick check of the front end would also be a good idea along with the rear suspension "dog bones."

Paul

[SharkmanBMW]

Even at the end of a tire's tread life, especially a good tire - it should handle as well in dry conditions... (under normal driving conditions... UNLESS you are trying to corner at 100!)

Always start with checking pressures... simple fix maybe...
a few pouds of air in a 17" wheel makes a huge difference for mine!

you can control oversteer /understeer with pressures.

a used old tire may also be a bit more harsh over bumps because it has less tread rubber for cushioning.

Pilots are good tires and would be surprised if under normal driving you would feel a real difference - (except for hard braking, cornering, accelerating)

[zygoteer]

All tyres have an inherent 'slip-angle' which will increase as the tyre wears and/or become hotter than normal.
This change is more prevalent near the limit of wear simply due to reduced tread effectiveness.

IF ... the rear tyres are more worn than the front then the back-end of the car may well feel odd and wander about when put under lateral stresses (cornering) in particular, but also trying to steer a straight line becomes more difficult.

IF ... the front tyres are more worn than the rear, then the car will not be as sure-footed on uneven surfaces, particularly when a steering angle is applied.

... So the symptoms you describe do appear to point to the tyres being a major factor in your 'handling' issue.