Tyre manufacturer rant- or the price we pay to live in a small economy !

[Zeuk in Oz]

After 60,000 km its time to replace the Michelins, so I ring up my local tyre shop who carries Michelin (no - we don't have a Tire-rack or similar in Oz) to be told that the Pilot HX MXM tyres I am after have been discontinued. Bugger, I say, as these Michelins are absolutely fan-bloody-tastic.

OK, I say, what have they been replaced with ?

Nothing, is the reply. All they can offer is some crappy long mileage economy tyre.

Bloody hell ! So I ring up Michelin who confirm both that the tyres I am after are discontinued and that they no longer bring an equivalent tyre into the country.

I then do some research into other tyres available in the same size from other manufacturers but am underwhelmed by my choices. Continental and Yokohama have a couple of likely candidates, but still not in the same class (Premium Contact II and C-drive).

Next step is to get on the phone to the large tyre chains to see if any have some still in stock. Third phone call - yes sir, there are 4 in Townsville !

Terrific, thats 3,000 km away.

Long story short, these tyres are, as I write this, being shipped to the closest dealer to me (50 km away) and will be available next week - at a cost ! ($400 each ! - ouch). These tyres are so good though, that it will be worth it !

All because our market is so small we get treated like a third world country by the large multinationals.

Stay tuned for my next exciting episode when I beat a tyre fitter over the head with my torque wrench because he uses a rattling gun. :D

Sorry for the rant - had to get it off my chest !

Time to buy some throwing stars that use lower profile tyres that are still imported. :)

[Michael999]

did the tyres really last 60,000km.. that seems like an awfully long time for a soft compound tyre!

[Zeuk in Oz]

did the tyres really last 60,000km.. that seems like an awfully long time for a soft compound tyre!
That is what I thought too, but they have so much grip I don't want to try anything else.
I normally say not to buy a tyre that lasts longer than 40,000 km.
I do live in a rural area though, so most of the driving is at 100 kph.

[Paul in NZ]

try living in an economy thats only the size of one of your big cities.

[shuriken]

Michelin Pilot Primacy is the replacement tyre I think, although MXM's are still listed here in the UK.
What about the Pirelli's? Toyo's are good too. Yokohamas do some wicked performance tyres.

[rob101]

Michelin Pilot Primacy is the replacement tyre I think, although MXM's are still listed here in the UK.
What about the Pirelli's? Toyo's are good too. Yokohamas do some wicked performance tyres.
i was thinking about advan
heheehehehehe
shuriken you have alot of cars!!!!!!!

[genphreak]

Why not buy new rims?

That way surely you could get the tyres you want (16s are plentiful and work very well on the e34). I had your rims on my e28 and ran 215/60s. If you bought 16x7 you could go 225 and get the best all round combination possible.

Then again, in that size the new Pilots would set you back a good $350, no? Still with $200 to go towards new rims, you would at least be subsidising the upgrade a little bit... :)

btw; I don't doubt your wisdom on the Pilots, it'd be worth driving to Cairns to get them- they are the best damn road tyre I've ever driven.

[Paul in NZ]

are the michelins really that good?My fronts(bridgestones are nearly gone) have done about 30 40 thosand kays i guess.You wait till i tell you what they are worth here!

[genphreak]

are the michelins really that good?My fronts(bridgestones are nearly gone) have done about 30 40 thosand kays i guess.You wait till i tell you what they are worth here!Yea they are hot. Just an expensive compound I believe. They aren't cheap. My thinner wallet pops to 225/55 Firenzas (they are a budget Japanese tyre made by Toyo). They are light, sticky and hard wearing. Nothing special like the Pilots, but I can buy more than 2 for the same price as one Michelin :)

[pundit]

...Time to buy some throwing stars that use lower profile tyres that are still imported. :)
YEP! I just fitted a set of Michelin Pilot Preceda PP2's (http://www.michelin.com.au/tyres/passengerCar_pilotPreceda.asp) on my 'T' Stars.
4 x 235/17/ZR45's cost me $255.00 each plus $39.00 for the alignment.

This was after a major steering and suspension refresh.
New Lemforder upper & lower arms (M5 aluminium), sway bar links, center and outer tie rods, spring pads, bump stops, dogbones, subframe mounts and a set of Eibach Prokit springs and Koni Sports adjustables.

So you could say my wallet lost a few kilos!!

Steering is very close to neutral with less initial understeer than standard.
There is still a small amount of initial understeer but this is easily neutralised by a slight increase in throttle opening and any additional throttle just tightens the car into the turn nicely.

Ride is firm but not bone jarring. I'm hoping it may soften a little more.
However the only thing I've yet to replace are the rear subframe mounts and it appears these are the cause of a slight 'Hippy, hippy, wobble' I've become aware of in the rear now everything else is fixed.

I'm going to rotate the Michelins every 5000kms.
I'd be expecting at least 40,000kms... but 50,000kms or 60,000kms would be nice!

[Alexlind123]

Why not buy new rims?

That way surely you could get the tyres you want (16s are plentiful and work very well on the e34). I had your rims on my e28 and ran 215/60s. If you bought 16x7 you could go 225 and get the best all round combination possible.

Then again, in that size the new Pilots would set you back a good $350, no? Still with $200 to go towards new rims, you would at least be subsidising the upgrade a little bit... :)

btw; I don't doubt your wisdom on the Pilots, it'd be worth driving to Cairns to get them- they are the best damn road tyre I've ever driven.

I have 225s on my stock 15s.

[Zeuk in Oz]

Michelin Pilot Primacy is the replacement tyre I think, although MXM's are still listed here in the UK.
What about the Pirelli's? Toyo's are good too. Yokohamas do some wicked performance tyres.
Pilot Primacy is not available either. Yokohama and Toyos are either econo-models or H rated.
I am sure MXM tyres are still available in the UK.
I have had bad experience with Pirellis and so really don't want to go down that path.

[Zeuk in Oz]

Why not buy new rims?

That way surely you could get the tyres you want (16s are plentiful and work very well on the e34). I had your rims on my e28 and ran 215/60s. If you bought 16x7 you could go 225 and get the best all round combination possible.

Then again, in that size the new Pilots would set you back a good $350, no? Still with $200 to go towards new rims, you would at least be subsidising the upgrade a little bit... :)

btw; I don't doubt your wisdom on the Pilots, it'd be worth driving to Cairns to get them- they are the best damn road tyre I've ever driven.
The reason I am still running stock rims is that on our roads here, profiles less than 60 chew rims on our pot-holes. I am running 225/60/15 tyres, by the way.

New rims would mean lower profile tyres and damaged rims - been there, done that with other cars.

[Zeuk in Oz]

are the michelins really that good?
Yes Paul, in my humble opinion they certainly are. I had the same tyre on a Volvo 850 AWD that I had. Tried Pirellis on it but went back to the Michelins because they are such a wonderful tyre.
Expensive, but wonderful.

[Zeuk in Oz]

Yea they are hot. Just an expensive compound I believe. They aren't cheap. My thinner wallet pops to 225/55 Firenzas (they are a budget Japanese tyre made by Toyo). They are light, sticky and hard wearing. Nothing special like the Pilots, but I can buy more than 2 for the same price as one Michelin :)
My wallet is also thin, but because my kids are driving this car, in the main, I don't feel like putting on inferior rubber.

As I keep saying, we should all buy tyres we can't afford.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

to Hawaii for a holiday drive about and save a few $$ on a rental car stop by the Honolulu BMW dealer and pick up a few BMW Honolulu logo items, buy tires(tyres) at $60.00 to $100.00 and fill up at $3.19 a gallon and return home .

[pundit]

Heck, you could ship the car to Hawaii for a holiday drive about and save a few $$ on a rental car stop by the Honolulu BMW dealer and pick up a few BMW Honolulu logo items, buy tires(tyres) at $60.00 to $100.00 and fill up at $3.19 a gallon and return home .
Why do you think I bought all my E34 parts (excluding Konis and Eibachs) from BMA? ;)

I spent around $1,800.00 AUD ($1,350.00 USD).
The same parts bought from the local stealer would have set me back around $5,000.00 to $6,000.00 AUD ($3,750.00 to $4,500.00 USD)

Most items I bought were one third to one quarter of the local price.
Some of the smaller items were one tenth the cost or even less.
How does front strut boots at $7.20 a pair (from BMA) sound compared with $132.00 dollars a pair from the local stealer!!

It's called the price we pay to live in a small economy... or at least that's what we're told is the reason we're being shafted! :(

[genphreak]

Dealers in the US charge a lot more too. That said, the AU dealer pricing cannot be fathomed. But I often find parts at reasonable prices here, never as cheap as the US perhaps, but a radiator for example is $420AU and even if you get one from the US for $200, add shipping and import costs- let alone the chance of damage in freight... its not always worth it on heavy and fragile items, or some things that are made here...

Nice work btw; it sure sounds like your ride is going to be driving very well indeed!

[genphreak]

The reason I am still running stock rims is that on our roads here, profiles less than 60 chew rims on our pot-holes. I am running 225/60/15 tyres, by the way.

New rims would mean lower profile tyres and damaged rims - been there, done that with other cars.Hmm... stock rims are very strong- 15, 16 or 17.
A 17 would mean a loss in sidewall size (and the accompanying capacity for shock absorbation/spread) so you couldn't do that.

But a 225/16 55 series is the same sidewall height as a 215/15 60 series.

If you were to get aftermarket rims however, its only a matter of time in any size, other than real gumballs...

Genuine rims are way better than anything off the shelf IMHO.

[Paul in NZ]

michelin say preceda or primacy for 23545 17s.Gona check em out.My favourite tyre man has them,gonna go see him.

[Zeuk in Oz]

michelin say preceda or primacy for 23545 17s.Gona check em out.My favourite tyre man has them,gonna go see him.
The Preceda looks good, but I would also look at the Pilot Sport even if it means going back to 225 (or else to 245). That, presumably, is Michelin's best tyre for cars like yours. :)

[Paul in NZ]

like mine?

[Paul in NZ]

pilot sport would wear faster than others?

[Zeuk in Oz]

Hmm... stock rims are very strong- 15, 16 or 17.
A 17 would mean a loss in sidewall size (and the accompanying capacity for shock absorbation/spread) so you couldn't do that.

But a 225/16 55 series is the same sidewall height as a 215/15 60 series.

If you were to get aftermarket rims however, its only a matter of time in any size, other than real gumballs...

Genuine rims are way better than anything off the shelf IMHO.
I agree with you about genuine rims, however having had many rims repaired over the years due to our terrible roads, I am quite happy to stick with the stock rims.

Probably easier on suspension and steering components anyway.

[Zeuk in Oz]

pilot sport would wear faster than others?
I presume so, as that is the usual trade-off. However the Pilots are extremely sticky (and presumably soft) but still lasted for 60,000 km.

I am not suggesting you would get that out of any on your more powerful car, but I would suggest giving 1 set a go to see how you like them, presuming they fit your car.

As I keep saying, I like to buy the dearest (and so presumably the best) Michelin tyre I can for the size I need.

In 30 years of buying tyres I have never been disappointed with that philosophy when buying Michelin, however Bridgstone, Pirelli, Continental, Dunlop, Toyo and Yokohama have all disappointed at one time or another - usually when they have been standard fitment.

The problem is you can't take them back after a week if you are not happy !

[Paul in NZ]

i dont think the extra power of the 535 would make much difference.Any way it looks like the fronts have worn faster than the rears.I havent been rotating often enough,but when i get the new(to me) wheels on i will rotate more frequently and even out the wear on the edges

[The Bigfella]

Pirelli - yes, I seem to recall getting booked for a bald tyre on my BMW R90S at 3,500km on a Pirelli - not a single "burn-out" on it either.

Ian