budget tyres

[innes]

which are the cheapest tyres to go for on my 525i 1991 standard 15" alloys i need 4 so can not afford a lot!!

[Michael999]

retreads, just try not to drive over 30mph

[innes]

can anyone actually help/

[nizmainiac]

try nankangs , i've got two on the rear of my 525, they're directional and i think they go for about £45 a piece

[pingu]

Most aircraft types are retreads! For example, see http://www.retreaders.org.uk/faq.htm

Having said that, none of my tyres is a retread.

[genphreak]

which are the cheapest tyres to go for on my 525i 1991 standard 15" alloys i need 4 so can not afford a lot!!You bought a BMW, live in one of the wettest places in the world and want to buy shitty budget fukkken NanYangs? No wonder all the British cars break down.

Man, save up and get something half decent. One secret is to buy non-brand Japanese made tyres at a minimum. BUT anything Michelin is a world ahead. Or buy a chinese tyre and wonder why nothing goes right after that... these are just plain **** even when you fit them on wheel-barrows and billy carts.

[KenB]

To quote another member, "Buy tires you can't afford."

You don't have to buy the most expensive, but the difference between something decent and going cheap could save your life or someone else's.

Cheap tires are no bargain.

[nizmainiac]

not every body can afford mich's or contis or bstones, the nankangs that are on my car were already on it when i bought it, personally i'm not one for buying cheap tyres, at the end of the day you get what you pay for, i'm lucky enough to have contacts in the tyre trade so i can get them pretty much at cost price anyway

[tim]

I've had very good experiences with Kumho (South Korea). I have used the ASX. I'll buy them again and they're $75ish each from tire rack for the 225x16's. The sidewall could be stiffer (my michelins were no better in that regard), and the wear isn't what they claim (but who's is on a 540, with the horsepower, camber, and toe of these vehicles), but I got 2 years and about 30k miles before they became too worn.

I don't drive hard though.

just my $.02

[yaofeng]

You bought a BMW, live in one of the wettest places in the world and want to buy shitty budget fukkken NanYangs? No wonder all the British cars break down.

Man, save up and get something half decent. One secret is to buy non-brand Japanese made tyres at a minimum. BUT anything Michelin is a world ahead. Or buy a chinese tyre and wonder why nothing goes right after that... these are just plain **** even when you fit them on wheel-barrows and billy carts.

Don't know if you have been to the UK. I doubt it or you would not have made the remarks you did. No I don't live there. But you will be very impressed with the overall general road worthiness of the cars on the road in that country. It says lot of the MOT program they have, whatever that is. The cars on the roads in the UK are certainly in better shape than many clunkers on this side of the pond which has 50 different vehicle inspection programs in varying degree of stringency.

[Antrieb]

Kuhma ESCTA are a very good relatively "cheap" tire ( I don't like the word cheap). They run about $70 USD each.

[neil_004]

Read the MOT inspection program in the back of the Haynes manual. Makes my state's inspection look like a joke. In the UK they check the operation and adjustment of all the important systems every couple years. Over here in Ohio they made sure my lights worked(and that was it).

Inexpensive is a good alternate word for cheap.

[nizmainiac]

how old is your haynes manual?

[632 Regal]

Falkens are inexpensive and a good tire.

[brosher]

tirerack.com

[Mr Project]

I bought a set of Falken Ziex ZX-512's for my Volvo and was very happy. They were good in the dry and excellent in the wet. I got them from www.vulcantire.com and IIRC they were around $50/tire for 195/65/15, which isn't too much different than the E34 size.

[bfd]

Kuhma ESCTA are a very good relatively "cheap" tire ( I don't like the word cheap). They run about $70 USD each.

Agree, I run the VR-rated Kumho tires from Tire Rack - $53 EACH!

[632 Regal]

www.tiresavings.com

[ba91]

You bought a BMW, live in one of the wettest places in the world and want to buy shitty budget fukkken NanYangs? No wonder all the British cars break down.

Man, save up and get something half decent. One secret is to buy non-brand Japanese made tyres at a minimum. BUT anything Michelin is a world ahead. Or buy a chinese tyre and wonder why nothing goes right after that... these are just plain **** even when you fit them on wheel-barrows and billy carts.
__________________
You gotta remember that in the UK e34's are beer money.My 525isport cost£650 with a years ticket and it's manual, if it don't pass a nother test I'll wieght it in.,so why spend £70 a corner on a vechile that's worth nothing M5's are the one's that hold value here 3/4K is about right.Everything works on mine with no rust!!

[Zeuk in Oz]

You gotta remember that in the UK e34's are beer money.My 525isport cost£650 with a years ticket and it's manual, if it don't pass a nother test I'll wieght it in.,so why spend £70 a corner on a vechile that's worth nothing M5's are the one's that hold value here 3/4K is about right.Everything works on mine with no rust!!
This has got to be one of the best quotes I have ever read.

Before I go on, I should put my hand up to the quote mentioned earlier - "you should buy tyres you can't afford". That was said to me by Peter Wherrett in 1973 when I did my first advanced drivers course at the age of 17. Truer words have never been said. (Yes, even old farts were young once).

Back to the issue - just because you might drive a car with little worth, surely you must also put no value on your own life if you drive with rubbish tyres ( or faulty shock absorbers etc). Tyres are the things that keep you attached to the road, in case you hadn't noticed, and so surely the value of your car should have no bearing on the quality or value of the tyre that you drive on.

Also the issue of whether or not you pass "another test" will perhaps depend on maintenance of your car. That is why most people frequent this forum - to get advice on maintaining their cars, not how to run them into the ground.

Perhaps a little reconsideration might be in order.

[Thayne]

Just save up a little more for better tires. Its safer in the end run that way.

[Nick.Hay]

Tyres are the ONLY thing that makes your car stop, go, and turn. They are also the ONLY thing connecting you to the road...

If you must buy cheap, then buy the most expensive-cheap you can afford!! A cheap goodyear or Michelin will usually be better than a similar priced "dodgy" brand.

Good luck ;)

[ILoveMPower]

The ONLY thing connecting your car and you to the road is your tires.

You CANNOT cheap out on these.

[genphreak]

Don't know if you have been to the UK. I doubt it or you would not have made the remarks you did. No I don't live there. But you will be very impressed with the overall general road worthiness of the cars on the road in that country. It says lot of the MOT program they have, whatever that is. The cars on the roads in the UK are certainly in better shape than many clunkers on this side of the pond which has 50 different vehicle inspection programs in varying degree of stringency.Yes they have better roadworthiness than a lot of places. ITs an ironic situation though when you consider this in relation to the point I was actaully (trying to) make.

I was talking about cars designed in England, not cars driven in England. I've often been surprised at the ability of a perfectly educated culture repeatedly getting the (not so) technical job of making a car so blatantly wrong. In Oz we call this 'near enough is goood enough". It is the mother of all screw ups, but in the UK it can take on another leaning entirely in the auto industry. The Chinese make more reliable cars than the English ever did, even though they've only been doing it for a short while.

Re Korean tyres, I have a pair of Nexen N2000s at the moment relegated to smoking work on the rear. They are prolly the bext Korean tyre I've seen- but they can't match the Japanese Firenzas running on the front. However they are all laughable against Continentals, let alone Michelins. I have a budget too... but next tyres will be Micheln Pilots. I'll have to avoid putting my foot down too hard then though... :) Nick

[Yaninnya]

One word: Yokohama ... and everything is clear.

[BMWDriver]

Go for an "S" rated tyre (tops at 180 km/h). I have "T" rated (190 km/h), and they're OK. I don't ever ride close to 190, so I'm not too worried. But I plan on going on to Continentals afterwards, with an H rating (210 km/h). I can afford them, I just want to go through the ones I have (from the previous car owner).

My trusty mechanic saw them, and he didn't raise any concerns.

If I remember correctly, I have Khumos 4 seasons.

[nizmainiac]

the nankangs i said about are v rated , cheap too , ideal for what you want

[SharkmanBMW]

This has got to be one of the best quotes I have ever read.

Before I go on, I should put my hand up to the quote mentioned earlier - "you should buy tyres you can't afford". That was said to me by Peter Wherrett in 1973 when I did my first advanced drivers course at the age of 17. Truer words have never been said. (Yes, even old farts were young once).

Back to the issue - just because you might drive a car with little worth, surely you must also put no value on your own life if you drive with rubbish tyres ( or faulty shock absorbers etc). Tyres are the things that keep you attached to the road, in case you hadn't noticed, and so surely the value of your car should have no bearing on the quality or value of the tyre that you drive on.

Also the issue of whether or not you pass "another test" will perhaps depend on maintenance of your car. That is why most people frequent this forum - to get advice on maintaining their cars, not how to run them into the ground.

Perhaps a little reconsideration might be in order.

I totally agree...
Tires should be what you spend the most on, I have always bought summer Z rated tires... nothing like it.
For winter, the best rated winter tire, nothing like it.

Instead of risking your life, or doing other innocent people harm, spend some cash and get the best you can possibly afford, or even better.

If you crashed into my car and I saw you had the shittiest tire on your car, I would have to kick your ass for being at fault, no only of the accident, but preventable injuries and damage..

Most important is the weight of your car... you cannot expect a cheap tire, even a cheap michelin to handle the weight of an e34 properly... you need a proper tire.


Those of you who don't value your life enough to get the best tires scare the crap out of me...
And it is not the old "you can afford a bimmer, so you can afford tires..."

It should be quite obvious that the rubber is what keeps you safe, not the brakes, not the steering... just the tires.

[Thayne]

the nankangs i said about are v rated , cheap too , ideal for what you want

I had some on my E30 and they wore out quicker. :(

[angrypancake]

all season tires suck in winter. as stated already, get dedicated "summer" tires and dedicated winter tires. make sure that when they wear, you replace them and have them rotated so the wear is even. somehow one of my tires is almost down to the wear bars and the rest are ok. well today it was raining and i was trying to be careful (getting new tires on friday). not speeding or anything, but it just so happened that that one tire caught a patch of water and bam, hydroplaning about 1000ft above sea level with only a 3ft rock wall to keep me from going over the edge. not a good experience.

[Thayne]

all season tires suck in winter. as stated already, get dedicated "summer" tires and dedicated winter tires. make sure that when they wear, you replace them and have them rotated so the wear is even. somehow one of my tires is almost down to the wear bars and the rest are ok. well today it was raining and i was trying to be careful (getting new tires on friday). not speeding or anything, but it just so happened that that one tire caught a patch of water and bam, hydroplaning about 1000ft above sea level with only a 3ft rock wall to keep me from going over the edge. not a good experience.

Holy ****! Glad you weren't hurt.

[Zeuk in Oz]

Go for an "S" rated tyre (tops at 180 km/h). I have "T" rated (190 km/h), and they're OK. I don't ever ride close to 190, so I'm not too worried. But I plan on going on to Continentals afterwards, with an H rating (210 km/h). I can afford them, I just want to go through the ones I have (from the previous car owner).

Under no circumstances should you buy a tyre with less than V speed rating. In Oz a tyre placard with minimum speed and load ratings is attached to each car and here V is the minimum speed rating.

It doesn't matter if you never do more than 30 mph, you must buy at least a V rated tyre.

Here in Oz, anything less than the speed rating on the tyre placard means that your insurance company can wipe you of you are in an accident. Don't risk it, buy tyres with a minimum V speed rating and the appropriate load rating (91 for my E 34).

[BMWDriver]

Under no circumstances should you buy a tyre with less than V speed rating. In Oz a tyre placard with minimum speed and load ratings is attached to each car and here V is the minimum speed rating.

It doesn't matter if you never do more than 30 mph, you must buy at least a V rated tyre.

Here in Oz, anything less than the speed rating on the tyre placard means that your insurance company can wipe you of you are in an accident. Don't risk it, buy tyres with a minimum V speed rating and the appropriate load rating (91 for my E 34).

Really? Well, your placards don't lie, do they now. But it's not just a matter of how fast you can go, but how stiff the tyres are. An S rated will give a smoother ride than a ZR.

My car's electronically limited to 206 km/h (Canadian regulations), which is possibly not your case. 525i could actually top out around 230 km/h (221 km/h for 1988). No point for me in getting above "H". Plus I ain't gonna mod her: I find she kicks ass already.

Anyhow, reading the Canadian version of the owner's manual, they mention the different speed ratings and sizes to put on and all. "S" is in there for good ol' 525i 1992, even for 240's. Guess that's on par with Canadian regulations and specs since they are legally bound to those manuals.

You're right: check regulations, your manual and tyre placards!

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

to go along with cheap tyres.

If you are short on money, try a wrecker for some good tyres off a junker.

[Zeuk in Oz]

An S rated will give a smoother ride than a ZR. ............... No point for me in getting above "H".

Speed rating is not just a guide to speeds the tyre can be driven at, it is also a guide to quality of manufacture, as far as I am aware.

An S rated tyre will be more cheaply produced than a Z rated tyre. This might mean that the Z rated tyre will not be out of round, be manufactered in Europe or Japan rather than in China or Korea. It might also indicate dearer (better) rubber - silica compounds etc.

I can only imageine that a Z tyre would have a stiffer sidewall than an S tyre due to much lower profile. Surely there are noS & Z rated tyres in the same size.

I would argue that even if local regulations don't require it, and this surprises me, you should buy as high a speed rated tyre as you can.

[Morgenster]

My car was 'cheap' at 2500 euros (LPG kit included), but when I changed the two front tires I went for Bridgestone Turanzas at a V rating. Tires + installation was some 220 euros at First Stop.

I doubted some 5 minutes on taking the cheaper way out until I visualised slipping out of control at highway speeds.