I have 18" wheels with run flats. This is my second set and actually getting decent milage. I do not like the hard ride and want to know if by changing to regular same size tires, will ride be softer and less noisy? What will I loose. I actually have a spare.
I would revert back to 16" wheels and tires, save a ton of money and enjoy greatly improved driving performance. Now if your idea of driving performance is computed with a G-meter on a skid pad, stick with what you have…But in the real world of everyday driving, your set-up delivers the worst of all worlds, unless you are a tire dealer…
Caddyman is right, but unless you can find someone who wants to swap wheels, changing wheels on a 530 will be cost-prohibitive.
I have never known anyone who really liked runflat tires.
I have two 328s with standard suspension and one 330 with ‘sport’ suspension with 17" M-style wheels. The standard suspension/tire setups are much more comfortable and quieter and hold the road just as well.
Switching to regular tires might make a slight difference in ride comfort, but with 18" wheels I wouldn’t expect a huge improvement. Noise is largely a function of tread pattern design, and you never really know until the tires are on the car.
The only thing you will lose is the run flat capability if you have a flat tire.
If this were my car I’d switch to regular tires when the current tires need to be replaced.
I would call tirerack.com and ask their opinion on the matter. Run flats typically ride harsher but 18" means low profile which translates to harsher ride by default.
Caddyman has a great point on downsizing rims/tires if possible. I believe 16" wheels with a higher profile are possible. I believe that is what most BMW owners do for their winter set of wheels/tires.
The cost of 16" rims/tires mounted may not significantly more expensive than 18" tires.
Seems like sound advice. I will check with tirerack. Runflats are about $80-90 more than regular but the low profile will still keep ride stiff. I also think the rims have a small bend from an earlier pothole.
I hate the current ride.
Thanks
Be prepared. If you add an inch to your tire’s sidewall AND go from runflats to regular tires you’re likely to see a considerable drop in handling. This will not be the BMW you paid for.
Personally, I’d recommend just swapping out the runflats.
You also might check with your local BMW dealer(s) and tire shops that sell wheels. You might find a lightly-used set of BMW 16" or 17" ‘take-off’ rims that someone got rid of when they went for 18" wheels. These should sell for lots less than new BMW rims.