sy1616

stick with the 18", no reason to spend the $ for 17" wheels.

Anzafin

I got the picture he (CK530) doesn't have any winter setup yet...

CK530

Correct. I have the Dunlop RFT (summer tires). I need a winter tires/wheels set-up. The original plan was to purchase tires only, then I called several local tire installers and they quoted me $40.00 per tire (because they have to take out the RFT - total bullsh#t). Just winter tires, it will cost me $160 now and $160 in spring. So, I decided to purchase the winter tires/wheels set. (install by a BMW dealer costs $80 per tire)

Also, I don't really trust anyone (especially BMW dealers) to do any work on my car. I have bad experience with BMW dealers.

1st time - Dealer scratch my OEM 123 wheel when they replace my RFT with a nail (car had 235 miles on it). They denied it.
2nd time - Same dealer scratch my other OEM 123 wheel when they replace my RFT with a nail (car had 1500 miles on it). They denied it.
3rd time - Last Monday, I went to my original dealer (DiFeo BMW) for an oil leak which they performed an oil change on 9/8/08. They scraped my front air intake with a sharp object (the white paint came off) and gave me a 6" & 3" scratch on my left rear fender I found out when I went home to wash my car (did not get a courtesy wash). Sent them an email with pictures of the damages and they had not reply to my email.

With dealers, I don't think the problem is with the Service Advisor. Its those young guys that drive your car around the dealer parking lots. I work in Princeton, NJ and when I drive to work in the morning, I see the young guys from Princeton BMW drive the bimmers in the back twisty roads going 60/70 mph.

luigi524td

CK530 that's a string of very disappointing experiences that warrants BMW Customer Relations investigation. Maybe one of their Forum watchers will look into that dealer's customer satisfaction survey ratings and have them tighten up their attention to how their techs work on these expensive automobiles.

Now on to the tire or tire-wheel swapping points.

YUP, all shops charge more for work on RFT's ... they are a pain to put on and take off! Any low-profile tire and expensive wheel takes extra care but avoiding rim or sensor damage takes specialized equipment AND extreme caution. Add the stiff RFT sidewall to the equation and you have all the elements for damage.

If you add up the pre and post season tire changes, after 3-4 seasons it actually may be cheaper to have a set of winter and summer wheels and tires. You can balance or stretch tire wear over time and reduce the risk of wheel damage. So it may make sense to do that. It certainly would save some time too - or you can DIY the tire and wheel changes.

The last item, and the next time you go in for some shop work I suggest you grab your digital camera and take some "before" pictures. Heck, if you really want to get some attention, before you roll the car into the shop, take those pictures in while the Service Adviser watches! Tell him/her that you're doing it for THEIR protection - so no one can blame the shop for damage that was already there

Anzafin

I don't trust the local BMW dealer either in wheeljobs. I let the Toyota guys do it !

Angelic0-

I have two sets of winter wheels, one that i use while in town.... 245/45R17 and then i have 235/60R16 that i use when traveling out in the country...

Trust me, Winters in Iceland can get pretty crazy...

Just buy a set of wheels you like, with the size you beleive is comfortable, the 17's are Bridgestone Blizzaks and the 16's are Michelin X-Ice North (spiked)...

I had some Toyos with no spikes in them on the 16's and i found them not to be very good...

How are the conditions where you live ?

My advice is that you just buy whatever you think looks good, and then pick out some tires you like as well...

Sizes are something you just pick out for yourself...

I've changed the tires on my OEM M5 rims, from 285/35R19 & 255/40R19 to 305/30R19 and 275/35R19 and they fit just nice...

juris335

Is there any compelling reason to add the TPMs on my winter (second) set of snow tires? I did not think it was called for but don't know. Thanks.

DrLev99

If you don't mind staring at the TPMS warning for 5 months, then don't bother. Of course you won't have the added safety either.

pennetta

Unless you are in really deep snow with no street plowing (then narrower tires are better), the important thing is rubber compound (something that stays soft below freezing) and tread design. You can get the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S or the Pirelli PZero Nero M&S in the stock 245/35 19 and 275/30 19 sizes and they are Ultra High Performance All Season tires. I did this with my car and now leave them on year round; they give up very little in maximum summer traction.

Ricracing

Guess what my answer would be. See my sign for the size also.