XI: Staggered vs. Non Staggered.... I'm confused
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From: Colorado USA
My Ride: 535ixT � On Order: 2010 E61, Ordered 1/05, Est. Birth 3/09, Est. Delivery 4/09, Carbon Black, Cream Beige Dakota Leather, Steptronic, M-Sport Pkg., Type 135 18
Model Year: 2010
I thought a stagger with rear wheel bias would promote understeer - not oversteer.
From another forum:
Personally, I like neutral steering and set my tire pressures to effect same on my former 530xiT.
From another forum:
Absolutely! Understeer is the main result of running a staggered tire setup. If you are into achieving a neutral handling balance avoid this at any cost possible unless you have a high horsepower car 400-450BHP where the additional rear grip can overcome the performance losses from understeer by allowing you to get on the throttle sooner out of a corner. There are not many drivers really good enough to consistently take advantage of this feature though and for most people the car is just an understeering pig at the limit. Stick with equal tires all around if handling is your thing.
BMW uses stagger to accentuate understeer to compensate for the power of M-cars and V8s to keep us out of trouble. Personally, I like neutral steering and set my tire pressures to effect same on my former 530xiT.
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From: Europe
Originally Posted by chrisxiv' post='772198' date='Jan 20 2009, 07:00 AM
a staggered setup will create more oversteer
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From: NY
My Ride: 2008 Silverstone II E60 M5 2012 E70 AW X5 50i Sport w/ LCI Aero Kit and Rocker Panels
I had 19" staggered (245/35/19 & 275/30/19) on my 2007 530xi Sport and it was GREAT! My car stock, came with the 18" OEM 123 Sport wheels which had the same width at all 4 corners. Could I tell the difference? Hell yeah!
Here are a few pictures, since I never, ever post pix of my old E60. Hahahahaha!
Here are a few pictures, since I never, ever post pix of my old E60. Hahahahaha!
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My Ride: 2006 Titanium Silver 550i, with all the bells and whistles!!
Originally Posted by Hopco' post='772495' date='Jan 20 2009, 08:11 AM
I thought a stagger with rear wheel bias would promote understeer - not oversteer.
From another forum:
Personally, I like neutral steering and set my tire pressures to effect same on my former 530xiT.
From another forum:
Absolutely! Understeer is the main result of running a staggered tire setup. If you are into achieving a neutral handling balance avoid this at any cost possible unless you have a high horsepower car 400-450BHP where the additional rear grip can overcome the performance losses from understeer by allowing you to get on the throttle sooner out of a corner. There are not many drivers really good enough to consistently take advantage of this feature though and for most people the car is just an understeering pig at the limit. Stick with equal tires all around if handling is your thing.
BMW uses stagger to accentuate understeer to compensate for the power of M-cars and V8s to keep us out of trouble. Personally, I like neutral steering and set my tire pressures to effect same on my former 530xiT.
This is interesting. I have been searching the last couple of days....should my summer wheel/tire set be staggered or not??? When I bought my car it had all season 225 50R17 all the way around. Forget understeer or oversteer, there was no traction
talk about noisy tires! Hard out of the corner, no way, just lots of squeeking 
before reading posts like this I was leaning toward a set of four 245 40R18, however, costs aside, why should I get a pair of 275 35R18's for the back of my sedan?
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From: Boston, MA
My Ride: 2009 535xi Platinum Gray. M sport, Premium, Cold, Logic, PDC, Sirius, and Bamboo.
I've been driving AWD Audis for the last 12 years. For the last 5 years, I've been driving an A6 4.2 with 18" RS6 wheels with 255/40-18's and Hotchkiss sway bars. Handling has been very neutral. Cornering is excellent.
With the xi's , as we all know, 40% of the power is going up front. Good grip at all four corner would seem to be an advantage.
If I were going to run a non-staggered set-up I'd consider, OEM CSL's x4, 8.5 x 19 ET44, with 255/35-19's.
Thoughts?
With the xi's , as we all know, 40% of the power is going up front. Good grip at all four corner would seem to be an advantage.
If I were going to run a non-staggered set-up I'd consider, OEM CSL's x4, 8.5 x 19 ET44, with 255/35-19's.
Thoughts?
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From: Omaha, NE - USA
My Ride: MY07 525xi Silver Gray
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Hmmm I'm not so sure as up front the inside may not clear the strut w/ the combination of such offset & tire width.
Originally Posted by Pauken4' post='772647' date='Jan 20 2009, 12:25 PM
[..]
If I were going to run a non-staggered set-up I'd consider, OEM CSL's x4, 8.5 x 19 ET44, with 255/35-19's.
Thoughts?
If I were going to run a non-staggered set-up I'd consider, OEM CSL's x4, 8.5 x 19 ET44, with 255/35-19's.
Thoughts?
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Another great example of someone walking around thinking they are getting more oversteer with their fatter rears-there is no debate, go read google is all it takes to find what changes over/understeer and one thing that heavily biases understeer (the safter option and easier to control for the non pro) is fatter rear tires.
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