UPDATE ON NEW TIRES

I’ve talked about the new tires I have on My BMW M3. I have a “straight” set of wheels with Yokohama S.drive tires that are about 4 years old. Two of them are pretty worn and hydroplane on certain surfaces. These tires have done well for me and they still have a little life in them. I can use them as long as I’m on a dry surface. I like the tires so well that I’m getting them again. This time I’m putting them on my original wheels, which are “staggered.” (The rear wheels are wider than the front.)

Here’s what I noticed after taking the tires for their first drive.

MORE GRIP: The new tires are fresh and the compound is softer. But the tread is deeper. By thought was that I would feel the new tires “squirm” a little because the tread blocks are deeper and would have more flex. My experience here is that there’s very little squirm under normally “enthusiastic” driving. Instead, I notice that the tires have more grip under acceleration and in turns.

MORE CUSHION: This is something I didn’t expect. At first I thought it was my imagination, but I realize that the ride is slightly less harsh. I’m sure it’s simply because there’s more thickness to the rubber to cushion the ride.

Because the wheels are staggered, they cannot be rotated. I’ll be curious to see what kind of wear I get out of the rear tires.

My plan is to make very judicious use of my right foot. (Yeah… right.)