You shouldn't have tramlining on 225/50/16s (more) (archive)

Excessive tramlining might be caused by either tires or alignment. I used to run the same wheel/tire package on my '99 Z3 Coupe, and my first set of Michelin Pilot HXs were fine. Then I got Bridgestone RE71s, and near the end of their life the car started tramlining like mad. Wasn't sure if it was alignment or tires. Now I'm running RE730s, 225/45s on 17" rims. In theory a low profile tire would give you more tramlining, but the problem went away completely when I changed tires. So it was obviously the tires.

You don't need to go to 205s. Ditch the Coopers, try something else. The RE730 is a good tire, and shouldn't give you any trouble with tramlining. I can almost guarantee you you'll like its performance better too. If the car still tramlines on 225 RE730s, get the alignment checked. Good luck!

Peter

I currently have E36 sports package 16" wheels. I am getting tired of wrestling the ruts around here, and I hear that wider tires amplify tramlinging. I need new tires, and if I buy narrower (205) than the current 225-

1. Will this reduce tramlinging?
2. Will these tires fit the orginal 16" rims without problems?
3. Are RE730's better or worse for this problem?

Has anyone tried this, or have any experience or advice on what to do???

I know that I will have to give up on performance, but that's life.

thanks

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