Re: Wide front tires tracking side to side (archive)

The width affects this more than the tirewall, so if anything, I would consider narrower tire. You may want to investigate also if there are other tires that work better on your particular car, since the tire design also affects this problem. Look for tires with a different tread design, but see if other people have experience with the same car as yours. Tires can behave very differently on different cars.

You may be able to find more info on the E32 board, where people most likely have experience with tires on that car.

I recently installed 18 X 8.5 Replica wheels with 255/35-18 Pirelli P-Zero Rosso tires all around on my '89 750iL (E32). The package looks great and the grip is excellent, but the fronts track every rut on the road. Unless the road is smooth, the front of the car darts back and forth going over bumps, ruts, and any not-flatness, which is really annoying and not in character for this car. I got a front end alignment, which helped some, and tightened the steering box, which helped some more, but not enough. All front end control arms, bushings, and steering joints have been replaced over the past year.

I'm considering going to 17" tires up front get back some sidewall. My question is, is the tracking a result of the tire width, or of the short sidewall? Should I go with 235/45 (less width/more sidewall) or 255/40 (same width, more sidewall)?

Thanks for any info,
Erwin
'89 750iL

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