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Anyone running 255s all around on M3P?
- Thread starter BarackObama888
- Start date
Update: I had 255/35 PS4S put on Tuesday, they looked nice but after driving on them for a day I decided they weren't for me. I think the taller sidewall makes them feel too soft and floaty for my taste, especially at higher speeds and in corners. Luckily, America's Tire has a great exchange policy and let me swap them out for 235/35 PS4S the next day. They handle much more similarly to the oem Pirellis, but with a smoother ride and even more grip from what I can tell. Plus, the sidewall is more square than the Pirellis so they don't look as stretched even though they're the same size. They honestly only look slightly different than the 255s (see comparison photos)
That said, your car looks great BarackObama88, let us know how you like the ride quality of the Continentals.
That said, your car looks great BarackObama88, let us know how you like the ride quality of the Continentals.
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drpheta
Member
This makes sense since Michelin PS4S run fatter than other tires, so the 255 was probably closer to 265 and too wide for your 9" rim width. I run Continental DWS06 in 255, which are closer to 245. In fact, changing the settings in my car to select the track package wheels (even though I'm running 255 Contis) gets my speedometer perfect based on GPS speed comparisons.
Probably why the 235 PS4S feel great and have a straighter profile. Those are closer to 245.
Remember, Tesla's track package uses 245 width tires on 9" wide wheels
Makes sense, yeah they do seem to run fatter. I had just assumed they'd look the same as the 235 Pirellis, but it was a nice surprise to see how well they fit!
Your description of the ride on the 255 ps4s are about the same. Not as grippy and responsive but willing to sacrifice for extra rim protection and peace of mind when driving on northern CA shitty roads. Still breaking them in so we’ll see if the ride will grow in me, however I did like the way the pirellis gripped when I’m hitting corners at high speeds. Also paid $1050 mounted and balanced for my conti’s so I’m happy about that.
Question: Since I’m running 255s should I change my wheel setting on the system to the track package? What is it exactly?
@mebem @BarackObama888 Wait a sec...how many miles did you put on your 255 PS4S before deciding they have less grip than stock?
New tire greasiness is very real. You can read about it on tire manufacturer websites. I don't know how many miles it really takes to wear off the manufacturing grease, but for sure 15-20 miles - as an example - is NOT enough. Probably most drivers never notice because they don't come close to pushing their car to its limits anyways.
As example, I kind of forgot about new tire greasiness after getting my 245/45R18 Potenza Sports mounted, and went for a run through some ramps that afternoon to start exploring their limits. Got the back sliding out real good almost right away before realizing my mistake.
(Yes I picked a location and situation with room to recover, should anything like that happen.)
Fast-forward a few days later, after some decent miles, and the new tires turned out to have significantly more grip (dry and wet) than the OE 235/35R20 PZ4. They were just greasy when brand new, exactly as tire manufacturers warn.
I wonder if that's what you experienced with the PS4S, cause it doesn't make sense to me that 255 PS4S would give you noticeably less grip than the OE 235 PZ4.
New tire greasiness is very real. You can read about it on tire manufacturer websites. I don't know how many miles it really takes to wear off the manufacturing grease, but for sure 15-20 miles - as an example - is NOT enough. Probably most drivers never notice because they don't come close to pushing their car to its limits anyways.
As example, I kind of forgot about new tire greasiness after getting my 245/45R18 Potenza Sports mounted, and went for a run through some ramps that afternoon to start exploring their limits. Got the back sliding out real good almost right away before realizing my mistake.
(Yes I picked a location and situation with room to recover, should anything like that happen.)Fast-forward a few days later, after some decent miles, and the new tires turned out to have significantly more grip (dry and wet) than the OE 235/35R20 PZ4. They were just greasy when brand new, exactly as tire manufacturers warn.
I wonder if that's what you experienced with the PS4S, cause it doesn't make sense to me that 255 PS4S would give you noticeably less grip than the OE 235 PZ4.
drpheta
Member
I agree. Doesn't make sense that the PS4S are not as grippy as the stock Pirelli tires. People run the Michelins at the track willingly. They don't do that with the PZs.
Yeah I need to break in for sure but I do notice the responsiveness of the wheels aren’t like the oem pirellis. Probably cause the contis have more tread wear?
@mebem @BarackObama888 Wait a sec...how many miles did you put on your 255 PS4S before deciding they have less grip than stock?
New tire greasiness is very real. You can read about it on tire manufacturer websites. I don't know how many miles it really takes to wear off the manufacturing grease, but for sure 15-20 miles - as an example - is NOT enough. Probably most drivers never notice because they don't come close to pushing their car to its limits anyways.
As example, I kind of forgot about new tire greasiness after getting my 245/45R18 Potenza Sports mounted, and went for a run through some ramps that afternoon to start exploring their limits. Got the back sliding out real good almost right away before realizing my mistake.
Fast-forward a few days later, after some decent miles, and the new tires turned out to have significantly more grip (dry and wet) than the OE 235/35R20 PZ4. They were just greasy when brand new, exactly as tire manufacturers warn.
I wonder if that's what you experienced with the PS4S, cause it doesn't make sense to me that 255 PS4S would give you noticeably less grip than the OE 235 PZ4.
@BarackObama888 Ahhh I see you're using 255/35 DWS06+, I had assumed you were using PS4S like @mebem was writing about.
The DWS06+ are allseasons. Sporty high performance ones, but allseasons nonetheless. Having less grip and feeling less responsive vs the PZ4 is probably to be expected. Though if your tires are still very new then wait a few hundred miles before really evaluating grip.
The OE PZ4, @mebem's PS4S, and my Potenza Sports are all in the same 300-ish treadwear "max performance" summer tire category. Which is the top category of street-focused performance tires before you start getting into dual use street/track tires (<= 200 TW) and then DOT-legal race tires.
The DWS06+ are allseasons. Sporty high performance ones, but allseasons nonetheless. Having less grip and feeling less responsive vs the PZ4 is probably to be expected. Though if your tires are still very new then wait a few hundred miles before really evaluating grip.
The OE PZ4, @mebem's PS4S, and my Potenza Sports are all in the same 300-ish treadwear "max performance" summer tire category. Which is the top category of street-focused performance tires before you start getting into dual use street/track tires (<= 200 TW) and then DOT-legal race tires.
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Oh my issue with the 255 PS4S wasn't lack of grip, from what I can tell they had plenty - it was just that to me they felt too floaty, soft and not as responsive. When I switched to 235 PS4S the next day, they felt much better in those areas, I'm very happy with the PS4S in this size. Some may be happy with how the 255s ride though, it comes down to personal preference, and other brands of that size may ride differently.@mebem @BarackObama888 Wait a sec...how many miles did you put on your 255 PS4S before deciding they have less grip than stock?
New tire greasiness is very real. You can read about it on tire manufacturer websites. I don't know how many miles it really takes to wear off the manufacturing grease, but for sure 15-20 miles - as an example - is NOT enough. Probably most drivers never notice because they don't come close to pushing their car to its limits anyways.
As example, I kind of forgot about new tire greasiness after getting my 245/45R18 Potenza Sports mounted, and went for a run through some ramps that afternoon to start exploring their limits. Got the back sliding out real good almost right away before realizing my mistake.
Fast-forward a few days later, after some decent miles, and the new tires turned out to have significantly more grip (dry and wet) than the OE 235/35R20 PZ4. They were just greasy when brand new, exactly as tire manufacturers warn.
I wonder if that's what you experienced with the PS4S, cause it doesn't make sense to me that 255 PS4S would give you noticeably less grip than the OE 235 PZ4.
@mebem Ah very interesting!
Do you have any suspension/bushing mods? Asking because I feel like there's enough squish, delay, and bounce with the stock 2021 M3P suspension+bushings that it could hide small changes in tire responsiveness, which a sharper suspension setup might expose.
When I switched out my stock Uberturbines+PZ4 for the 245/45R18 Potenza Sport on 18x8.5" forged wheels, while still on stock suspension, I really couldn't tell any loss of responsiveness. The stock turn-in delay was certainly still there but I couldn't tell that it got any worse. Now that I have coilovers and some bushing upgrades (including FLCA spherical bearings), I have a feeling I could make out much more subtle differences in tire responsiveness.
I do still have my Uberturbines in deep storage...maybe I'll throw them back on briefly someday, before the rubber ages out, just to see how they feel with the new suspension. Won't get to that anytime soon though.
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Interesting, I wonder if in your case, even though you switched to a taller sidewall you also switched from the heavy 20" to 18s, maybe that helped with responsiveness too.
On my car yeah I have MPP sport coilovers and their solid FLCA bearings, so that's a good point that may be highlighting differences in tire sizes too.
Yup! The (much) lighter wheels were easily felt...not subtle at all. Car felt better and more nimble in quick back-and-forth turns, and the power steering assist felt better too, almost as if it were struggling slightly before with the Uberturbines. Steering got a bit lighter but actually felt better.
I downsized and went for forged wheels mainly for bad road / pothole protection. I wasn't counting pounds and haven't weighed either the original or new setups, but just from carrying them around, for sure I dropped quite a few pounds per corner. Even so the difference and benefit I felt through the steering wheel was more than I expected.
Nice! Yeah I have a very similar setup now, Redwood Öhlins DFV in Performance Sport, and also the MPP FLCA bearings. I just got it all setup and aligned, haven't done any serious driving or even played with different damper settings yet, but right away the difference vs stock is huuuuuge. The car feels just awesome now, way more controlled, responsive, and taught, and I bet your car feels similar.
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