[Guest (MBNZ)]

Anybody changed tires yet? OEM or different? I'm at 13000 miles and was just out feeling for wearbars. I have maybe another 1/4' in the rears, a little more in the fronts. It looks like the OEM tires (Dunlop SP9000)will last ~18K tops in the rear, and a little more in the front. I was running 41/48 for a while and recently went to 38/41. I thought the beast was a bit twitchy at the higher pressures. <br>
I used SP9000 in my 993 and got about the same mileage with the rears (15-18K), but only changed the fronts every other set, and even then they still had tread left. I switched to Bridgestone S02 pole position and get about the same mileage. They are supposed to give better traction in the wet as they wear, but I spun out and crashed in the rain. I'm not impressed with that claim. Actually I was a bit distressed.

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

My results...

I have 19 inch wheels on my E55 and have Pirelli PZero Rosso's which I swapped with the factory 18 inch wheels and tires a few days after I got my car. After 14k miles my rears are done (almost zero tread) and the fronts are good (over 50% left). I have driven my car hard from day one with excessive acceleration but no burnouts. One of the reasons my rears have also gone so fast is that I use the manu-matic shifter to brake sometimes and that puts a lot of pressure on the rear wheels (during gear changes). I ordered 2 new tires on Friday from Tirerack and they were delivered to my house on Monday. Cheap price and no sales tax.

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

Re: My results...

14K is excellent for PZero's. I'm surprised at my front wear, but I checked with a finger not a gauge. Bye the way, there is no such thing as excessive acceleration

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

I bought the E55 with Bridgestones. Previous experience with this manufacturer made me wary: on my '94 Skyline GT-R they were noisy and prone to tramlining. Before they were due for renewal, I replaced them with Michelinss which were noticeably beter. Instantly the car was quieter and without any tendency to follow lines in the road.<br> <br> Since then I have always moved over to Europe's most popular tyre brand wherever possible, despite them being French. Only last week I binned four ageing Bridgestones from the E55 and replaced them with four new Michelins. I'm very happy with the improvement.

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

Which particular Michelins and what size?

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

Re: Which particular Michelins and what size?

Latest version of the Michelin Pilot Sport:<br> 245x40x18 front 275x35x18 rear on OEM wheels.

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

Them's the ones (more)

A very good tyre, IMHO. I confess that I <i>have</i> seen some poor reports on wet weather braking performance -- which I guess should bother a UK resident -- but overall they're the best boots I've found.<br> <br> Have a look at the link for more info.<br> <br> Jamie -- London, UK.

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

Vic . . .

Can you pass me your email address? I'd like to talk to you about how you removed the star and put in the star grill (and got clear bumper signal lenses) on the E55. I'm also interested in any of the other changes you made. Write to me at my email addy, above.<br> <br> Thanks,<br> <br> -Adam

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

Re: Re: Which particular Michelins and what size?

'99 E55 with 23K mi on the OEM Pilots. Down to wear bars in rear. Slight cupping in front. New Pilots going on this week. FWIW, I drive the car VERY hard. Dozens of trips through the mountains, high speeds, hard cornering, threshold breaking and lots of full throttle acceleration!<br> <br> Traction was never a problem until about 20K when I noticed the idiot lamp coming on more often during full throttle starts.