Winter tires on steel wheels or allow wheels? RFTs? TPMS?

[ZoomVT]

trying to get a head start on my winter setup, especially cause winter sets quite early (and lasts longer) here in Vermont.

i have an 08 328xi. for previous vehicles i have always used my stock wheels for the winter and then bought a nice wheels/tires setup for the summer. But now with having RFTs stock and TPMS i have more questions than answers, im trying to figure out what would be the best setup; considering also the life of the RFTs and the fact this is a lease.

So i think i have found the tires i want for the winter, Dunlop Wintersport 3D from tirerack. I am glad to see they have good reviews here as well as in tireracks site. Originally i thought that would be easier/cheaper to mount them on steelies, what the heck the salt and grime from the winter would ruing any other wheels. tire rack doesnt have steelies, which is a problem as i would like to have the wheels shipped to me balanced and mounted.
my second concern is the TPMS system. would tire rack install the tpms sensors while they mount and balance them?

i am also concern about the current RFTs. Considering all the gripe about them, and the fact they wear fairly fast and i have to return enough tread when i return the lease, i am considering getting summer tires to replace them. but then again, what if i get a flat? should i use the stock wheels and store my RFT for when i return the lease? should i use the stock wheels for winter and get a new setup for summer?

what do you all think?
any idea why there are no steel wheels from tire rack? do you guys think it looks terrible to run on steelies during the winter?
would you guys suggest i keep the rfts and replace them when they wear out, hoping that the secod set has enough tread left when i return the lease?

i never had this many question regarding wheels, i am usually pretty good about making this decisions, but all these variables have thrown me out for a loop.

any help is much appreciated.

[Orient330iNYC]

1) steel wheels that fit are not even offered by bmw as an options. in the past, when proper spec steel wheels were available, they were quite expensive, 70-80 per rim, versus around 100 for an alloy. I ended up getting a fairly inexpensive set of 17" alloys with wintersport M3 DSSTs.

2) if you buy a wheel and tire set, you have the option to get the TPMS sensors installed by them. the wheel set will come ready to go and you'll only have to reset the tpms system to get it to recognize the new wheels.

3) you can use a conticomfort kit or the bmw mobility kit for flats if you switch to non-runflats. those are both sealant injectors, and have limited range and speed. or get a compact spare kit, but without a well to put them in, it will take up trunk space (the trunk of the 3 series has no storage facility for a spare). I'm about to switch to non-runflat tires and have purchased a compact spare tire kit for long trips as there's a much higher distance limit with the compact spare, and theoretically a higher speed limit. and the spare can take care of sidewall cuts and large punctures, things that the sealant kits cannot

[ZoomVT]

hey man, thanks a ton for the response.

1) thanks for the info. i was hoping to be able to setup for winter inexpensively. once i add the wheels and the TPMS, i would be looking at about $1200. on the other hand, if i had to swap wheels and TPMS every season it would run me a few hundred each time. so basically do i swallow the whole pill now, or do i cut it in small pieces. the other thought is to just get tires now, and mount them in the stock wheels. I am running 16"s. then next summer i would buy a whole new set of wheels and summer performance tires. either way i will have to buy a whole set at some point and i think i rather run larger and better tires during the summer.

2) that would be the perfect scenario, but considering this for summer instead of winter

3) i would not want to carry a spare as there is not enough space in the trunk as is. How much did it cost you for the spare tire kit? what about the mobility kit? My other idea is to have 3 sets of wheels. run the winters on steelies or cheap wheels. buy a whole new set of summer performance wheels and tires. keep the RFTs on the stock wheels. if i need to go on long runs and im worried about going flat i could swap my wheels for that trip. but we are talking about a huge expense.

man this is a PITA. i hope to figure this out soon, it is giving me a headache already.

[Orient330iNYC]

hey man, thanks a ton for the response.

1) thanks for the info. i was hoping to be able to setup for winter inexpensively. once i add the wheels and the TPMS, i would be looking at about $1200. on the other hand, if i had to swap wheels and TPMS every season it would run me a few hundred each time. so basically do i swallow the whole pill now, or do i cut it in small pieces. the other thought is to just get tires now, and mount them in the stock wheels. I am running 16"s. then next summer i would buy a whole new set of wheels and summer performance tires. either way i will have to buy a whole set at some point and i think i rather run larger and better tires during the summer.

2) that would be the perfect scenario, but considering this for summer instead of winter

3) i would not want to carry a spare as there is not enough space in the trunk as is. How much did it cost you for the spare tire kit? what about the mobility kit? My other idea is to have 3 sets of wheels. run the winters on steelies or cheap wheels. buy a whole new set of summer performance wheels and tires. keep the RFTs on the stock wheels. if i need to go on long runs and im worried about going flat i could swap my wheels for that trip. but we are talking about a huge expense.

man this is a PITA. i hope to figure this out soon, it is giving me a headache already.

i would reuse the stock rims-- take the OE tires off them and put them in a bag somehwere. i see that winter runflats in 225/50/16. i specifically chose runflats for winter as i really really dont want to be changing a tire in the dead of winter. my winters are 17" dunlop runflats, not so bad of a ride as the summer bstones.

<table width="760" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0">*******><tr valign="bottom"><td class="searchheadnew"><nobr>Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip GW3 EMT (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Eagle+Ultra+Grip+GW3+EMT&partnum=25HR6UGGW3EMT&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&place=4)</nobr>
(Performance Winter (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/types/snows.jsp)) </td></tr>********></table>
run 145 each. probably about 620 shipped, another 100 or so for mount and balance. 720. save the stock tires somewhere for return.

then get a set of non-runflat tires on rims for the summer. i'm getting a set of CSL reps with goodyear F1 Asymmetrics. non-runflat, hence the spare tire. the 162s and runflats are going to be stored untill i return the car. its going to cost me about about 1900 when all is said and done.

you can stick with runflats for the summer tires. the wear rate of anything but the bridgestone turanzas and potenzas seems to be better. contipro ssr or the pirelli eurofori. plus you're only using them half the year if you are swapping sets.

[Orient330iNYC]

oops, missed some of your qs.

side note, i actually changed course and got breyton race gts wheels in 19 with f1 gs-d3s. came out to just under 2k for everything out the door from gary@tirerack. ended up getting an set of extra 19" tires since the sale price was so good on the tires. a set of 4 F1 GS-D3s cost me ~ 500 after rebate. i'm running a square setup, aka, 235/35/19 all around, going to use spacers in the rear to fill out the wells without having to run staggered sizes.


my conticomfort kit cost me ~80 at tire rack.
I got the spare tire kit (spare tire and wheel mounted up, jack, lug wrench, wheel chock, and foam retainer for the "oddments") for 260 shipped from tischer bmw. i got the E60 spare as it fits the E90 without using a spacer or longer bolts. i tested the fit and it does indeed fit the car. i'm probably going to carry both. i dont often drive with more than one or two other people in the car, so i dont miss the trunk space lost by the spare.

[ZoomVT]

hey man thank you for all the answers.
a quick question about the runflat winters. I was going to go with the Dunlops as i have heard great things about the grip and performance. How good are the runflat winter tires? Being in VT, grip is the most important factor, and it has to be good grip in snow and ice as we have tons of hills around here. Performance is second as the highways stay pretty clean. Wear is my least concern for winter tires. I hear you about runflats, only because i would hate to change tires during the winter so i might be a great idea as long as the grip and performance are there.

The bridgestones i have are just terrible in the sense that the grip is awful, i am screeching and sliding everywhere even though i am not driving very fast or spirited. My thought was to get some summer tires for next season, but wasnt sure about getting new rims.
I think i like the way you have setup yours, i just hate having to depend on other people to get stuff done, so i would like to have the set of wheels ready and i can swap them as i please.

So far, i am leaning on getting some sinter tires and mount them on the stock wheels, then next summer buying a set of summer tires and wheels (hate doing that because buying rims is worts than buying a car, you would be lucky to recover 50% of the price paid after you are done with the wheels, which for me would be 2 years). Then when i bring the car back i would have to swap wheels, and then swap the tires on the stock wheels to put the runflats on. It just seems like such a long godamn process....