Stock Conti's getting really loud! Sign of damage?

[OBS3SSION]

In the past few weeks, I've noticed my stock Conti's with just shy of 34K on them are getting pretty damn loud. Looking at them, there still seems to be a bit of tread life left to them. I've had all-season Conti's on previous cars (stock equipment) and don't recall them ever getting this loud.

Is it time to start shopping for new tires, or is the loudness normal. I can't really justify replacing them before they are worn out... otherwise I'd have been rolling on Toyo Proxes for a year and half now.

[TD]

ROFL.

I can't believe someone held on to Contis for 34K miles.

You won't believe how well your car can handle once you finally put some decent tires on. The sticky Conti compound wore off after about 5K miles. You've been riding on the econo-car compound since then. And at the bottom is some rock-hard stuff that grips about as well as tires from Pep Boys (and happens to be VERY loud).

Toss 'em. They're crap.

[OBS3SSION]

Oh, I can believe how much better a new set of tires will be. Like I said, I can't wait until I can replace them with my preferred tire: the Toyo Proxes.

So, in the past few weeks, I must have hit that last "layer" of compound. The hard one that is loud. Maybe there's hope I can justify new tires soon. Like I said, I can't financially justify a new set of tires when the existing tires don't "need" to be replaced.

[Icecreamfoo]

The sticky Conti compound wore off after about 5K miles. You've been riding on the econo-car compound since then.
Really? So we oughta replace stock conti after 10k miles? Conti 1 that is? Gary, can you confirm this? What about the new Conti 2?

I mistakingly replied to your post in your own post, sorry about that! re-placed reply below. --Gary

[postoak]

I thought what TD posted was true for the Conti HP tires. The OP said he had the all-seasons. I wouldn't think 34K is all that much for their all-season tire.

[Desertnate]

I don't know about the tire compound, but I found my Conti's started to get really loud around 30K or so. I also noted that at around that same time their performance in the wet, which wasn't steller to begin with, went down the drain and became rather dangerous.

Ditching those tires made my car feel brand new all over again.

[Gary@Tirerack]

Really? So we oughta replace stock conti after 10k miles? Conti 1 that is? Gary, can you confirm this? What about the new Conti 2?




This tire has the same tread compound right down to the base tread at 2/32nds. The old sport contacts are not well-loved tires and many replace them before they're worn out. The Contact2 is a dramatic improvement over the old design and is actually the tire type I just installed about a month ago on my 95 M3, in 225/40R18 front and 255/35R18 rear.

[OBS3SSION]

I thought what TD posted was true for the Conti HP tires. The OP said he had the all-seasons. I wouldn't think 34K is all that much for their all-season tire.
No, I don't have all-seasons. I've had OE Contis before on other cars... VW's... and they were all-seasons. I have the standard Contisport Contacts on the 330.

[postoak]

Oh, I misunderstood your post. Wow, 34K on the Contisports, that's something!

[Desertnate]

Oh, I misunderstood your post. Wow, 34K on the Contisports, that's something!

I got 42K :eeps: at that time they were at/hair below the wear bars

[Icecreamfoo]

No, I don't have all-seasons. I've had OE Contis before on other cars... VW's... and they were all-seasons. I have the standard Contisport Contacts on the 330.
actually, have to thank u, OBS3SSION, ur post made me realized where the road noise I've been getting in the past few thousand miles came from: my front original contis

can't wait for the replacement T1-s to arrive. a very good deal from bimmerforums, in case anyone is considering buying them.

[moonie]

I've got just over 50k this week on my '01 330xi oem contis with no problems. It looks like I have about 10k more tread left on them.

[TD]

WHY?!

You paid all this money for a BMW yet you run these sh*tty tires until they're dead, never really getting a chance to appreciate the car itself.

That's 50K miles of driving thatt you'll never get back. And all of it SO much less enjoyable than it could have been because of those damn tires.

Why on earth would you want to leave them on for 10K more? You got well more than your money's worth. Toss them. And get some decent tires while the car is still relatively young.