Found! Decent 13" tire?

[n8marx]

Just an FYI... If you're okay with the stock 185 size, tires-easy.com just recently seems to have added the Bridgestone Potenza RE740 summer tire to their options. I know nothing about them other than that I just ordered four at $55 each and that from what I can find online they appear to be a Costa Rican market tire. Mine arrive Monday and will be mounted shortly thereafter. I'll report back my findings.

[Ricochet Rabbit]

Thanks for the heads-up. I've been looking to replace the Chinese tires on my car and want to keep the 13" sport pkg wheels without going to the $180 EACH Vredesteins. Looking forward to your report.

[Sparksterc43]

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[dups]

Ditto

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[Damatheus]

I have used potenzas on my moms 2005 Chrysler Sebring and I thought they were good tires. Very grippy but they wore quickly.

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[gusm325]

Thanks for the heads-up. I've been looking to replace the Chinese tires on my car and want to keep the 13" sport pkg wheels without going to the $180 EACH Vredesteins. Looking forward to your report.

Huh? Chinese tires? That too?
I thought we don't allow the Chinese to sell tires nor cars here.

Subscribed, I'm sick of these "Pep Boys" brand...

Please let us know how they work out.

[n8marx]

Tires arrived! They are currently being mounted and will be picked up this afternoon. Drive report to follow!

tires.JPGwheels.JPG

[BastardE38]

I got 4 Falken Sincera tires in 195/60 from Discount Tire for $40ea

[gsumzzz]

those bridgestones are gonna work well.

[n8marx]

Ok. I've got a grand total of about 2 miles on them now and so far they're, well, amazing. Grippy, quiet. Did I say grippy? My car is on H&R lowering springs, KYB shocks, and 25mm and 19mm bars with polyurethane in every single bushing location. Wow. I need to fine tune my alignment and get a few more PSI in them but so far, I am very pleased.

A couple things in the interest of full disclosure. First, my previous tires were 17 plus year old BFGoodrich Trailmaker studded snow tires from which I removed all the studs and used to move it around only while I got the car running again. Second, since the S-03 Pole Positions I used to run on my Carrera I've always loved Bridgestone tires. I was elated to find them in my size for this car. I'll try to keep any bias to the side when supplying further review.

More later once I get the alignment dialed in a bit and get a few more miles on them with proper inflation.

[Ricochet Rabbit]

I'm looking forward to hearing more. I'll be making my annual pilgramage to Watkins Glen on Nexan tires next week but want to get these four POSs off my car soon. I prefer Michelin to Bridgestone but will take what I can get. BTW, where are these Bridgestones made?

[n8marx]

Made some alignment changes this morning by string and eyeball. And took the car to the gym. I love it. While the car was up in the air I sorted a weird steering issue that I had with it not coming back on center after a turn, adjusted the valves, advanced the timing a bit and fixed a broken center console. It's like a new car now! Despite temps in the 90's today, humidity through the roof and no functional a/c in my car (next project) I'm driving the car to work today. Should be about 60 miles roundtrip. I can't wait.

BTW, as suspected, these tires were made in Costa Rica. I guess the 13" tire market is alive and well in Latin America. I've seen references online to some fairly new cars (2012 Fiesta for instance) that come factory-equipped with 13" tires there. Perhaps the roads are that bad that they need the sidewall for rim protection?

- - - Updated - - -

BTW, pics. Here they are mounted.

mounted.JPG2013.08.28 2.JPG

[Tom D]

am I'm the only one seeing attached photos upside down?

[n8marx]

I think so.

[n8marx]

Just an update.

Over the weekend I did an 840 mile round trip to Chicago and back for the Windy City BMW club's VintageFest. I had also put about 1,000 miles on these Bridgestones prior to the trip. These tires rock. The drive was primarily freeway but some meandering country roads as well. I was travelling with an e36 M3, a BMW GS1200, and an S54 swapped e46 325i with all the suspension goodies. My little 185/13s (and the above mentioned suspension set-up) were able to keep me with them in the corners. They're quiet, ride nice and seem to grip really well once the soft sidewalls take a set in a corner. I wouldn't hesitate to buy them again.

[Ricochet Rabbit]

Thanks for the update. I'll likely be buying a set, too. My Bilstein Sports have been asking for something to work with.

[kavu]

Thanks for the heads up on the tires, I just looked at the website, they have a large variety.

[Tom D]

where did you find these tires? Bridgestone doesn't list them and their website is terrible to navigate.

[dups]

Tires -easy. Com. In post # 1.

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[Tom D]

I read that post three times and didn't see it.

I've been looking for awhile now and it appears that my beloved 205/60's are gone in both 13 and 14 and I refuse to put a 15" wheel on this car.
there are a few good 195/60 and 195/55 still on the market. looks like I'll be getting the Bridgestone G3.

[irish44j]

Huh? Chinese tires? That too?
I thought we don't allow the Chinese to sell tires nor cars here.

Subscribed, I'm sick of these "Pep Boys" brand...

Please let us know how they work out.

Just a bit o/t.....There are some good Chinese-made tires out there. DMack Grippa rally tires are far better than the Yokohamas I was using before

Not everything made in China is junk. A lot of these brands are using the same spec sheets at Japan/US/Euro products. Then they are given a goofy-sounding name

[Tom D]

DMack Grippa is not a goofy sounding name!

[n8marx]

Okay, another update, just 'cuz I got a kick out of it. Used to be, when I was driving around on dry-rotted snow tires that were nearly 20 years old, the hockey pucks would slide rather than grip. These new Bridgestones though, wow. Coming home from work on Friday I was being tailgated on the freeway by an impatient gal in a Mini Countryman. Well, let's see if she can stay there through this cloverleaf. She couldn't, but she put up a valiant effort. I wasn't as surprised by her falling back through the turn as I was when my car started to sputter. I had almost a quarter tank of gas in it and the sustained, fairly high speed turn sent it all to the passenger side, away from my fuel pick-up! Thankfully, I was through the turn now. As soon as I straightened back out and the fuel sloshed back I was back in action. Not surprising I guess, that in a long, sustained turn the fuel would move to the outside but I sure never saw any starvation with the snow tires!

[sourlemon]

I got Federal Formosa FD1s on my e21. 205/60/13 on the IS wheels. They are great in rain, ice, and handle GREAT. these things have about 6k on them, and they are wearing so well, and they can be rotated. I believe i paid 305 shipped from South Carolina.

[gusm325]

[QUOTE=irish44j;26848508]Just a bit o/t.....There are some good Chinese-made tires out there. DMack Grippa rally tires are far better than the Yokohamas I was using before
Not everything made in China is junk. A lot of these brands are using the same spec sheets at Japan/US/Euro products. Then they are given a goofy-sounding name


Yep, obviously I had quality concerns; I am sure at this point they can manufacture a good product; however, I was mostly concerned about the price difference decimating the tire market too.

I could swear I read somewhere that China tires as well as cars were not allowed exports into the US market.

Well, what is left anyway.
I ordered a Bosch water pump showed up "Made in China", I sent it back, got another one from BavAuto.