305/30/20 tire?

JR429 · 05-28-2014, 02:39 AM

Anyone upgrade to a 305/30/20 tire (or wider)? I'm really sick of the M5 having VERY LITTLE traction driving around town especially when you blip the throttle. I think the stock 295/30/20s are far too thin for a 4300lbs car... Ironically I raced an CLS63 AMG the other day and both of us got side-ways on the freeway onramp - I would have taken him easily in my other cars (4wd)...

And it's very strange my old E55 didn't have these traction problems either (despite 500ft/lbs of torque).

Any thoughts?

Northern X5M · 05-28-2014, 02:11 PM

A 305 will not be much of an improvement. I'm going to switch to 305s once I burn up my 295s.

I think you need to look at a softer compound tire for daily driving if you want to hook better. The MSS are really good, but well past their threshold off the line. I ran a 20" Drag Radial on the street last summer. Dry traction was much better than the MSS, I never tested wet traction. You would have to be very careful. And then there are the part throttle drivability issues that occurred occasionally (not all the time) with the 20" drag being 1.5" taller than a stock tire. Also expect less than 10k miles running a drag on the street.

You need to compare the torque curve of your E55 to the M5. That will explain your traction issues. Also, the DCT gear ratios are very low in the lower gears not sure what the E55s are.

JR429 · 05-28-2014, 11:21 PM

Thanks for the advice, I didn't think 305 would make much of a difference although it's OEM size on the rear for the Porsche...

I cannot go drag radials because the M5 is my wife's daily driver. I'm not sure what other options are, anyone gone wider?

As for traction off the line I'm thinking it's more a function of the dct transmission than the torque curve of the motor - the E55 is a supercharged motor which should be torquier off the line than a turbocharged motor although I've never tried comparing the dyno graphs for either car..

gmd2003 · 05-29-2014, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Northern X5M

A 305 will not be much of an improvement. I'm going to switch to 305s once I burn up my 295s.

I think you need to look at a softer compound tire for daily driving if you want to hook better. The MSS are really good, but well past their threshold off the line. I ran a 20" Drag Radial on the street last summer. Dry traction was much better than the MSS, I never tested wet traction. You would have to be very careful. And then there are the part throttle drivability issues that occurred occasionally (not all the time) with the 20" drag being 1.5" taller than a stock tire. Also expect less than 10k miles running a drag on the street.

You need to compare the torque curve of your E55 to the M5. That will explain your traction issues. Also, the DCT gear ratios are very low in the lower gears not sure what the E55s are.

I'm going to switch to 305 michelin sport cup 2's when my rears are finished . That should have both wet and dry covered. They are less than a 100 dollars more expensive than the PSS per tire .

greentrbo95gst · 06-02-2014, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JR429

Thanks for the advice, I didn't think 305 would make much of a difference although it's OEM size on the rear for the Porsche...

I cannot go drag radials because the M5 is my wife's daily driver. I'm not sure what other options are, anyone gone wider?

As for traction off the line I'm thinking it's more a function of the dct transmission than the torque curve of the motor - the E55 is a supercharged motor which should be torquier off the line than a turbocharged motor although I've never tried comparing the dyno graphs for either car..

Is your m5 mcb?

M5TXGuy · 08-29-2014, 08:14 PM

Anyone make the switch to 305s on the 343s yet?

SSR · 08-29-2014, 10:44 PM

I have 305 and I also notice rear slip and ABS on under full throttle..

Fantasm · 08-30-2014, 12:19 AM

I have 305/30/20 in soft compound semi-slick Nitto NT05... better traction for sure but thats a lot to do with the tire tread and compound.

M5TXGuy · 08-30-2014, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSR

I have 305 and I also notice rear slip and ABS on under full throttle..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fantasm

I have 305/30/20 in soft compound semi-slick Nitto NT05...

Do you have spacers on the rear? If so, what size? I have 10s on mine now and Im wondering if Ill need to take those off if I go 305. ?

Fantasm · 08-30-2014, 04:16 PM

Dont have spacers, but I think if you run 305 with the stock Michelin PSS you wont need to remove them.

M5TXGuy · 10-04-2014, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fantasm

I have 305/30/20 in soft compound semi-slick Nitto NT05... better traction for sure but thats a lot to do with the tire tread and compound.

How many miles do you anticipate getting from the Nittos?

M5TXGuy · 10-04-2014, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmd2003

I'm going to switch to 305 michelin sport cup 2's when my rears are finished . That should have both wet and dry covered. They are less than a 100 dollars more expensive than the PSS per tire .

Did you eventually go with the 305 cup 2s?

gmd2003 · 10-04-2014, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M5TXGuy

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmd2003

I'm going to switch to 305 michelin sport cup 2's when my rears are finished . That should have both wet and dry covered. They are less than a 100 dollars more expensive than the PSS per tire .

Did you eventually go with the 305 cup 2s?

They were back ordered so I just got a fresh set of the stock 295 PSS's and went to a 275 front for my track day . Worked great and the car did fantastic on track for its weight . I also took it to the strip recently and ran 1.8-1.9x 60 ft all day on the PSS and pulled a 11.45 @ 126 mph . I will just get 305 PSS's when these are done , they are that good when fresh .

M5TXGuy · 10-04-2014, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmd2003

They were back ordered so I just got a fresh set of the stock 295 PSS's and went to a 275 front for my track day . Worked great and the car did fantastic on track for its weight . I also took it to the strip recently and ran 1.8-1.9x 60 ft all day on the PSS and pulled a 11.45 @ 126 mph . I will just get 305 PSS's when these are done , they are that good when fresh .

Thank you for the update. My 295 PSS tires are just about finished. Looks like the Cup 2s are on par with the Nitto NT05s, as far as tread wear and traction. I do want to go up to the 305s.

Fantasm · 10-04-2014, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M5TXGuy

How many miles do you anticipate getting from the Nittos?

I am not a good person to ask about this.
I got 5K miles on my OEM Stock Michelin PSS.
I'm over 6K miles on my Nitto NT05 but I'm sure I have to replace them soon.

I have 11k~ miles on the car, and my front stock Michelin PSS need to be replaced now too.

If you drove the car gently/normally, I'm sure you could get 10K miles out or more out of Nitto NT05's in the rear - but then why get Nittos at all?
These cannot be used in the wet. They have no traction in the wet. I assume it rains often in Dallas, do not get NT05's lol. It hardly ever rains here in OC so I don't have an issue running semi-slicks daily.

ALSO, I realized the Nitto NT05's suck in Las Vegas street driving with all the sand around and their mix of asphalt on the streets. The tires need to get real hot before I have good traction in Vegas.
It felt like in Dubai/UAE how they can skid around the streets almost without trying.

M6-Coupe · 10-04-2014, 02:03 PM

If you are running the 343M for M5, your rear rims are 10" wide! The Micheline PSS 305/30ZR20/XL is rated for 10.5"-11.5" rims so basically your rear rims are a bit narrower that their specs!

http://www.michelinman.com/tire-sele...ails#techspecs

However they are good for 343M M6 rear rims which are 10.5" wide!

M5TXGuy · 10-04-2014, 10:11 PM

Well, I wondered that, but there have been others that have said a 305 would work.

Fantasm · 10-04-2014, 10:47 PM

It just means you will have a bit more meat on the edges... might be good actually.

M5TXGuy · 10-05-2014, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSR

I have 305 and I also notice rear slip and ABS on under full throttle..

SSR, do you happen to have a pic of the 305s on your 343s? Im wondering how that looks.

SSR · 10-05-2014, 09:01 PM

I have 305 25 21

johntomferg · 10-07-2014, 12:36 PM

http://f10.m5post.com/forums/showthr...ht=295%2F35R20

Use Tirerack to also look at the specs on the tread width. I switched to a 295/35R20 and couldn't be happier with the increase in contact patch. Picked up a meaningful amount of contact patch and even gained some sidewall to protect the rear wheels from the occasional hole.

05-28-2014, 02:39 AM	#1
JR429 Private First Class 7 Rep 103 Posts Drives: W212, GTR, 997 TT; F10 M5 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Tustin, CA iTrader: (0)	305/30/20 tire? Anyone upgrade to a 305/30/20 tire (or wider)? I'm really sick of the M5 having VERY LITTLE traction driving around town especially when you blip the throttle. I think the stock 295/30/20s are far too thin for a 4300lbs car... Ironically I raced an CLS63 AMG the other day and both of us got side-ways on the freeway onramp - I would have taken him easily in my other cars (4wd)... And it's very strange my old E55 didn't have these traction problems either (despite 500ft/lbs of torque). Any thoughts? __________________ Blog about Pico and Micro Projectors! www.micro-projector.com
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05-28-2014, 02:11 PM	#2
Northern X5M Captain 105 Rep 806 Posts Drives: 2014 Tanzanite Blue M5 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada iTrader: (0)	A 305 will not be much of an improvement. I'm going to switch to 305s once I burn up my 295s. I think you need to look at a softer compound tire for daily driving if you want to hook better. The MSS are really good, but well past their threshold off the line. I ran a 20" Drag Radial on the street last summer. Dry traction was much better than the MSS, I never tested wet traction. You would have to be very careful. And then there are the part throttle drivability issues that occurred occasionally (not all the time) with the 20" drag being 1.5" taller than a stock tire. Also expect less than 10k miles running a drag on the street. You need to compare the torque curve of your E55 to the M5. That will explain your traction issues. Also, the DCT gear ratios are very low in the lower gears not sure what the E55s are. __________________ 2014 ///M5 CP Tanzanite Blue/Cohiba - 11.15 @ 128.8 & 1.84 60' (2150' DA) - BPM Tune - MSR Intake - SSP DCT - SS DPs & HFC Mid Pipes/X-Over - E Race Muffs - 19" MT DRs... On to a new home.
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05-28-2014, 11:21 PM	#3
JR429 Private First Class 7 Rep 103 Posts Drives: W212, GTR, 997 TT; F10 M5 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Tustin, CA iTrader: (0)	Thanks for the advice, I didn't think 305 would make much of a difference although it's OEM size on the rear for the Porsche... I cannot go drag radials because the M5 is my wife's daily driver. I'm not sure what other options are, anyone gone wider? As for traction off the line I'm thinking it's more a function of the dct transmission than the torque curve of the motor - the E55 is a supercharged motor which should be torquier off the line than a turbocharged motor although I've never tried comparing the dyno graphs for either car.. __________________ Blog about Pico and Micro Projectors! www.micro-projector.com
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08-29-2014, 08:14 PM	#6
M5TXGuy Private First Class 14 Rep 142 Posts Drives: 2013 M5 BlackSapphireMetallic Join Date: May 2014 Location: DFW iTrader: (0)	Anyone make the switch to 305s on the 343s yet? __________________ BMS, Akra, Gintani Catless DPs, and Exhaustmeister!
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08-29-2014, 10:44 PM	#7
SSR Private 6 Rep 76 Posts Drives: F10 m5 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: America iTrader: (0)	I have 305 and I also notice rear slip and ABS on under full throttle..
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08-30-2014, 12:19 AM	#8
Fantasm Lieutenant 39 Rep 475 Posts Drives: SL63 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Orange County, CA iTrader: (2)	I have 305/30/20 in soft compound semi-slick Nitto NT05... better traction for sure but thats a lot to do with the tire tread and compound. __________________ NOW: 2011 Ferrari 458, 2014 BMW M5 w/ CompPack, 2014 BMW X1, 2005 BMW M3 with Gintani SC&Meth, 2008 Ducati 1098 BEFORE: 24+ Other Awesome Cars - BYE - My Straight Piped Ferrari 458 (plus other mods): http://goo.gl/2qf5fW
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08-30-2014, 04:16 PM	#10
Fantasm Lieutenant 39 Rep 475 Posts Drives: SL63 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Orange County, CA iTrader: (2)	Dont have spacers, but I think if you run 305 with the stock Michelin PSS you wont need to remove them. __________________ NOW: 2011 Ferrari 458, 2014 BMW M5 w/ CompPack, 2014 BMW X1, 2005 BMW M3 with Gintani SC&Meth, 2008 Ducati 1098 BEFORE: 24+ Other Awesome Cars - BYE - My Straight Piped Ferrari 458 (plus other mods): http://goo.gl/2qf5fW
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10-04-2014, 02:03 PM	#16
M6-Coupe Major General 1125 Rep 6,067 Posts Drives: F92 M8 Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Bay area iTrader: (0)	If you are running the 343M for M5, your rear rims are 10" wide! The Micheline PSS 305/30ZR20/XL is rated for 10.5"-11.5" rims so basically your rear rims are a bit narrower that their specs! http://www.michelinman.com/tire-sele...ails#techspecs However they are good for 343M M6 rear rims which are 10.5" wide! __________________ Current : 2020 F92 Black Sapphire M8 - ZF8 Gone : 2018 F80 Mineral Gray M3 - 6MT Gone : 2016 F82 Austin Yellow M4 - 6MT Gone : 2013 F13 Sakhir Orange M6 -7DCT Gone: 2013 F13 Alpine White 650i -ZF8
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10-04-2014, 10:11 PM	#17
M5TXGuy Private First Class 14 Rep 142 Posts Drives: 2013 M5 BlackSapphireMetallic Join Date: May 2014 Location: DFW iTrader: (0)	Well, I wondered that, but there have been others that have said a 305 would work. __________________ BMS, Akra, Gintani Catless DPs, and Exhaustmeister!
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10-04-2014, 10:47 PM	#18
Fantasm Lieutenant 39 Rep 475 Posts Drives: SL63 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Orange County, CA iTrader: (2)	It just means you will have a bit more meat on the edges... might be good actually. __________________ NOW: 2011 Ferrari 458, 2014 BMW M5 w/ CompPack, 2014 BMW X1, 2005 BMW M3 with Gintani SC&Meth, 2008 Ducati 1098 BEFORE: 24+ Other Awesome Cars - BYE - My Straight Piped Ferrari 458 (plus other mods): http://goo.gl/2qf5fW
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10-05-2014, 09:01 PM	#20
SSR Private 6 Rep 76 Posts Drives: F10 m5 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: America iTrader: (0)	I have 305 25 21
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10-07-2014, 12:36 PM	#21
johntomferg Captain 120 Rep 852 Posts Drives: Formerly drove a 13 F10 M5 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Columbia, TN iTrader: (1)	http://f10.m5post.com/forums/showthr...ht=295%2F35R20 Use Tirerack to also look at the specs on the tread width. I switched to a 295/35R20 and couldn't be happier with the increase in contact patch. Picked up a meaningful amount of contact patch and even gained some sidewall to protect the rear wheels from the occasional hole.
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