Hi all. My 2017 F56 JCW came with 17" wheels and Hankook Optimo H426 runflats.

I'm considering swapping them for all season non-runflats. I'm leaning towards either Pilot Sport A/S 3+ or Continental DWS06 in either a 205/45/17 or 215/45/17.

My better half would appreciate it if the car had a more compliant ride. I would typically be inclined to go with the Michelin tire, but Tire Rack indicates the ride can be a bit harsh (I understand the trade off is that a softer tire will be less precise).

For those of you who have swapped tires to either of the above, would you provide your opinions on both the changes in handling and ride quality?

Thank you.

 

Going from a run-flat to a non run-flat, even at the exact same size, will generally give you a nicer ride, as the conventional tire will not have the stiff sidewall of the run-flat.

I have the Michelin Pilot Supersports, which are a bit softer compound, and I am running 215/45/17. The only time you might feel the slightly lower precision from a taller sidewall is under more extreme situations, like hard braking at the track. In most everyday situations, it will likely not be noticeable, or very minorly noticeable.

 

I'm in the same boat sb2002 as my wife hates the ride in my JCW. Contemplating either a 205/50/17 with more sidewall, or a non run flat. Wonder if I should have gotten Dynamic Damping??

 

Non run-flats make a huge difference.

 

I am running 215/45/17's Pirelli P Zero all seasons for the last 24,00 (non-run flats). Love them. I probably have another 24,000 or so on them. Wanna buy some Dunlop RF's-cheap? Only 12,000 on them and I cannot give them away.

 

OP, although slightly different than your situation, I replaced the original 195/55/16 Pirelli runflats on my F57 S at 14k miles w/ the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+. Somewhat less noise and and a little softer ride, but the biggest difference was improved handling. I'm happy w/ the Michelin A/S 3+, but when its time to replace them it will be 17"wheels w/ Michelin Pilot Super Sports. Always climbing the performance curve I guess. :-)

I don't think you can go wrong w/ the Michelin Sport A/S, especially if you're in a colder climate. There is a reason the Hankook is $100 on Tire Rack and the Michelin is 50% more.

 

I am on my 3rd set of the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+s and they have proven to be a great tire for me. Nice ride, good grip, and reasonably quiet. I have 34,000+ miles on the JCW and these are a terrific all season tire. Not as much grip as the MPSS, but a good tire for all seasons. On a scale of 10 I would rate them at least a 9.

 

Anyone know if a 205/50/17 will fit?

 

I am starting on a second set of Falken ZIEX 950 A/S 205-45-17. I am very satisfied. They are quiet, comfortable with outstanding grip and cornering performance.

 

Decided to give non run flats a try.....going first with an oversize 205/50/17 which will give me .4” extra sidewall. Since this is an experiment, I’m going with cheapo tires to see if I like the ride. Hopefully I’ll love it.

 

After seeing how flimsy the sidewalls were on the "el cheapo" tires, I decided to go with the Falkens in 50 series-NON run flats. Huge difference and the 205/50/17 tires fill the wheel well much better. Happy camper.

 

Good choice for a W rated performance tire ........ and furthermore, the warranty trade-in is outstanding. My second set was a very good deal.

 

Question - do the taller sidewalls produce more body roll? I also have 17's (and want to ditch the RF's), and like the idea of filling the wheel wells. But with a less stiff sidewall of a non-run flat on top of it being taller... Worried that might hurt the handling. Maybe too small to worry about. (I haven't made any suspension mods yet either, so maybe a rsb would hide any tire flex?)

Thanks
Scott

 

Yes, it can, but a lot depends on how much bigger the sidewall is. I went from 205/45 r17 to 215/45 r17, an I only notice the higher sidewall in very tight high speed corners, and in threshold braking, and it's a very minor difference. I'll probably go to a 215/40 r17 when I get a new set of wheels and make my current wheels dedicated track wheels, but until then, it's fine.

 

Does a 215 fit on the stock JCW 17" wheel?

 

It should, I have the 215s on my 18" wheels and it fits just fine with no rubbing or other issues. You most likely could use 225s using a 17" wheel if you wanted.

 

The answer is ... it depends. Section widths on different tires are different. The Continental ExtremeContact Sport that I purchased required spacers because they were touching the struts. The 215/45ZR17 size has a section width of 8.5" ... others may have less so each tire is different. Tire Rack lists the specifications for each tire, so you can check before you buy. The real answer is that the section width should be less than 8.5"