Tires

[Shudogg]

does the speed rating mean that your tire is gonna blow if you go faster than it says?

whats gonna really happen?

and is an "H" good enough?

thx

[nukeduster]

Originally posted by Shudogg@Jul 1 2005, 02:13 PM
does the speed rating mean that your tire is gonna blow if you go faster than it says?

whats gonna really happen?

and is an "H" good enough?

thx

[snapback]358930[/snapback]

h is bargain basement. i never touch anything less then z, and generally only go for minimum w or y for the way i drive.

the price difference between h and z is not worth saving the money, OEM on bmw is always at least a V.. never go lower then what is factory.

speed rating is also a good tale tell factor of how much traction it will provide IN GENERAL.

but yes, there is no guarantee a tire will not burst at speeds higher then its speed rating..

[Ljk619]

Normally tires don't exactly explode when taken faster than their speed rating. It's more that the plys begin to separate. I'm sure you've seen tires on the freeway or the street, it's not the whole tire lying there, it's usually just the tread, that's what'll happen, most of the time.

And as far as "H" speed rating goes, H is rated at top speed of 130mph. If you drive that fast or even faster, then go with a higher rated tire like nuke said. If not then, just my opinion, but h is fine. But then again I have Z rated tires as well...

[fredo328]

H is fine:
http://www.buying-tires.com/tire-ratings.html

M – up to 81 mph (130 kph)
N – up to 87 mph (140 kph)
P – up to 93 mph (150 kph)
Q – up to 99 mph (160 kph)
R – up to 106 mph (170 kph)
S – up to 112 mph (180 kph)
T – up to 118 mph (190 kph)
U – up to 124 mph (200 kph)
H – up to 130 mph (210 kph)
V – up to 149 mph (240 kph)
Z – speeds above 149mph (240 kph)
The Z rating turned out to be to vague, and so two more ratings were added:

W – up to 168 mph (270 kph)
Y – up to 186 mph (300 kph)

[Furious]

nothing wrong with H, they of course wont perform like a Z in most cases, but thats because majority of H rated tires are made for all season purposes where as Z are mostly made for summer or high performance purposes,

as for blowing up? i dont think so, i used to drive on my snow tires in winter well beyond the recommended speedlimit they had and never had a problem. just dont try to manuveur the car hard in excessive speeds, you might be suprised if the side walls dont hold up as well as say a Z, but again , i really dont think you have much to worry about

[dutchbmw]

Don't get anything less than the standard factory tires. Who would risk his life for a few bucks??? No need for that!

[e36surge]

You don't have to be doing 210 km/h for your H-tire to blow.

The ratings are based on rolling temperatures. The faster you go the hotter the tire gets, which increases the tire pressure. If you live in say Arizona and you're doing 150 mph on a hot summer day on a winding road with H rated tires you may be asking for trouble. Don't forget there are many factors at play. Asphalt temperature, tire pressure, road debris, tire balance and wear patterns. The possibility of a blow out is minimal but I have seen and experienced one.... you don't want it... nothing worse than losing control in a curve and ditching your beamer and waking up in a hospital... my friend lost his life and that of his wife's because he put under-rated tires on his porsche... hot day and excessive speed caused front driver side to blow...

Most are due to defective tires and the majority of blowouts occur at the sidewall. Just remember to check your tire pressure often and rotate your tires and inspect the sidewalls for 'bubbles' or bumps. I run Z, you never know when you may exceed your tire's rating during a hot summer day. The best way to figure it is by your speedo, if it says 240 km/h then get V(factory) at the least, assuming you drive your car hard of course.

Tires and brakes before anything else.

[///M Power]

I have H's on both cars. Lately 100mph just doesnt seem fast enough and ive been tapping 130 mph a bit. Of course i wouldnt dare to take a turn at 130 but I can tell you I drive my BMW hard through the twisties and my tires ARE my limiting factor. Fucking 85 mph hear dam rears screeching. If you drive hard go higher. California has a minimum of H i think.