Shared Knowledge

"BMW X5 - 129,000 Miles, Tires History"

8 March 2010

Summary: Have just started my 3rd set of front tires (only on 2nd set rear) and from tire history appears Michelin Diamaris last significantly longer than Pirelli Scorpion and both start rumbling at about 30,000 miles!

BMW X5:

- X5, 4.4Liter, bought new.

- Sports package.

- 19 inch wheels

- Tires front: 255/50

- Tires rear:  285/45

- In all cases, tires were not down on "wear bar", but close, when replaced and near end of life, all had significant road noise, rumble problems.

- Live in climate that requires an all season radial and that is what I buy.

- Always have new valve stems installed with new tires and high speed balance.

- Rotate tires (due to front, rear, size difference, can only change front passenger side to driver side and reverse) and same for rears.

Tire History:

-  0 - 47,437 miles (47,437 total miles) - factory stock - believe were Michelin Diamaris

- 47,437 - 95,300 miles (47,363 total miles) - Michelin Diamaris.

- 95,300 - 129,400 miles (34,100 total miles) Pirelli Scorpion for fronts. Rears are still good.

- Just bought new Pirelli Scorpion for front. Should have done my homework as obvious that Scorpion does not have life of Michelin Diamaris.

Tire Rumble:

- First time I experienced tire rumble in my entire life was on the factory set of Michelins at about 30,000 miles. Took car to have tires rotated  and rebalanced but did no good and was told, all wide tires rumble.

- Read somewhere that the composition of tire rubber varies with the thickness of the tread, meaning as tires wear, different rubber composition is meeting the road and that is what causes rumble.

- Reason I shifted from Michelin to Pirelli was to see if tire rumble would be less with Pirelli. Well, turns out that both Michelins and Pirelli begin to rumble at about 30,000 miles.