Is it important to use BMW approved star tires?

stevenleung0000 · 10-19-2017, 11:50 PM

Hello all, I am new to this forum, and I have a question about tires for my M255i.
The car comes with staggered tires (225/40/18 front, and 245/35/18 rear). I am trying to shop for winter tires, and I couldn't find any BMW approved star winter tires for rear (if I insist to stick with the the size of 245/35/18).

However, if I am willing to down size my rear to 225/40/18 which is the same size as my front, then there are BMW star winter tires available.

So my question is, is it more important to downsize my rear so that I can stick with the BMW approved tires?
Or is it more important to stick with the original size? (but not using approved tires?)

Does it really make a significant difference if I use non-bmw approved tires?
(safety-wise and performance-wise)

thanks in advance!!

overcoil · 10-20-2017, 10:15 AM

I think also the question of is it wise to mix Star/BMW with non Star but same tire model.

Were you going to downsize the tire but keep your stock rear 8-inch wheel width ? I don't know off hand what the range of tire sizes for that width are.

I think you can go with the OEM rear size but not Star rated and be safe. I think a lot of people use the non Star 92 load rated on the front and not the 88/load rated front but with the Star rated rear.
But you can call Michelin or even TireRack.

aaaaah · 10-20-2017, 03:58 PM

It doesn't matter. OE and OE Replacement tyres have their own set of standards applied to them by the manufacturer and often they are more stringent than the regular market, however, they can just be different requirements than the standard tyre but no difference in quality.

A lot of the OE requirements are based around cosmetics rather than build quality. Technical design requests can also be made purely to have the car review well or reach an EPA target.

cxp213 · 10-20-2017, 07:42 PM

You can pretty much disregard that. Put more emphasis on tire compound and size. Go to www.tirerack.com and read up on some of the reviews on the tires then choose what you feel best suits you.

Maynard · 10-25-2017, 02:51 PM

Sounds like you are planning to swap tires on your existing rims. Instead I would strongly recommend getting a second set of dedicated wheels and snow tires, if that is an option. Summer staggered setup is opposite of general recc's for winter (narrower is better) and it is a lot of wear on the tires to dismount/remount them each year. I'm also a fan of 17" for winter (more sidewall for pothole protection), so the 18" staggered setup is not a good option on several levels. You will save money from the 2x mounting fees each year that will offset the cost (if you don't opt for the BBS superwheels). I'm running Sparco Pro Corsas that work well, but DK if they clear the big brakes, whole set was about a grand. If you do stick with factory wheels, the main concern is diameter of the tire, more than star vs. non-star - could be different so worth a check.

10-19-2017, 11:50 PM	#1
stevenleung0000 Registered 1 Rep 2 Posts Drives: M235i Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: Canada toronto iTrader: (0)	Is it important to use BMW approved star tires? Hello all, I am new to this forum, and I have a question about tires for my M255i. The car comes with staggered tires (225/40/18 front, and 245/35/18 rear). I am trying to shop for winter tires, and I couldn't find any BMW approved star winter tires for rear (if I insist to stick with the the size of 245/35/18). However, if I am willing to down size my rear to 225/40/18 which is the same size as my front, then there are BMW star winter tires available. So my question is, is it more important to downsize my rear so that I can stick with the BMW approved tires? Or is it more important to stick with the original size? (but not using approved tires?) Does it really make a significant difference if I use non-bmw approved tires? (safety-wise and performance-wise) thanks in advance!!
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10-20-2017, 10:15 AM	#2
overcoil Major General 3081 Rep 5,580 Posts Drives: M235i 6spd Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Mid-Atlantic iTrader: (0)	I think also the question of is it wise to mix Star/BMW with non Star but same tire model. Were you going to downsize the tire but keep your stock rear 8-inch wheel width ? I don't know off hand what the range of tire sizes for that width are. I think you can go with the OEM rear size but not Star rated and be safe. I think a lot of people use the non Star 92 load rated on the front and not the 88/load rated front but with the Star rated rear. But you can call Michelin or even TireRack.
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10-20-2017, 03:58 PM	#3
aaaaah Lieutenant 356 Rep 407 Posts Drives: Nuggets Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: AU iTrader: (0)	It doesn't matter. OE and OE Replacement tyres have their own set of standards applied to them by the manufacturer and often they are more stringent than the regular market, however, they can just be different requirements than the standard tyre but no difference in quality. A lot of the OE requirements are based around cosmetics rather than build quality. Technical design requests can also be made purely to have the car review well or reach an EPA target.
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10-20-2017, 07:42 PM	#4
cxp213 Lieutenant 313 Rep 525 Posts Drives: M235i Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: TX iTrader: (0)	You can pretty much disregard that. Put more emphasis on tire compound and size. Go to www.tirerack.com and read up on some of the reviews on the tires then choose what you feel best suits you.
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10-25-2017, 02:51 PM	#5
Maynard Colonel 3862 Rep 2,882 Posts Drives: 228iX & M2C Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Upstate NY iTrader: (1)	Sounds like you are planning to swap tires on your existing rims. Instead I would strongly recommend getting a second set of dedicated wheels and snow tires, if that is an option. Summer staggered setup is opposite of general recc's for winter (narrower is better) and it is a lot of wear on the tires to dismount/remount them each year. I'm also a fan of 17" for winter (more sidewall for pothole protection), so the 18" staggered setup is not a good option on several levels. You will save money from the 2x mounting fees each year that will offset the cost (if you don't opt for the BBS superwheels). I'm running Sparco Pro Corsas that work well, but DK if they clear the big brakes, whole set was about a grand. If you do stick with factory wheels, the main concern is diameter of the tire, more than star vs. non-star - could be different so worth a check.
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