Really bad handling in the wet...

[Nick73]

HI all, any advice, suggestions welcome.

I live in "sunny Scotland" so am finding out that my X5 has the most diabolical handling if there is any standing water (I am also talking about motorway driving here).  If the road is just wet, everything seems fine, but if there is the smallest amount of standing water, the car will give frequent lurches to the side, evan 55 mph.  Im no stranger to big cars my Disco, and Shogun don't do this so its not a side wind issue. 

Other X5's / Disco's /RR and Tauregs balst past me with apparent ease, while Im gripping the steering wheel and loosing my bowels...

The car has Diamaris on the back and 2 names i dont recognise on the front.  I',m also getting shoulder wear on the front tyres. (I have the staggered 20's set up)

So my question, Ive never known rubber to make such a difference to a car, but will putting my winter fire and ice's on a bit early improve things?  Or given the shoulder wear is it possibly a steering geometry thing?

Thanks all for any advice

[Horizon]

Type the names of the tyres into Google along with the word review, there are independant reviews on most tyres this grades them in the wet,dry braking, cornering , noise levels. Etc

[AW8]

The ideal is 4 identical brand and type quality tyres to correct spec and pressure, fitted to the correct rims for the car, balanced and alignment sorted running correct pressures. Oh and fitted to a car that has healthy suspension, bushes, rack, ball joints etc.....be sure of psi gauge integrity and make sure any stagger sizes are such that right bits are in the correct corner(s). We had one person on here running fronts to rear.

Check inner shoulders to rears as hard to see properly.

Hard to comment without seeing your car. Same tyres same axle is recommended and same all round is by far most suitable.

3 different tyre types is not going to help but the other factors need considering too.

Even if you had decent make in each corner the varying characteristics won't help as the best gripping tyre can exaggerate the lack of grip in another.

My immediate advise would be slow down in the wet until sorted.

I have run 4 diamaris on legal but relatively low tread in wet and can confirm the E53 X5 can be twitchy through surface water if tread not decent.

Personally I would never dream of running your with your current tyre set up.

Can't comment on the winter set up you mention as not familiar with the rubber you have.

Good luck sorting this.

Oh and it should be fine if all above sorted/checked properly. You can eliminate one step at a time of course. I would start win rubber to front with 4x balancing and correct psi then 4 wheel camera alignment check.

[Nick73]

Thanks Horsizon, thats such a good idea Ive already done it, so it seems i was a litte mistaken

Both fronts are WANLI --never heard of them, quick scout of t'interweb gives reasonable reviews but a few different forum posts that suggest they're utter bobbins

Rear Driver side is IOTA -- Equally never heard of them but no appalling reviews, very little wear (suspect the dealer had it put on before selling the car)

Rear passenger is DIAMARI -- seems fine has some wear but not significant


Im wondering if all these tyres having different tyres can handle different water flow rates, meaning one or two of them end up aquaplaning ...

Could still be the geometry.. will get that sorted next week and see if that improves things

Anyone have experience of these tyres (suspect they're budgets)

[Nick73]

Thanks AW8 (you posted while I was replying to Horizon)

Im thinking your probably right, and the different brands have very different properties in the wet.  The tyres are as delivered by the dealer.  i left em as I knew id need winters and didnt want to stump up for 2 whole new sets.

That said, I was convinced the two rears were both Diamaris (so I had same on each axle) but it seems advancing age and a growing jack Daniels habit has addled my memory...

The winter tyre set is Pirelli Scorpion Ice and Snow (not fire and ice like my first post!!)  Figure Ill put them on anyway as they cant be worse than the current set.

And yes, have slowed considerably until this is sorted.  If tyres and tracking dont improve things will have to get the rest of the suspension etc checked.

Thanks!!

[kkx5]

Whats wrong with you people? Open a new post, claiming bad handling, not checking tyres.... ??? ???

[Patriot1368]

We used to sell Wanli, tyres @ a tyre dealership I worked at years ago , and Yes they were and indeed STILL are awful cheap tyres unfortunately.

[Nick73]

@kkx5 -- you are indeed correct, my bad!  in my defence the handling was / is terrible, its just not the cars fault!  O:-)

@Patriot -- thanks for that, seems to confirm what I've read on the interwebs!

I'll accept the criticism, in it that its more my mistake  than the car... seems the Missus is right, most things are my fault  )

[X5Sport]

Standard tyres are the Michelin Diamaris which TBH are pretty good.  Fitting super cheap tyres aka 'Ditchfinders' is not a good idea on these cars.

There are plenty of non-premium tyres that are OK on these cars BUT you do need to be careful as some owners - by no means all - have reported transmission issues in the diff or transfer box which might, and I can only stress the might, have been exacerbated by fitting the wrong tyre types.

The rolling diameter can be crucial and any wide variation of it outside what seems to be a pretty fine tolerance can cause odd noises or breakage if ignored.

BMW 'approved' tyres have a '*' Mark on the sidewall.

Richard

[Nick73]

LMAO at "Ditchfinders"!!

I've heard that about correct tyres before (or at least read it on here), I think this is all pointing to puting my winter rubber on and see if that improves things.  I think the the Pirelli Ice and Snow used to be recomended by BMW so they should be fine

(really trying not to wander into one of those approved / non approved /RFT/nonRFT debates...)

[X5Sport]

I have the Pirellis for my X6 (standard option in 2010/11) and they're fine even up to the quite high temps we seem to be getting at present.

I've seen it written somewhere that for lower mileage use, winter tyres can be left on all year in parts of the UK as the average temp range is perfect for them.

Richard

[iff26]

Get a premium tyres, I run main on Michelin Latitute Sport , no complaints what so ever, price not too bad either! When I bought my X5, it had accerla tyres, worst tyres ever I think, on rainy day goes straight in every corner,no grip! On A class roads and on sport mode sits now like a train on rails ! 

[X5Sport]

[quote="Nick73"]
(really trying not to wander into one of those approved / non approved /RFT/nonRFT debates...)
[/quote]

I can understand that.  Things can get a bit emotive can't they... :bangin:

[Nick73]

cheers for all the feedback chaps.  New rubber going on this week, Im pretty sure that where I live we may get a whole weekend per yer that is "too hot" for winter tyres lol!