Metric tyres! WHY?

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   I have never come across this before, how I have dodged this in my years of messing with cars amazes me!
I am currently rebuilding a 730i and as I walked around the car making notes with my mechanic friend me decided to shout out get rid of those wheels! what? why? their metric! 
Why are metric tyres so expensive, just because they are in cm's and note inches? no wonder nobody wants metric in this country! 

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wizard1970 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 16-April-2005 Status: Offline Points: 7	Topic: Metric tyres! WHY? Posted: 18-April-2005 at 02:10
	I have never come across this before, how I have dodged this in my years of messing with cars amazes me! I am currently rebuilding a 730i and as I walked around the car making notes with my mechanic friend me decided to shout out get rid of those wheels! what? why? their metric! Why are metric tyres so expensive, just because they are in cm's and note inches? no wonder nobody wants metric in this country!

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shogun Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Really Senior Member II Joined: 22-February-2005 Location: Tokyo/Japan Status: Offline Points: 564	Posted: 18-April-2005 at 02:57
	Some cars, such as the UK 535i Sport, have TRX tyres. These are old technology, expensive and offer bad wet weather grip. They also use a metric 390 or 415mm wheel so you can't fit normal tyres. Buying new alloys is the best solution. Only Michelin is producing them. For the price of one new Michelin tire you get a cpl. set of used 'normal' tires and wheels.
	E32 750iL,E36 M3 7 Series Tech Tips

eta. Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Really Senior Member II Joined: 21-October-2002 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 599	Posted: 18-April-2005 at 03:20
	As far as i know Avon also produce metrics. One advantage of them is (I think) they have a 'run flat' capability. Howeever, as Shogun says, best get shot of them in place of imperials. I suggest you keep the rims and metric tyres though if you intend to enter your 730 into car shows as, technically, that is how it left the factory, unless someone swopped imperials off it some time in th past. You can confirm this by get your cars manufacturing data from you local BM dealer parts dept.

M3AG Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Really Senior Member II 7 series & e36 m3 registrar! (Madness) Joined: 17-October-2002 Location: Good Old Hertfordshire Status: Offline Points: 1644	Posted: 18-April-2005 at 03:57
	wizard Replace them with a set of cross spokes with 225 tyres! It just so happens I know of a set of e34 cross spokes if you want a set of wheels with good (newish) tyres! Direct replacement, and they are in superb order! AG Edited by M3AG

kbannon Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Admin Group E39 525i Sport Individual Joined: 09-October-2002 Location: 64 Zoo Lane Status: Offline Points: 15508	Posted: 18-April-2005 at 04:20
	Weren't the TRXs used because BMW thought they would be the way of the future? I think the 'future' according to BMW now is the run-flat technology which is used on all E90 3ers. I read yesterday that lexus are dropping this technology on all new cars in Europe because they are generally rubbish on many of our roads
	Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE 1997 E39 523i 2003 E39 525i Sport Individual

wizard1970 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 16-April-2005 Status: Offline Points: 7	Posted: 18-April-2005 at 09:09
	M3AG I am interested got any piccies?

M3AG Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Really Senior Member II 7 series & e36 m3 registrar! (Madness) Joined: 17-October-2002 Location: Good Old Hertfordshire Status: Offline Points: 1644	Posted: 18-April-2005 at 09:43
	I have, pm me your email addy, and I'll send them through.

Del64 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Really Senior Member I Double 6 driver Joined: 16-December-2002 Location: East Ayrshire Status: Offline Points: 420	Posted: 18-April-2005 at 11:12
	The TD metrics in 390mm dia, were a run flat and as is thought, was supposed to be the tyre of the future, the 415 TRX were supposedly a sport tyre, however neither are very good and a set of 15" imperials are much better from an economics perspective, I replaced my TD's with 17" split rims however which did wonders to sharpen handling and are still cheaper for tyres than the TD's As a true original Metrics do look the part especially TRX's but try a roundabout in the wet on them then on a good 17" 265/40 on the rear and feel and see the difference. Dunlop make new TD's Michelin TRX and retreads are available too however a V12 and remoulds do not sit well in the same sentence for me.

Horsetan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Really Senior Member II Say Neigh to Gatsos Joined: 11-April-2003 Location: Please let it be Ireland Status: Offline Points: 6381	Posted: 18-April-2005 at 14:17
	Dunlop metrics are even worse than Avons. The remoulds are most probably the work of Colway - they are generally better than new Dunlops, according to a friend who once tried them on an old Granada he used to have......