[88JediF36]

Hi everyone! New posting here but a long time follower of the site.

I have a 440i GC with 34k miles and just switched to a non-run flat tire after the tire shop was unable get a stock run-flat tire back on. They claimed I had a bent tire in the inner area, however these tires were barrel stacked in the basement and covered. They were also the shop that took them off.

I purchased 4 new tires, Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS to replace them. I have a m-sport F36 so I have a staggered set up. Today was the first day I drove with the newly installed tires, they were installed on 4/6/20.

I noticed tread noise anywhere above 50 MPH. Is this a norm for new tires and eventually goes away? Does anyone have experience with this tire? Any recommendations?

I appreciate your help! I’m planning on calling the tire shop tomorrow to discuss possible options.

[alohasurftoad]

I've had a few sets of Bridgestones and for me they were always a bit noisy and ride a bit hard.

For ride and noise I prefer Continental.

[HarryTee]

Originally Posted by alohasurftoad

I've had a few sets of Bridgestones and for me they were always a bit noisy and ride a bit hard.

For ride and noise I prefer Continental.

In compensation, Bridgestone tyres tend to last longer. Continental on the other hand can be too soft, easily damaged.
OP, after a while, your tyre noise will become less noticeable.

[alohasurftoad]

Originally Posted by HarryTee

In compensation, Bridgestones tyres tend to last longer. Continental on the other hand can be too soft, easily damaged.

this is true but it means you're dealing with that noisier uncomfortable ride, longer. idk, pick your poison?

[exE36M3]

So interestingly, TireRack reviewers give this tire an 8.2 for noise... so it's a B grade.
The tire is also rated at 500 AA A UTQG (So VERY low wear tire with great traction and excellent temperature).

I've give it at least a few hundred miles to scrub off the casting layer and little knobby things and remake your determinations from there.

[88JediF36]

Originally Posted by percychow

So interestingly, TireRack reviewers give this tire an 8.2 for noise... so it's a B grade.
The tire is also rated at 500 AA A UTQG (So VERY low wear tire with great traction and excellent temperature).

I've give it at least a few hundred miles to scrub off the casting layer and little knobby things and remake your determinations from there.

I’ve thought about that! I’m hoping it goes away soon, I’m going to drive the car a bit this weekend and see if it goes away. Otherwise, I’m thinking about trading them in for the Firehawk INDY 500’s.

[GreyF30]

Originally Posted by 88JediF36

I’ve thought about that! I’m hoping it goes away soon, I’m going to drive the car a bit this weekend and see if it goes away. Otherwise, I’m thinking about trading them in for the Firehawk INDY 500’s.

I would think tires as aggressive as the INDY 500's will be even louder. If you want all season, consider the popular Continental DWS06.

[cfm56d7b]

Unfortunately, the road noise will progressively increase as the tread wears off. This is an attribute of any run flat tire. Bridgestone run flat tires are consistently noisier than others. I've own both Bridgestone Potenza S001 and Pirelli P Zero run flat tires. Pirelli P Zero generates appreciably less road noise.

[88JediF36]

Originally Posted by cfm56d7b

Unfortunately, the road noise will progressively increase as the tread wears off. This is an attribute of any run flat tire. Bridgestone run flat tires are consistently noisier than others. I've own both Bridgestone Potenza S001 and Pirelli P Zero run flat tires. Pirelli P Zero generates appreciably less road noise.

The RE980AS is a non run flat tire. I loved the confidence of having a tire that could give me an additional ~50 miles after damage but I wanted to try a non-RFT.

I also didn’t want to spend $431 for one tire

[88JediF36]

Quick update:

So I ended up getting the Firehawk 500’s installed 225 front/255 rear) and they are WAY better than the RE980AS, and aren’t generating any noise. They also feel much comfier.

It’s only 36° in Wisconsin right now (I thought it was spring) and with Safer at Home in effect, I won’t be driving much. I can’t wait to really get to experience the goodness of these tires once it warms up!

[thatBimmerBloke]

I went with MPSS non-run-flats, 255/40 square setup. I did have the run-flats before that. After the swap I immediately noticed less road noise in the cabin and even the ride got a bit more comfortable, handling was improved as well, even though I did switch to considerably lighter wheels at the same time, paired my OEM 400M wheels with winter tires.
Also, $431 for one run-flat just so I can drive extra 50 miles isn't worth it, you sacrifice on performance and the much better-performing non-run-flats are way cheaper. I opted for AAA just in case anything happens and it just costs something around $100 for a year.
Nice picture BTW, MKE downtown?

[88JediF36]

Originally Posted by thatBimmerBloke

I went with MPSS non-run-flats, 255/40 square setup. I did have the run-flats before that. After the swap I immediately noticed less road noise in the cabin and even the ride got a bit more comfortable, handling was improved as well, even though I did switch to considerably lighter wheels at the same time, paired my OEM 400M wheels with winter tires.
Also, $431 for one run-flat just so I can drive extra 50 miles isn't worth it, you sacrifice on performance and the much better-performing non-run-flats are way cheaper. I opted for AAA just in case anything happens and it just costs something around $100 for a year.
Nice picture BTW, MKE downtown?

Exactly! Spending $431 on one tire is crazy. I was lucky enough to not catch a flat over the first two years of ownership, here’s to hoping the streak continues.

I looked at the MPSS as well but didn’t have the patience to wait for those to arrive so I just worked with the tire shop to get the Indy 500’s. So far it’s been a night and day difference. No road noise, a way comfier tire than my RFTs, and the car feels lighter/more agile. The car has been sitting in the garage due to the quarantine though.

Good eye! Downtown MKE in the third ward haha. Are you in the area?

[thatBimmerBloke]

Originally Posted by 88JediF36

Exactly! Spending $431 on one tire is crazy. I was lucky enough to not catch a flat over the first two years of ownership, here’s to hoping the streak continues.

I looked at the MPSS as well but didn’t have the patience to wait for those to arrive so I just worked with the tire shop to get the Indy 500’s. So far it’s been a night and day difference. No road noise, a way comfier tire than my RFTs, and the car feels lighter/more agile. The car has been sitting in the garage due to the quarantine though.

Good eye! Downtown MKE in the third ward haha. Are you in the area?

I felt the same when I switched to MPSS, however, I also switched to lighter wheels at the same time, about 7lbs lighter on each corner, I believe even the tires are lighter than the RFTs, even though they are 30mm wider.

I'm about 30 minutes west of MKE. I still get to drive it every other day, just short trips, been working from home since the beginning of all this.

[gIzzE]

Don't you have noise ratings for tyres in the States?

In the EU we have two ratings, one is a black bar and the other is the actual db rating from outside the car.



One black bar means at least 3db or more below the EU noise limits, 2 balck bar means between the rating and -3db, and three back bars means it is above the EU noise level expected.

Bridgestone always, come out at around 73-74db no matter what tyre, you can then get something like a Michelin Pilot Sport 4 at around 71db, and something like a Goodyear Blueresponse or even an Eagle F1 asymmetrical that come in at only 67 or 68db.



There is an absolutely massive difference between 67db and 70db to what you hear in the cabin, same from 70 to 73db, so you can only imagine just how much quieter a 67db tyre is compared to a 74db tyre.

6db gain in hifi terms is double the sound pressure to give that some context.

What you tend to find as well is the quieter the tyre the more comfort and bite it has, softer tends to be far better on poorer road surfaces, it bites and grips far nicer.



Bridgestones are horrid, they start off hard and as they age get harder and louder, there is a reason many name them Brickstones.

[88JediF36]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

Don't you have noise ratings for tyres in the States?

In the EU we have two ratings, one is a black bar and the other is the actual db rating from outside the car.



One black bar means at least 3db or more below the EU noise limits, 2 balck bar means between the rating and -3db, and three back bars means it is above the EU noise level expected.

Bridgestone always, come out at around 73-74db no matter what tyre, you can then get something like a Michelin Pilot Sport 4 at around 71db, and something like a Goodyear Blueresponse or even an Eagle F1 asymmetrical that come in at only 67 or 68db.



There is an absolutely massive difference between 67db and 70db to what you hear in the cabin, same from 70 to 73db, so you can only imagine just how much quieter a 67db tyre is compared to a 74db tyre.

6db gain in hifi terms is double the sound pressure to give that some context.

What you tend to find as well is the quieter the tyre the more comfort and bite it has, softer tends to be far better on poorer road surfaces, it bites and grips far nicer.



Bridgestones are horrid, they start off hard and as they age get harder and louder, there is a reason many name them Brickstones.

To be honest, I’ve never seen this a day in my life, not to say we don’t, I just haven’t seen them. I took those Bridgestones back ASAP, I couldn’t stand the road noise and the look.

I have the Firestone Indy 500’s and LOVE them. I don’t push my car as much as I did over the first year or two, but still get on it on the highway or through turns from here and there.

[gIzzE]

It may just be an EU thing.

I have found that a really good way to tell if I will like a tyre or not, I prefer softer tyres and the db rating soft of lets you know what sort of tyre it will be.

[Desertnate]

I think it is an EU thing, not something I've ever seen in the US.

I wonder how you could objectively measure something like that rating. Not only are there a huge number of variables between every car (sound insulation, weight, suspension, cabin size, wheel base length, etc...), but even pavement conditions added to the vehicle variables can create a nearly infinite number of combinations. On my drive home I encounter at least a half-dozen different pavement conditions and the tire noise will go from dead silent (fresh ashphalt) to loud drone (worn concrete).

[gIzzE]

I guess they do it on a test strip? A certain type of road surface.

I love driving in France, their Autoroutes have the most amazing asphalt, because they build them so close to towns, often through them, they make them use a surface that is almost silent, and it works.
The other bonus is the rolling resistance is also so much better so you get some silly MPG figures too.

But it makes long drives far more relaxing.

I often do my house to St. Tropez in a day, it is just a smidge under 1000 miles door to door. I couldn't do that on UK roads, but the combination of smooth, quiet road surfaces and empty lanes make it bearable.

[RMachuca3d]

I had my re980's for two years, really great tire overall when it comes to performance\durability tradeoff. Where they noisy? I dont find they were any more noisier than other comparable brands tbh, before I bought them I was running on falkens, they where a lot more noisier.

[gIzzE]

Yeah Falkens are very noisy. I bought some FK453s years ago after everyone raved about them, they were hardly any better than the runflats.

[ben_taylor]

Originally Posted by RMachuca3d

I had my re980's for two years, really great tire overall when it comes to performance\durability tradeoff. Where they noisy? I dont find they were any more noisier than other comparable brands tbh, before I bought them I was running on falkens, they where a lot more noisier.

Its interesting you have mentioned about the falkens being noisy, I have just got a F31 and trying to isolate some noise from the rear but the falkens are on the front.

[luckstr]

Originally Posted by 88JediF36

I’ve thought about that! I’m hoping it goes away soon, I’m going to drive the car a bit this weekend and see if it goes away. Otherwise, I’m thinking about trading them in for the Firehawk INDY 500’s.

Originally Posted by 88JediF36

I've thought about that! I'm hoping it goes away soon, I'm going to drive the car a bit this weekend and see if it goes away. Otherwise, I'm thinking about trading them in for the Firehawk INDY 500's.

All I can say from my experience is that the Firehawk's are great. I've had a set on my 440i F33 for about 7-8 months.