Contisport M3 tyres

[Zero7]

I will post my alignments up this evening... Looking at swapping the PS2's out for conti 3's this weekend..

[Zero7]

My settings:

Before:

Left Front Camber -0.52
Total Toe +0.07
Right Front Camber -1.27
Front Left Toe +0.02
Steer Ahead -0.02
Front Right Toe +0.05

Left Rear Camber -1.14
Right Rear Camber -1.59
Right Rear Toe -0.06
Total Toe +0.09
Right Rear Toe +0.16
Thrust Angle -0.11

After:

Left Front Camber -1.08
Total Toe +0.10
Right Front Camber -1.13
Front Left Toe +0.04
Steer Ahead -0.01
Front Right Toe +0.06

Left Rear Camber -1.49
Right Rear Camber -1.43
Right Rear Toe +0.04
Total Toe +0.08
Right Rear Toe +0.04
Thrust Angle 0.00

[Zero7]

Originally Posted by gr8000

Here is my log of the alignment. As previously mentioned it is based on my own notes / scriblings taken during the process. Thank God I did that becasue the guy *forgot* to save the data....

TOE
Rear left: +0.05 before; +0.05 after alignment
Rear right: +0.08 before; +0.05 after alignment
Front left: +0.10 before; +0.05 after alignment
Front right: -0.05 before; +0.05 after alignment

CAMBER
Rear left: -1.24 before; +1.45 after alignment
Rear right: -1.28 before; +1.45 after alignment
Front left: +1.10 before and after alignment
Front right: +1.10 before and after alignment

I am not sure if the above make any sense but this is what I have written down. If correct then my main issue is wrong camber. If the guy indeed changed Camber from negative to positive then this must be a serious fuckup and probably the source of my problems. Maybe not though (the machine would warn if something like that happended), so probably I have misunderstood the various readings.

Anyway, I will go to another alignment shop on Saturday and will report back. Don't know if they are using Hunter or KDS, but they are regarded as one of the best alignment shops arround - they also do racing car alignments.

You seem to have a lot of positive camber set-up, I'm not sure these are factory settings...

[Zero7]

I spoke with a techie at Continental this mornign who said the 5P in Mo fitment should be fine for the M3. It's just that as they are supplying them to Merc as standard fit they like ot have MO which stands for Mercedes Original on them.

[gr8000]

Thanks Zero7

There must be something awfully wrong with my suspension settings after the alignment... I will do a re-alignment on Friday and will report back

[Zero7]

Just come off the phone to BMW UK and they have PS"'s conti 3 and Pirelli listed as OEM fittment tyre for the E92 M3. Now they did say that if a tyre manufacturer deletes one of these from their list then BMW will nto re-test with the replacement tyre.

so, if Conti 5 replaced the conti 3 then BMW would not list the Conti 5 as the repalcement of Conti 3's.

Although with the conti's I think 3 and 5 are running side by side so I'm going to be safe and stick with the 3.

HTH..

[Zero7]

Ordered my Conti3's, being fitted on Saturday so will be selling my PS2's if anyone is interested, done just over 1k easy miles on them.

[Neil McRae]

dood,
why are you replacing PS2's with conti 3s?

Neil.

[Zero7]

Originally Posted by Neil McRae

dood,
why are you replacing PS2's with conti 3s?

Neil.

Read the thread

[SenorFunkyPants]

Interesting thread...I was going to go with the CSC 5Ps but now I'm not so sure.
I ran CSC 2s on my E46 M3s and liked them once they had worn down a couple of mms, but they definitely liked to run with extra psi in the fronts to help support the sidewalls on turn in....even with less toe in and more negative camber on the front the turn in was always a weak point of the E46 M3.
The PS2s on my E92 M3 have been great though, the turn in and front end grip (36psi all round) is brilliant. So now I don't know which tyres to go with...the CSC 3s get a good write up but I'd be gutted if they turned out to be not as "pointy" as the PS2s.

Also the alignment specs BMW use when setting up on the KDS machine are for a "weighted" car as you would expect. If you are having your car set up at a non BMW site then go with the car weighted at your most usual configuration...typically 2/3 full of fuel and the equivalent of your weight on the drivers seat.

[Zero7]

I find the Conti 3's a touch less pointy than the PS2's.

[JOHNBMWM5]

Originally Posted by Zero7

I find the Conti 3's a touch less pointy than the PS2's.

So it begins, the thing is get the tyre pressures right, that makes a hell of a difference.

[Ant Man]

Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants

Also the alignment specs BMW use when setting up on the KDS machine are for a "weighted" car as you would expect. If you are having your car set up at a non BMW site then go with the car weighted at your most usual configuration...typically 2/3 full of fuel and the equivalent of your weight on the drivers seat.

About time you joined the party

I assumed that BMW specs were weighted but someone very knowledgeable on the UK E90 post section confirmed otherwise. Are you 100% sure that the settings BMW have for the E90/92 M3 are for weighted? Typically this is 1/2 of fuel and 76kg for the driver. Though as you stated, should be the specific configuration for the driver.

[SenorFunkyPants]

"100% sure"? Well no, not 100%...last time I read through the instructions for doing the KDS set up it was for an E46 M3 and its my understanding that its a similar process for the E9x M3.
My bad if it turns out I'm mistaken.

[gr8000]

Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants

Interesting thread...I was going to go with the CSC 5Ps but now I'm not so sure.

I am going to re-check my alignment on Saturday morning now that the tyres are broken in. I will then post my final verdict. If the alignment is alright then the CSC5Ps are definitely not for me, I will swap them with PS2s.

[SpoonZ]

Hello all,

Same dilemma here.

What are peoples thoughts on wear rates between the two? Is one a softer tyre than the other? Is there much difference in wear rates?

[Zero7]

^^^ Conti's appear to have softer rubber and less wear but a firmer sidewall that the PS2's. I have compared both side by side, the PS3's have a much firmer sidewall than the 2's - more like the conti sidewall.

[Neil McRae]

contis will last slightly longer not much though. atleast my experience on the E46.

Prefer the PS2's although I'm hoping to get a set of Dunlop Sport Max to try, on my E46 they where far superior in my view to the PS2s and contis- lasted 3000 miles longer also.

[gr8000]

Today I went in to re-check alignment after breaking in the Conti 5Ps with 470kms. Alignment was a bit off in the front but nothing dramatic. A few adjustments were made (toe in) and I did another run before going back to the machine to re-check the settings (all was as per OEM spec after a couple of runs).

Final verdict: Conti 5Ps are by far out of my taste. Handling feels so imprecise vs the PS2s. In turns the car is all over the place, feels like the sidewall of the tyres (esp the rear ones) oscillates / is not firm. Even in straight line above 180km/h, the car is unstable and it feels like rowing in a boat. Dangerous and totally uncool - the M3 lost its fun factor.

I am not sure what's wrong. It may be me (being used to the PS2s) or it may be that these tyres are not fine tuned for the M3 and apparently that has a **major** impact. If this is indeed the case then why is the M3 in their official video is beyond my comprehension...

Anyway, I will try to sell the Contis soonest and I will go for new PS2s with which I have been very pleased. Oh, and as from now on I will only be going for OEM endorsed tyres!

[SenorFunkyPants]

I think it might be a function of the tread pattern...the Conti 5Ps sound a bit like the CSC 2s I had on my E46 M3, when new the tread blocks would move around a little too much making the car feel imprecise and slow to react to direction changes but once you had worn off a couple of mms they improved significantly.
I'm wondering if the PS2s have bigger tread blocks than the Contis, which would result in much less movement giving a (relatively) faster response to direction change even when new.

[gr8000]

well, I have 500km on these tyres which should be sufficient for at least some improvement, which is not there.

I think this may have to do with oscillation of the sidewall. It either is too soft and bends too much (which is probably doubtful) or when it bends it is not in synch with the overall geo setup, causing this rowing feeling at the back.

[Ant Man]

finally found a phone number for Michelin Technical.

Weight of PS2 in 19" BMW fitment is 10.5kg front and 11.5kg rear. I'll edit an earlier thread to show all three tyre maker's weights.