New Conti DWS 06 Staggered - Questions?

[TallGuyX5]

Hi, I have read all the reviews on tires and got the Conti DWS 06s. I had the Dunlop run-flats and really hated them. Only had the new tires for a week, but initial impressions are they are much lighter (steering feels lighter to me), love the look and tread pattern, noise level is definitely less and ride is smooth. I do have three questions:

1) mentioned to my service writer that I was getting new tires and asked if I should get an alignment. He said NO, but I thought it's always best to at least check your alignment when you get 4 new tires. I definitely don't want uneven wear to start. What does the forum think, alignment necessary or not?

2) About the Conti road noise, like I said definitely less than the Dunlops but not completely gone. With 20" tires this wide should I just expect some level road noise? I can definitely turn up the music, so not trying to be picky here, but I just didn't know exactly what to expect. Never owned a SUV with tires this big and wide before.


3) Lastly, what are most people doing to a spare tire? I really don't want to spend $300+ on a spare tire kit, so thinking about the CONTICOMFORTKIT for $73 from Tire Rack. I also have roadside assistance coverage, so let's hope that covers me.

Will post pics of 2015 X5 M Sport soon. Getting the MPPK and glossy black grill installed on Friday, so excited!!

This forum is great!!

[P1]

Great meeting you yesterday! Congrats again on the X5...

1) our dealership charges through the nose for an alignment, and they always seem to recommend it when I go in. I personally didn't get one after I went to 21" wheels/tires, and have not seen any uneven wear whatsoever.

2) a heavy vehicle like the X5 combined with decently fat staggered tires will inevitably lead to some type of noise... That being said, I don't think I've ever really "heard" it, but that could be because I've had X5s for a while now.

3) I personally have the spare tire kit from BMW. You could actually just buy the wheel and the tire, and then let roadside assistance come and change the flat...

[turboawd]

1. I'd only get alignment if old tires wore uneven. There's no better indicator to needing an alignment.
2. These tires are very quiet. As quiet as 19 inch tires.
3. I have a spare...

[fosterelli]

Having owned many vehicles from virtually every brand, I can say the X5 is the loudest "luxury" vehicle I've ever owned. And I've had others with run flats, wide tires, 20-22" wheels, etc. The only difference I can find is the X5...so I truly believe it is less effort of sound dampening. When the wife's Escalade w/ 22" wheels is quieter than the X5 I am embarrassed...GM should NEVER beat BMW in terms of road noise, regardless of tire selection (at least in my opinion).

I'm not sure if insulated windscreens, sound deadening materials, etc. are just lacking with BMW as a whole, or if it's limited to the X5 or their SUVs, but I'm not a fan of the noise level (and I'm rarely using the radio, so I hear it a lot).

I did just change the rear Dunlops to DWS 06 and noticed a big difference...can't wait to change the fronts to find out how quiet this rig can get...hopefully a lot more. (fronts had far too much life on them to justify changing)

If your rig isn't pulling one direction or the other, hasn't shown any uneven wear on the old set, I'd be happy leaving them alone and just watching them a bit as they wear.

[CeeTeeX5]

I think you got good answers to 1 and 2.

I just keep the slime kit that includes the compressor in the back with a plug kit. Anything that can't be fixed by that, I'll call for a tow. You'll get people quite riled up regarding use of the slime kit

My E46 M3 came with the M-Mobility kit, which is essentially an overpriced version of the slime kit. It served me just fine when I got a flat in that car.

[P1]

Originally Posted by CeeTeeX5

I think you got good answers to 1 and 2.

I just keep the slime kit that includes the compressor in the back with a plug kit. Anything that can't be fixed by that, I'll call for a tow. You'll get people quite riled up regarding use of the slime kit

My E46 M3 came with the M-Mobility kit, which is essentially an overpriced version of the slime kit. It served me just fine when I got a flat in that car.

Isn't the only issue with the slime kid that you can only do that once, then your tire is not able to be repaired anymore?

[CeeTeeX5]

Originally Posted by P1et

Isn't the only issue with the slime kid that you can only do that once, then your tire is not able to be repaired anymore?

Tire can still be repaired, the slime just needs to be cleaned out of the tire. I ended up just replacing the tire though as I didn't feel like dealing with a patch possibly failing. Peace of mind was worth the cost to just replace it.

I only plan to use the slime kit if I can't find the leak in the tire. If I can find the leak I plan to just plug it and use the compressor to inflate the tire.

[redline9001]

I would not repair a high proformance tire... but that’s me

[absolutegtr]

1) I just put on new staggered DWS tires 2 weeks ago.
2) previous non staggered tires had worn down very nicely
3) paid $150 for alignment anyways and the spec-sheet shows the original toe all out of whack, so in theory the new tires should wear down even nicer. Knowing my luck I’ll wear through them in 10k miles. (Why fix what’s not broken, right?)
4) very happy with the DWS over pirelli run flats

5) disregard numbering LOL

[smyles]

If 06s are like old DWS, then they'll be quiet for 15-20k miles and then bam! as if someone installed rockcrawlers.

But I hope they're not.

[turboawd]

Originally Posted by absolutegtr

1) I just put on new staggered DWS tires 2 weeks ago.
2) previous non staggered tires had worn down very nicely
3) paid $150 for alignment anyways and the spec-sheet shows the original toe all out of whack, so in theory the new tires should wear down even nicer. Knowing my luck I’ll wear through them in 10k miles. (Why fix what’s not broken, right?)
4) very happy with the DWS over pirelli run flats

5) disregard numbering LOL

toe all out of whack and even wear? seems like they just told you that to make you feel better for spending $150.

[fosterelli]

Originally Posted by CeeTeeX5

Tire can still be repaired, the slime just needs to be cleaned out of the tire. I ended up just replacing the tire though as I didn't feel like dealing with a patch possibly failing. Peace of mind was worth the cost to just replace it.

I only plan to use the slime kit if I can't find the leak in the tire. If I can find the leak I plan to just plug it and use the compressor to inflate the tire.

Flat fix/slime is indeed just a bit of a pain for the tire repair (patching)...otherwise not a problem and most are TPMS-compatible.

[fosterelli]

Originally Posted by redline9001

I would not repair a high proformance tire... but that’s me

A proper repair (patch) is no problem for any passenger car tire. Our high performance tires are nothing more than expensive passenger car tires...unless you're hitting the track or driving at very high speeds.

Now, I don't believe plugs are intended as permanent tire repair methods. Slime type products and tire plugs should be temporary fixes until the tire can be dismounted and properly patched.

A small nail/screw hole, away from the sidewall, is no problem to fix at all, safely and permanently, with an appropriately installed patch system. Decades of patches on all sorts of "high performance" tires, never an issue.

But I don't participate in track days either. Although I do hit 100mph frequently and we have plenty of 75mph speed limits, even 85mph on some.

[MysticBlue]

I have Conti's as well (extremecontact) staggered on 469's. I've never had an alignment done unless the old tires indicated I needed one, and they haven't on the X5. I've also been running Pirelli Scorpions for winter, and no uneven wear on them either. So, as others have said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
As far as road noise, generally the wider the tire, the louder the road noise is. Also, as the tires wear, they will get noisier. It happens gradually, so you probably won't notice until you put a new set of tires on, and the suddenly, they will be quieter. So a lot of people seem to come to the conclusion that tire x is quieter than tire y, but that might not be the case. Even if you replace worn tires with the exact same tire, the new ones will always sound quieter. I don't have anything to say about spare tire options. I have a small hard one (that's what she said) under the floor and BMW roadside assistance, so I figure I'm covered between those two options.

[absolutegtr]

Originally Posted by turboawd

toe all out of whack and even wear? seems like they just told you that to make you feel better for spending $150.

Told me that? I opted for the alignment as I always do when I get new tires installed. It was pretty apparent on the spec sheet that was printed for my VIN specific car. Both front and rear toe measurements were outside of their respective tolerances. Shall I upload images of said sheet and images of all 4 tires?

[CeeTeeX5]

Originally Posted by absolutegtr

Told me that? I opted for the alignment as I always do when I get new tires installed. It was pretty apparent on the spec sheet that was printed for my VIN specific car. Both front and rear toe measurements were outside of their respective tolerances. Shall I upload images of said sheet and images of all 4 tires?

You do realize they just manually input those numbers right?

[SUV55]

My DWS tires need replacing. I have a 2015 35D with DHP and staggered 20s. The outer 1.5” on the front tires are worn significantly more than the rest of the tire. Is this due to typical SUV lean wear, as more force is on the outer front tires with cornering (on ramps/off ramps) or am I likely out of alignment? Are they supposed to wear perfectly even on this vehicle across the entire front tire width?

Thanks,

[Kzang]

Originally Posted by SUV55

My DWS tires need replacing. I have a 2015 35D with DHP and staggered 20s. The outer 1.5” on the front tires are worn significantly more than the rest of the tire. Is this due to typical SUV lean wear, as more force is on the outer front tires with cornering (on ramps/off ramps) or am I likely out of alignment? Are they supposed to wear perfectly even on this vehicle across the entire front tire width?

Thanks,

Typically BMW's have a slight camber so the inners should wear more than outer threads.
But if you do a lot of hard cornering then the outers are going to wear more.

[SUV55]

I don’t do a lot of hard cornering, so it sounds like I need an alignment. Can I do the alignment with my 19” wheels and winter tires, or is it best to get the staggered 20s back on first?

[CeeTeeX5]

Originally Posted by SUV55

I don’t do a lot of hard cornering, so it sounds like I need an alignment. Can I do the alignment with my 19” wheels and winter tires, or is it best to get the staggered 20s back on first?

shouldn't really matter. You'll have the same tire wear issues on the 19s as you do on the 20s if you don't fix the alignment. Also, make sure your tire pressure is correct.

[SUV55]

Thank you both for the replies.