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I ran these tires on my 335 which has a lot more power than my c63. While, I agree the sidewalls are squishy, there was nothing "dangerous" about it.
Have your alignment done by a proper shop (one that doesn't just stare at a computer screen until everything lights up green). Have your suspension bushings checked as well. Use a prybar and see if there is excessive movement.
I can assure you the tires aren't the problem.
+1
Originally Posted by unagi1
I've run these on the Mustang (275/40/18 all around) as well on the E55, with no issues. Wet traction is superb, no issues whatsoever with sidewalls on these tires.
+2
Seeing as this was my original DW review thread, I'll provide an update after 4,000 miles on the tires (I'm on winter tires nearly half of the year).
Tread: I would describe my driving style as "spirited/aggressive." I'm usually only in C if the car is warming up or I'm on the interstate. Otherwise, it's S+ or M. After roughly 4,000 miles on the ExtremeContact DWs, the tread depth on each tire is still excellent (4.1 mm or greater). I'm thinking I'll get another 4,000 miles out of these.
Grip: In the warm summer months, these tires hook up well. The breakaway point is predictable as grip falls away progressively. Are they as sticky as PSS tires I've run in the past? Not quite, but the gap isn't monumental.
As others have mentioned, the sidewalls are a bit softer than those on the PSS. That said, the softer sidewalls have not presented any major challenges. I'm willing to accept this attribute in exchange for a suppler, quieter ride.
Furthermore, I was able to firm up the sidewalls a bit by gradually upping the PSI.
Wet Grip: Where these tires continue to amaze me is in wet conditions. I see a lot of severe/inclement weather where I live so one of the reasons I purchased these tires was because of their supposed prowess in wet conditions.
We have had roughly 6 inches of rain over the past 4-6 weeks and even in downpour conditions, these tires inspire loads of confidence. There just aren't any white-knuckle moments. The tires keep the car feeling composed whether I'm just cruising on the highway/around town or taking a twisting on-ramp/off-ramp at speeds of 50+ mph.
Conclusion: For the conditions I encounter on a daily basis, these tires have been a very good fit. The value for performance is hard to beat. Would I use these tires on the track? Probably not. And although they're capable of track duty, I wouldn't track the PSS either. In my mind, there are just better, more dedicated options.
If I lived in an area that saw little to no precipitation, I'd probably opt for the PSS (I'm sure I'll try them again here someday too). For the moment, the ExtremeContact DW tires are performing how I want/need them to.
With the DW tires, the car has never felt loose, dangerous, or sloppy at highway speeds. Even my super skinny 225-section Dunlop Winter Maxx winter tires feel stable during lane changes on the highway (in slushy conditions, too). And those rears look like rubber bands out back.
For the two posters that have reported odd behavior, I do not doubt your accounts at all. I just think that the problem may have lied elsewhere (alignment, tire pressure too low, mounting/balancing, suspension, etc.).
Originally Posted by zcct04
That seems way too low. I've not checked, but I think the tire pressure sticker on the door frame specifies a lot more pressure than that. . . more like 42F 46R. The load rating on the tire drops with lower pressure and the sidewall flex increases, so the 35-36 range is NOT a good place to be.
I would have to agree. 35-36 is very low. The absolute lowest pressure I've run up front with the DW tires is 41.
I've had my car up to 160mph during a roll race event, never once did I feel them to be dangerous. I have them on all 4 corners now and love them. For the performance/price its hard to beat these.
The tire pressures on the B Pillar are for a maximum loaded vehicle.
Directly from the owner's manual:
1.) Tire and Loading Information placard
on the B-pillar on the driver's side of the
vehicle (Y page 308).
The Tire and Loading Information placard
contains the recommended tire pressures for
cold tires on a fully loaded vehicle and for the
maximum permissible vehicle speed.
I was running 38 PSI cold pressure on my stock tires and they wore in the middle because of over inflation.
I know it's an older thread but I couldn't agree more. I put these tires on my old RS4 in the winter and they performed exactly as advertised. Took them up to Tahoe a few times too - although I had chains in the trunk just in case. The problem I'm having now is that I can find them anywhere for our 18" stockers. My rear tires are on borrowed time and I was thinking of putting a pair on in a 265/35/18 or maybe even 275/35/18. Can't find those sizes anywhere though. In fact I can't find any of the OEM sizes, front or rear. Where are people buying these tires?
EDIT: Ooops was accidentally searching for the DWS. World makes sense again now.
07-02-2015, 03:54 PM
