Does tires really make a difference?

[bmw555]

I was always under impression that tires can make only slight difference in steering feel and car stability. After changing control arms and front and rear bushings and getting all wheels aligned today I was told my mechanic to get some good tires to prevent the car wandering on the bumps and uneven pavement, he recommends Yokohama ES100. I'm curious if just switching from one tire set to another can really make the car handle better (in the way that you can actually feel it)? Thanks for your input.

 

[nadroj]

YES they make the biggest differences, quite possably the best upgrade for your car.

 

[theBMWenthusiast]

ya they do make a big difference, we have had a bunch of different tires on our 740iL and they make a big difference

 

[MrElussive]

Yeah, tires really do make a noticeable difference in handling and overall vehicle communication through the twisties.

 

[codex57]

Yes. The price difference isn't just a random number. Get some good ones. Save cheapy tires for your beater.

 

[xLibelle]

im with those guys ^

 

[epj3]

Honestly I'm surprised someone asked this - it's the ONLY thing between your car and the road!! Of course it makes a difference.

 

[tool fan]

im with those guys ^

Yeah!!!! me too!!!!!!!!!!

 

[VANCE]

huge diffrence. i went with michilen pilot xgt v4 and love them. it will make the biggest impact on your handling

 

[Kirby]

Huge difference - A crappy car with excellent tires will handle better than an M3 with crappy tires. Read the link below. It's geared towards performance/racing tire selection, but the information applies to all tires, cars, etc.

http://www.club4ag.com/faq and tech_pages/Tire Selection.htm

 

[bmw555]

Thanks for your input guys, I guess you really feel a difference in tires when you put them on BMW, I drove just regular American cars before and I couldn't feel any damn difference when I was changing the tires on them, I always regarded tires as something secondary. Damn, I should just go and get a new tire set instead of doing all this suspension work...

 

[VANCE]

I Did The Suspension First. I Could Tell A Difference When It Was Installed. I Noticed More Improvement In Handling With The Tires