Fitting Michelin SuperSports

[ChrisBuer]

My rear tyres are getting slightly low on the old markers now, so I've ordered a full set of SuperSports for my car.

I've gone for stock sizes (245/35/19 Front and 265/35/19 Rear) and will put a few extra PSI in them as suggested on here.

However, how long have people found it takes to "run these tyres in"? By this I mean, how long until they stop feeling slippery and start feeling grippy?

[Dackelone]

~400 kms.

[ChrisBuer]

Thanks

[Mahlzeit]

Well going from worn PS2's to PSS - I never thought the new PSS's felt slick!

Jump on a freeway for ~40 miles, then have fun. At 100 miles go for it.

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by Mahlzeit

Well going from worn PS2's to PSS - I never thought the new PSS's felt slick!

Jump on a freeway for ~40 miles, then have fun. At 100 miles go for it.

If you put it like that then maybe you are right. I passed from practically brand new 550 kms. PS2 to PSS and did not feel they were perfect for a minimum 300 kms. especially for braking. However, even at first few meters I could tell the overall grip was better than those new PS2s.

Chris, just go for a long ride, you will feel when they are more than enough for you to push

[Strongbark]

I know how you can break in the rears the same day.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by ChrisBuer

how long until they stop feeling slippery and start feeling grippy?

Ha, the "soapbox" feeling, especially if all four tires are still new and max greasy.

My rule of thumb: one fuel tank (regardless low-range spirited driving or high-range Prius style driving).

[ChrisBuer]

After reading the great reviews online, I decided to upgrade the tyres on my car and fit the Michelin Pilot Super Sports.

Although the fronts were fine, I don't like mixing tyres so opted to change all four tyres. A full four wheel alignment was also carried out as it they needed adjustment.

The results are quite staggering if I'm honest. The Super Sports have lot more grip, even though I've got to "scrub them in" over the next couple of hundred miles and its wet and greasy out there at the moment. The ride is also softer, the car doesn't rebound over bumps and it just feels super sticky around the corners

I'm looking forward to running them in properly and then having a good drive in the dry, but early impressions are very good and I'm impressed with them!

[mlhj83]

PSS is definitely a great road tyre, however, the feeling of it being softer is probably due to the new thread depth vs your relatively worn *PS2s. Also, once you wear them in over a couple thousand miles, you may notice the PSS makes a bit more road noise and will feel a tiny bit harsher over sharp bumps due to the stiffer construction vs similarly worn *PS2. Great tyres nonetheless.

[ChrisBuer]

Originally Posted by mlhj83

PSS is definitely a great road tyre, however, the feeling of it being softer is probably due to the new thread depth vs your relatively worn *PS2s. Also, once you wear them in over a couple thousand miles, you may notice the PSS makes a bit more road noise and will feel a tiny bit harsher over sharp bumps due to the stiffer construction vs similarly worn *PS2. Great tyres nonetheless.

Thanks, it's good to know how they might change. To be honest as long as the grip is as good (or improves when they're scrubbed in) then I don't mind about the rest. So far I'm impressed at how they tackle the current wet greasy roads with such ability. Grip feels huge (not that I've pushed it) and I can't imagine what they'll be like in the dry!

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by mlhj83

PSS is definitely a great road tyre, however, the feeling of it being softer is probably due to the new thread depth vs your relatively worn *PS2s. Also, once you wear them in over a couple thousand miles, you may notice the PSS makes a bit more road noise and will feel a tiny bit harsher over sharp bumps due to the stiffer construction vs similarly worn *PS2. Great tyres nonetheless.

I don't know why you really got that impression. Knowing how precise and objective you are in your posts I am sure that's what really happened to you, so I sincerely wonder why. Which car did you experience this and was it a full apples to apples swap between PS2 to PSS? Because I got my PSS set, stock size, just after 550 km. of my new 1M, the car was bone stock before and after, PSS being the sole difference; and all I got from first few meters was a better ride mated with better handling, balance and most of all, better traction. I admit it was not night and day difference but on any surface PSS was and after a few thousand kms. still is better (read softer, more comfortable) tire. I am not sure about the noise level, they both feel the same to me, great for such high performance tires. Maybe one day I'll put back my practically new PS2 set on again for a week or two just to see what I'll feel about them.

[mlhj83]

Originally Posted by ozinaldo

I don't know why you really got that impression. Knowing how precise and objective you are in your posts I am sure that's what really happened to you, so I sincerely wonder why. Which car did you experience this and was it a full apples to apples swap between PS2 to PSS? Because I got my PSS set, stock size, just after 550 km. of my new 1M, the car was bone stock before and after, PSS being the sole difference; and all I got from first few meters was a better ride mated with better handling, balance and most of all, better traction. I admit it was not night and day difference but on any surface PSS was and after a few thousand kms. still is better (read softer, more comfortable) tire. I am not sure about the noise level, they both feel the same to me, great for such high performance tires. Maybe one day I'll put back my practically new PS2 set on again for a week or two just to see what I'll feel about them.

Yes, full apples to apples on my M3 ZCP, I run both ZCP 359M wheels with *PS2s and the 18" 219M wheel which had brand new *PS2s and now running PSSs 3-4k miles. Ride quality difference is minuscule though, but definitely slightly noisier in terms of resonance "humming" (Michelin does state that the PSS has a slightly higher decibel level than the *PS2). But my experience is with 18" OEM sizes, where the PSS is a stiffer tyre than the *PS2s, which is evident in the specification differences. Perhaps things may be different with the 19". These are minor things in the end of the day. They are about the best road tyre out there at the moment. Will be changing my 359Ms to PSSs soon, so will be interesting to see what the differences are compared to 18 inch *PS2 to PSS.

[Zuzu]

Do the Super Sports 265/35/19 Rears look as "Stretched" on the rear rims as the OEM Michelin PS2's?

[mlhj83]

Originally Posted by Zuzu

Do the Super Sports 265/35/19 Rears look as "Stretched" on the rear rims as the OEM Michelin PS2's?

Nope, the PSSs have a "squarer" shoulder than the *PS2s. Have seen this in person and you can see it in the above photos.

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by mlhj83

Nope, the PSSs have a "squarer" shoulder than the *PS2s. Have seen this in person and you can see it in the above photos.

+1. They don't.

[Zuzu]

Originally Posted by mlhj83

Nope, the PSSs have a "squarer" shoulder than the *PS2s. Have seen this in person and you can see it in the above photos.

Originally Posted by ozinaldo

+1. They don't.

Thanks..

Wanted to go with the SuperSports 255/35 front and 275/35 rear setup..

Bit concerned now with 255 fronts as some have posted that the 245's rub, and my car has the H & R lowered springs setup.

1.2 inch lowered at front and 1/2 inch lowered at the rear..

Might just go with the SuperSports 245/35 fronts and 275/35 rears..

[mlhj83]

Originally Posted by Zuzu

Thanks..

Wanted to go with the SuperSports 255/35 front and 275/35 rear setup..

Bit concerned now with 255 fronts as some have posted that the 245's rub, and my car has the H & R lowered springs setup.

1.2 inch lowered at front and 1/2 inch lowered at the rear..

Might just go with the SuperSports 245/35 fronts and 275/35 rears..

Generally, if you are going to upsize, it is safer to do so proportionally in a balanced manner. To do the rears and not the fronts is potentially a can of worms; it may work, it may not. More importantly is when the car is pushed to the limit e.g. in a high speed emergency manoeuvre, whether that slight amount of imbalance makes a difference to the outcome. Our DSC system is calibrated to OEM tyre sizes as well.

[ChrisBuer]

That's why I stuck to the stock sizes. I can confirm that I've had no rubbing either with stock side PSS

[Chris ABP]

I have the 275/35x19 SuperSports on the rear and they look great (I really didn't like the stretch effect look of the 265 PS2) but need to decide on the front size as tempted to fit 255 in place of the 245's.....

But I now have 3 months to decide as just fitted my 18" Winters with Michelin Alpins!

Now that was an interesting drive home with new Winters on a damp surface

My 19's have now been polished, weights removed ready to re-balance with some recently sourced black stick on weights which will look loads better on my gloss black 1M rims come next Spring!

Chris

[bdaddylo]

Originally Posted by Chris ABP

I have the 275/35x19 SuperSports on the rear and they look great (I really didn't like the stretch effect look of the 265 PS2) but need to decide on the front size as tempted to fit 255 in place of the 245's.....

I'm in the same boat as you. 265 for the rears are stretched even for the PSS. 285/30 is probably the optimum size.