With wear-bars visible, I recently went to Discount to see if they would facilitate the exchange with Continental for a pro-rated set of tires. The advertised 50,000 mile warranty PLUS the all-season capability was alluring enough to get me to buy a set, but getting Continental to honor the warranty was proving to be a disaster.

No worries, DT honored their part and gave me a sweetheart deal of $360 OTD for both rear tires in 285/30/19…

That’s when we hit ANOTHER snag with Continental – 285/30/19 is no longer produced.

So, not only is my tire not covered by their warranty, but it’s obsolete. Done. Poof.

I picked the 285/30 because the sidewall height was within .2” of factory, and using a 9.5” wide wheel, I could no longer stick with the already stretched 255/35

Now, I’m forced to use 275/35 and that’s a full .6” taller than OE… hurting acceleration and throwing the speedometer off.

I went with a cheap set of BFG’s for the Dragon, simply because cheap tires WITH tread are always better than spendy tires that are balding.

But, my disgust with Continental’s handling of the situation will linger. Turns out, ANY sports car with a staggered fitment (in either wheel diameter or wheel width) is un-warrantable. Will NOT be covered, no questions asked. This was certainly omitted in the fine print.

The performance of the tire has been stellar, and if you don’t mind eating $1,100 every 18,000 miles then have at it, you’ve found your tire. Just don’t expect any help whatsoever from the “warranty” Continental so proudly touted for this tire.

My next set will likely be another brand. Winter driving will soon not be an issue for my car, so I will be able to forego the need for light snow traction. This opens up the market for me considerably.

Just a warning to everyone… enjoy the performance of the Conti’s, but be prepared to eat the cost for a new set with no pro-rating whatsoever.

 

I have used several tire companies warranties and never heard a stipulation like that about staggered fitment, especially with how many OEM Euro cars are staggered nowadays.

Sorry you had to go through this, John. I have been happy with my 50,000+ mile blizzaks for the winter (3 seasons and counting) and replace my summers every year after multiple track events

 

I would be lying if I told you that I expected to get 50,000 miles out of these tires.

But, given the price of admission, I did expect them to adhere to the pro-rating (if only 15-30% off) because while I can't do front/back rotation, I can certainly do side-to-side.

The tires were rejected because the wear discrepancy was 1/32" from one side to the other... again, factory negative camber.

As you stated, John, ANY high-end European car will likely never get to taste the warranty, as stagger is the norm on pretty much anything.

To wit, about the only car that can take advantage of this 50,000 mile warranty is a passenger/commuter economy car, which has a plethora of tire brands available that will hit similar mileage figures. Taking that into consideration, there's truly nothing spectacular about their mileage projections.

Too bad, because it ruins the otherwise great reviews I have for the tire.

As said before, the tires are superb -- you're just on your own after you buy them.

 

John, when I was having a problem with my Goodyear F1 tires for noise, the local GY shop told me there is no warranty for tires of the size on a Crossfire. The manager told me that none of his 'high performance-low profile" tires come with a warranty. They will rate what kind of mileage the tire should get, but no guarantee. Manufacturers figure the tires will be subject to above normal use and abuse. Also no road hazzard available thru GY for such sizes.

My best tire support came from TireRack, where I bought the F1s. They replaced them, free of charge with Michelins, regardless of how many miles were on them. And added $100 to boot to cover return shipping charges for the old tires. TireRack to tires, is like Walmart to retail, they have the clout to get things done that even the local GY store had not a clue.

 

Good points.

My local Discount Tire has come through for me, but since we're in a pinch I had to 'settle' for a lesser brand. I simply did NOT want to hit the Dragon with bald tires. All it takes is one gravel patch, and BOOM.

DT was able to source me two brand new BFG KDW tires in 285/30/19 for $209 out the door, giving me credit for my mileage and the fact that I was going to a less-expensive tire.

I figured even if they suck and I have to replace them in 6,000 miles due to the noise this tire is famous for, it's cheaper than replacing a car because it slid off a cliff.

Hankooks were a consideration but they seem to have gone up in price, basically to the point of DWS by the time you add sensors, install, disposal, and state tax of 9.75%. They weren't able to get me any tire other than the BFG's before the Dragon.

 

This is a total cope out, and as John and I were discussing about staggered fitment, these 'low profile, performance' tires are on everything from a maxima to a jag to a Bimmer. This is how the industry is going, and to say 'we don't cover those' is BS, when the XF came out in 2004, I can understand that reasoning, but the norm (for nicer cars) is now 18-20" rims with low profile performance tires.

I agree 100% with the tire rack assessment.

That is very true

 

I bought my second pair of rears but I'm also getting my bent rims repaired and will be testing out 18's all around. If I like it that way, I'm sure to stay with them with the 19's ready to put on when I go to things like the dragon or keeping up with Franc on local runs.

 

Can't blame you, Eric, it makes sense financially, but IMO it absolutely ruins the design of the car, unless it is lowered accordingly. This is why I went with 18/20 stagger, to keep the factory look, but make it more aggressive...

 

john i was checking out lantana's car last nite and he has 18's all around and the stance was epic! maybe it was the v8 stuffed in the front that gave it that slanted look!

 

It would be hard for me to accept the weight penalty of 20's, unless I made my car strictly a show car. Aesthetically they look fantastic. If I could use a bigger series tire than a 25 aspect ratio with a 20, I'd be all over a staggered 19/20 setup as I sometimes think my Wilhelms appear small-ish from a distance. But, my ride height mandates an overall height of <26"... Hard to achieve with a 20" wheel unless you go with rubber bands for tires. And if you've seen our bridges...

18's are the best racer's setup, hands-down. Les (velociabstract) and several others have gone to a full 18" setup and the proof is in the times. Looks are subjective and while some like the mondo-huge wheels, others prefer that their form follow function and the meatier sidewall of running an 18" tire means better ET's and cheaper rubber. And a softer ride, to boot.

I stuck with 18/19 stagger because I bought some very spendy tires (see first post) and wanted to continue using those despite upgrading the wheels.

Down the road, I may upgrade to a 19/20 setup simply to change it up, as it is much more visually striking and I've tracked my car exactly 0 times in the last year.

So, an extra pound or two won't be a detriment.

 

Wow, only 18,000 miles & down to the wear bars....don't like hearing that....I just put a set on my wife's 08 a couple of weeks ago. That's depressing, they have something like a 540 UTQG rating.

The 255s were on backorder at Tire Rack so I went with the 245s....believe it or not they look fine & were like $33 cheaper each. Her big concern was driving in the snow & I figured the slightly narrower width might actually help them to dig in...(more weight per sq inch contact).

Boiler, I have to agree about the LM25s....I've put right at 20,000 miles on them driving them all year (lot's of 100 F days) & it looks like I'll get another 20,000.

 

I hear you John, but I am running a 275/30-20, no rubber bands on this car, I learned from the last one.

I have to say, I think our roads up here are as bad, if not worse, as we see a lot harsher winters, and even with the setup, I would not change anything. Stiff enough to respond well on the track, but I drive it everyday (sometimes begrudgingly).

The reason I went with what, IMO, is the better aesthetically pleasing combo is because the pound or two does not do enough to throw off my times at the AutoX, and I am not competitive, because some of my mods put me into a wild class, so it is all just fun for me. When she becomes a garage queen and track car full time, I will have a set of 18s all around for her to wear at the track, as you say, that is the best racers combo, and I have seen setups that looked amazing, but I prefer the natural rake of the staggered setup too much to lose it fulltime...

 

Don't have a whole lot to add to this except to say that I just bought a set of the DWS tires for the front in the stock size. Paid $400 with tax and install and balance. Got over 64,000 miles from the original all season Contis that came on the car when I bought it so I'm hoping that these will last at least 40,000.

 

They should last at least twice as long as my fronts, if you drive like a sane individual.

I've put 20,000 on my fronts and that includes TWO Dragon meets (2010 and last weekend) as well as daily driving duties. I'm very impressed with the fronts, after all the abuse I put them through this weekend I still have between 2 and 3/32" left.

 

Been following this thread because I bought a full set of Conti DWSs this June before going to Woodward and I can't say enuff about them that hasn't been covered here. I've put on about 5500 miles so far, and really can't tell that I show any appreciable wear. I know that tire shops have a tire gauge to measure the tread depth, but what is an easy accurate way to measure the depth at home without a gauge.
BTW .... in looking over the Discount Tire sales slip, and warranty stuff on the back, I see no mention of the 50000 mile tread warranty being voided when using staggered wheels. Is this just a "verbal" disclaimer? Is it anywhere in writing? Or did I miss something .......

 

It's on Continental's website... in size 6 font LOL

Aside from the GOTCHA! with the warranty, I loved the tires. So much that, I will buy another set. Only this time, I'm going with the DW and I won't be expecting any hope of a warranty.

 

Howard, the old trick is to use a penny. Google it, very easy.

 

Tread-depth gauges are dirt-cheap... Harbor Freight or a similar store (ANY auto parts store) should stock tons of them.

Sorta looks like a syringe, and the probe goes between the tread blocks.

 

Yeah I know ..... Lincolns head and such ..... I just thought a way to get the 32nds that are left ..... I'll just try a business card inserted into the tread, then mark the depth with a sharp pencil and measure it with a ruler. Getting a depth measure device is the real way to go. thanks people.

 

Well, I went to Discount Tire today in Algonquin, Illinois, and talked with their manager there. He confirmed that Continental will not warrant the 50K on staggered tires, BUT if the certificates for free replacement are purchased from them, they will not let a customer down without a replacement for premature wear. (Pro-rated I'm sure, but better than nothing). Certificates cost @$23.50 per tire. I had bought them when purchasing, but even if I didn't he would have added them to my sales slip even after 5500 miles. He did say that the tires needed to be down to about 2/32nds tread left. He also stated that Discount Tire needed to do side to side rotations (shown on your record) for them to do this.
I then had him measure my remaining tread left after 5500 miles. The DWS tires started new with 10/32nds, and now have 9/32nds left. I'm extremely happy with these tires and Discount Tire.
BTW ... he gave me a phone number for Continental corporate customer service to see if they can provide something in writing regarding their policy on staggered tire warranty 1-800-847-3349. After talking to the rep, she said that the tread wear warranty on the DWS should be honored as long as rotation (side to side) is done every 6 to 8000 miles. She sounded like she was reading a script and seemed bored. I asked about seeing something in writing about they're not warranteing on staggered wheels, and she suggested I search their web site. continentaltire.com I found all their warranty info, but NOTHING about staggered. Am I just beating my head against a wall here?