Anyone ditched the runflats?

O

OdysseyHal9000

Member
 Warton, Lancashire
If so, do you carry a full spare, space saver or can of silly string? When my run flats come to the end of their life I'm considering changing back to normal tyres for several reasons - performance/ride quality/. Not too bothered about the cost, although if they're cheaper that's a bonus :D

Just wondered what you guys opted for, as obviously boot space is required for weekends away etc. If you carry a spare, is secured in any way?

I'm running a 2008 3.0si Sport.

Cheers,

Al
 
Even the best non-runflat is cheaper than the standard runflats, so you've got a cost saving straight away.

Different owners have taken different options for back-up plans, some with a space saver, some with a mobility kit - a search on with something like 'ditching runflats' should bring up a good few results.
 
Yes, Non-Run Flat tire are much cheaper.
Many here carry the BMW mobility kit or
something like that.

41B-hI5r9LL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
 
These are the best prices I could find the other day after I received in writing that the insurance company doesn't view changing them as a safety risk or modification. Personally I'd check with them first and then if all ok buy the normal tyres and a can of gunk and a mini-compressor for the boot. Maybe this? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Slime-Emerg..._1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1296684269&sr=1-1

Currently I have on Bridgestone potenza runflats

Front: 225/40/r18 88w
Back : 255/35/r18 90w

Blackcricles.com

Falken FK-452
2 x 225/40 R18 Y (92 ) £181.92 pair
Falken FK-452
2 x 255/35 R18 Y (94 ) £263.90 pair
--------------
Order Total: £445.82 for 4

Features:

* Good handling in wet and dry conditions.
* Quiet.
* Long life.
* Available in a huge range of popular sizes.

##################################################

Runflat equivalent (black circles)

Bridgestone RE050A
Size: 225/40 R18 W(88) (front) = 196.99 each
Size: 255/35/r18 90w (rear) = 229.70 each
--------
£853.38 total

http://www.event-tyres.co.uk

Bridgestone RE050A
Size: 225/40 R18 W(88) (front) = 196.20 each
Size: 255/35/r18 90w (rear) = 265.77 each
--------
£923.94 total

Pete
 
Ordering my rear 452's tomorrow from camskill. By far the cheapest at £222 for 2 255/35/18's! Just got to get them fitted then which is £10 a corner from my local garage!
 
I had NRF before, however, i have been driving on RF for the last year until yesterday... i changed back to NRF yesterday and the feeling was amazing, a lot less noise and a lot smoother ride with no tram-lining...

Then i went one step further... i put back in the piece of foam that i had taken out of the sound generator... :oops:

I don't carry any backup or kit... touch wood :?
 
oli445 said:
Ordering my rear 452's tomorrow from camskill. By far the cheapest at £222 for 2 255/35/18's! Just got to get them fitted then which is £10 a corner from my local garage!
Click to expand...

Good price chap they didn't figure in my price checks :wink:

Pete
 
I've not got through my first set of tyres yet but I want to replace with NRF's when I do. Anyone used their expanding foam on a puncture? I gather when you do it's a complete pain in the arse to clean up the mess for whoever changes the tyre?
 
For general driving i have AA cover so might as well use it if i get a puncture, when i'm off to le mans I take a full size spare just in case.
 
rob davey said:
For general driving i have AA cover so might as well use it if i get a puncture, when i'm off to le mans I take a full size spare just in case.
Click to expand...

Since the tires in the front and rear are different sizes, which size did you buy for your full size spare? What if a tire on the other end of the car has a puncture?

And as I have 18 inch tires on my Z4, is there an 18 inch space saver? I assume that using a 17 inch space saver would cause the car to drive quite badly with 18s on the other three corners.

How far can one drive with Slime / Ultraseal in their tire?

Does the use of Slime /Ultraseal damage the tire pressure monitoring system?

I'm planning to drive across the US later this year, and want to be prepared.

Thanks,

Wiseguy
 
wiseguy said:
rob davey said:
For general driving i have AA cover so might as well use it if i get a puncture, when i'm off to le mans I take a full size spare just in case.
Click to expand...

Since the tires in the front and rear are different sizes, which size did you buy for your full size spare? What if a tire on the other end of the car has a puncture?

And as I have 18 inch tires on my Z4, is there an 18 inch space saver? I assume that using a 17 inch space saver would cause the car to drive quite badly with 18s on the other three corners.

How far can one drive with Slime / Ultraseal in their tire?

Does the use of Slime /Ultraseal damage the tire pressure monitoring system?

I'm planning to drive across the US later this year, and want to be prepared.

Thanks,

Wiseguy
Click to expand...

I've got two sets of 108's so I just take one of the fronts from the other set with me as that will fit on at either end. I also have a set of 16's which were the same all round so could use one of them but only as the 2.0 has smaller brake discs that fit inside them.

Don't use slime unless you have to, it's a bitch to get back off the rim and most tyres fitters will tell you to bugger off if you want to repair the tyre! Its' only designed to get you to the closest garage NOT to complete your journey on. Also if you slit a tyre or rip a sidewall its useless anyway.

The diameter of the spare rim doesn’t really matter as long as the rolling radius is the same, so for example a 16" with a tall tyre can match up to an 18" with a low profile tyre. Space savers mean you can only do about 50mph safely, for that reason alone a full size spare wins for me!
 
Thanks, Rob. I'm thinking of buying a full-sized spare in my 108 pattern and strapping it to the trunk lid with the removable carry-all for the cross-country trip. That way, I can still use my trunk for luggage. It won't be pretty, but it will be functional.
 
If you want to go down the space saver route.The 3 series e46 17inch one will do the job.A new one from BMW will set you back £97 ,i have just bought one £93 with a bit of discount.The e46 jack will also fit the Z.
 
stevedruidstone said:
AA card doesn't take up much space in the wallet or the car!
Click to expand...

But AA (or AAA in the US) won't bring you out a new tire on a full-sized wheel. A tow to a mechanic/tire store that may or may not have my size tire in stock ain't much help, especially at night in the middle of Texas. I need something to get me right back on the road, not cause an unnecessary motel stayover in a small town so a tire can be ordered. And if the tire took two days to arrive, my vacation time would be slipping away. The chance of a small town store having my tire in stock is quite low. "A Michelin study released last year found that only 3 percent of drivers worldwide want run-flat tires. U.S. market share is well below 1 percent...After being punctured, run-flats typically can travel only 50 miles before they shred, says Jennifer Stockburger, a program manager at Consumer Reports magazine." http://www.autosafety.org/air-runs-out-run-flat-tires
 
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