Getting rid of run-flats...

[WIGS-P]

Can some of you kind folk point me to any threads that are in existence on this topic please.

Having changed from a big engine Z3 to a 3.0i Z4 - yes, a great and wonderful advance is the Z4..........but I used to have quiet tyres and and gorgeous rumble from the exhaust - now, it's reversed, and not at all fun

What I have found out to date, is that changing to standard tyres:

- tell BMW garage to alter settings (??)
- need to carry aerosol puncture repair kit - Finelec / Slime.....? (for normal 'in-tread' punctures only)
- if wall damage, have to wait for roadside assistance

Any advice gratefully received please.

 

[WIGS-P]

.........is there really no-one able to give advice here please.......

 

[Wildfire]

Not entirely sure what your asking?

Yes, you can get rid of the RFTs. Apparently it does make a lot of a difference (I haven't but will do once mine wear out).

You will need to carry a repair kit or some sort (you can get the BMW one with a small compressor off eBay).

Yes, if you damage the sidewall, you will need to wait for assistance/ a tow.

 

[Smartbear]

I've changed from runflats to normal avon zz5's & the ride quality is much improved-less crashy with tramlining much reduced.
Regards

 

[csm180]

The road noise from tyres is greatly influenced by the brand and compound. My wife's qashqai has had three brands within 4 weeks and the road noise changed from the initial tyres where we honestly stopped on the side of the road because we thought the exhaust had fallen off or separated . To just noisy to the current ones that are very quiet. I would not have believed it if I hadn't experienced it. Do some searches to see the tyres that have the best reviews for what mix you are looking for. Be warned though directional tyres are very noisy. I have been advised to go asymmetrical for my next set.

 

[WIGS-P]

Not entirely sure what your asking?

........thank you for the responses, guys



- well, I heard there can be issues with BMW if you change from rft's to normal tyres, so wondered what these were and is it something straightforward to overcome...?

- also, was there a recommended brand of standard tyres...?
From memory, I used Pilot Sports on the Z3 and they were very good, if a little temperamental if tyre pressures were even slightly different each side. What other brands are recommended, if any please..?

Coarser tarmac on motorways is, from what I have been told, more economical to lay than the finer and quieter variety - but more so, is a deliberate attempt at tyre noise to keep speeds down

I don't mind the crash yo get from the tyres - it's the constant grating hum that is so utterly tiresome :x

 

[cj10jeeper]

Coarser tarmac on motorways is, from what I have been told, more economical to lay than the finer and quieter variety - but more so, is a deliberate attempt at tyre noise to keep speeds down

Sounds like a great urban myth...
Old style was to embed pieces of stone in the surface of tarmac on which the tyre in effect drove. Water drained off between the stones. Result noise.
New style is that the water drains through the tarmac into a sub layer and drains away. Result silence. They even mix old tyres in with bitumen to get rid of them and make roads quieter.

Of course I'm sure given half a chance contractors will find a cheap way to do things, but certainly not to reduce speed in an era when noise pollution is a focus.

 

[Wildfire]

Not entirely sure what your asking?

........thank you for the responses, guys



- well, I heard there can be issues with BMW if you change from rft's to normal tyres, so wondered what these were and is it something straightforward to overcome...?

- also, was there a recommended brand of standard tyres...?
From memory, I used Pilot Sports on the Z3 and they were very good, if a little temperamental if tyre pressures were even slightly different each side. What other brands are recommended, if any please..?

Coarser tarmac on motorways is, from what I have been told, more economical to lay than the finer and quieter variety - but more so, is a deliberate attempt at tyre noise to keep speeds down

I don't mind the crash yo get from the tyres - it's the constant grating hum that is so utterly tiresome :x

Ah right, I've not heard that. I think some it will be to do with the fact you don't have a spare??

 

[Smurfalot]

Do it. When I bought my zed, the run flats wre virtually new, so I put it off... For nearly 2 years.
Changed to Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2. What a diff.
Far softer ride.. Far less road noise.. Why did I wait soooooo long!

I have a compresser in the boot, along with 2 cans of goo. It's a diff car! And far more fun to drive!

 

[WIGS-P]

I asked my BMW dealer about changing from run flats to normal tyres...........he said he wasn't sure you could do it because the tyre-bead would be different, and the rims only designed for run flats...

Have to say, I've not heard anyone say that.....

- btw, he's the same Service Manager who said he'd never heard anyone complain of tyre noise in a Z4.........

 

[mr wilks]

Yeah he,s right in a sense / a runflat tyre will only work as a runflat on a suitable rim . IE a rim designed for runflats . All this mean,s is the rim has a extra lip on the inside for the tyre bead to sit on once "flat "
That said just to spell out you can fit runflat tyres to any standard rim,s without issue / they just won,t work unless they have the extra lip
Non runflat,s can be fitted to any rim,s as well but obviously they won,t work as runflat even if the rim has the lip
Hope that make,s sense

 

[WIGS-P]

Yeah he,s right in a sense / a runflat tyre will only work as a runflat on a suitable rim . IE a rim designed for runflats . All this mean,s is the rim has a extra lip on the inside for the tyre bead to sit on once "flat "
That said just to spell out you can fit runflat tyres to any standard rim,s without issue / they just won,t work unless they have the extra lip
Non runflat,s can be fitted to any rim,s as well but obviously they won,t work as runflat even if the rim has the lip
Hope that make,s sense

- indeed, thank you, Mr Wilks