Wheels and tyres what to do ?

G

Gaffa22

Member
My 2010 35i has the 19" 296 alloys which I have heard once or twice are prone to cracking, mine have non runflat normal sized tyres, i'm not sure when they were fitted but as the car has only done 29000 miles, but I would guess they are probably the first set of non runflats.

I have just finished deep cleaning and ceramic coating the wheels so have inspected them very closely. The wheels were refurbished by the previous owner, but there is no sign of any cracks or repairs.

I really like the wheels and they look good having been refurbed in shadow chrome, so i am a little reluctant to shell out over a grand on some new wheels, but on the other hand I'm a little nervous they might crack, especially if they do it when i'm on a European tour.

I did wonder if the wheels had been replaced with the later model, as I have seen some 296's with cracks where the inner lip looks flat and quite thin, whereas mine are curved and pretty thick.
If I do keep them, when the current tyres wear out I'll replace with 35/40 profile.

So in a nutshell in your experience is it inevitable that they will crack or as the runflats have been removed if there a good chance I'll get away with them.
 
The consensus seems that with non run flats and avoiding pot holes they won’t crack...it appears with run flats it is only a function of time and distance before they crack...
 
Runflats have much stiffer sidewall which results in less flex/comfort and also adds much more stress to the rim as they absorb very little. If you ditched your runflats I'm sure you'd find that your rims will last longer and won't crack as easy unless you hit something proper hard.
 
That confirms my understanding, it would be interesting to hear form someone who has fitted non runflats and had the wheels survive long term.
I'll certainly do my best to avoid the potholes
 
If you have 35 profile rears & are not following the Bmw recommended pressures then along with fitting non runflat rubber you have stacked the odds as much in your favour as possible .
 
Gaffa22 said:
My 2010 35i has the 19" 296 alloys which I have heard once or twice are prone to cracking, mine have non runflat normal sized tyres, i'm not sure when they were fitted but as the car has only done 29000 miles, but I would guess they are probably the first set of non runflats.

I have just finished deep cleaning and ceramic coating the wheels so have inspected them very closely. The wheels were refurbished by the previous owner, but there is no sign of any cracks or repairs.

I really like the wheels and they look good having been refurbed in shadow chrome, so i am a little reluctant to shell out over a grand on some new wheels, but on the other hand I'm a little nervous they might crack, especially if they do it when i'm on a European tour.

I did wonder if the wheels had been replaced with the later model, as I have seen some 296's with cracks where the inner lip looks flat and quite thin, whereas mine are curved and pretty thick.
If I do keep them, when the current tyres wear out I'll replace with 35/40 profile.

So in a nutshell in your experience is it inevitable that they will crack or as the runflats have been removed if there a good chance I'll get away with them.
Click to expand...

Personally I wouldnt even give it a second thought, enjoy them and if they crack they crack.
 
Gaffa22 said:
My 2010 35i has the 19" 296 alloys which I have heard once or twice are prone to cracking, mine have non runflat normal sized tyres, i'm not sure when they were fitted but as the car has only done 29000 miles, but I would guess they are probably the first set of non runflats.

I have just finished deep cleaning and ceramic coating the wheels so have inspected them very closely. The wheels were refurbished by the previous owner, but there is no sign of any cracks or repairs.

I really like the wheels and they look good having been refurbed in shadow chrome, so i am a little reluctant to shell out over a grand on some new wheels, but on the other hand I'm a little nervous they might crack, especially if they do it when i'm on a European tour.

I did wonder if the wheels had been replaced with the later model, as I have seen some 296's with cracks where the inner lip looks flat and quite thin, whereas mine are curved and pretty thick.
If I do keep them, when the current tyres wear out I'll replace with 35/40 profile.

So in a nutshell in your experience is it inevitable that they will crack or as the runflats have been removed if there a good chance I'll get away with them.
Click to expand...

If you believe these are the original tyres I would be thinking very seriously about changing them regardless of how much tread they have. Tyre compounds harden over time and after seven years I would say they are well past their sell by date. Its not just handling and comfort that will deteriorate but safety too. You can easily check the age, look for two numbers in a group on the side wall e.g. if you find say 09/12 the tyres were made in Sept 2012.
 
huytonman said:
Gaffa22 said:
My 2010 35i has the 19" 296 alloys which I have heard once or twice are prone to cracking, mine have non runflat normal sized tyres, i'm not sure when they were fitted but as the car has only done 29000 miles, but I would guess they are probably the first set of non runflats.

I have just finished deep cleaning and ceramic coating the wheels so have inspected them very closely. The wheels were refurbished by the previous owner, but there is no sign of any cracks or repairs.

I really like the wheels and they look good having been refurbed in shadow chrome, so i am a little reluctant to shell out over a grand on some new wheels, but on the other hand I'm a little nervous they might crack, especially if they do it when i'm on a European tour.

I did wonder if the wheels had been replaced with the later model, as I have seen some 296's with cracks where the inner lip looks flat and quite thin, whereas mine are curved and pretty thick.
If I do keep them, when the current tyres wear out I'll replace with 35/40 profile.

So in a nutshell in your experience is it inevitable that they will crack or as the runflats have been removed if there a good chance I'll get away with them.
Click to expand...

If you believe these are the original tyres I would be thinking very seriously about changing them regardless of how much tread they have. Tyre compounds harden over time and after seven years I would say they are well past their sell by date. Its not just handling and comfort that will deteriorate but safety too. You can easily check the age, look for two numbers in a group on the side wall e.g. if you find say 09/12 the tyres were made in Sept 2012.
Click to expand...

First two numbers are the week so using your example ninth week 2012.
 
No certainly not original tyres they were made 2014. I think they are the first set of non runflat to be fitted, so I reckon the car did approx 20k - 25k miles on runflats and the remainder on non runflats
 
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