Run flat tyres

[cinek]

My new car is coming with RFTs as standard. After reading up various articles on the net, I am not sure I should be too chuffed about it.

Stiffer ride, which combined with sport suspension may be a problem. Most punctures cannot be repaired, the fact you have not got spare and brake down in the middle of nowhere, late at night where 50 miles quoted may be of no help whatsoever.

I have already asked the dealer about swapping them with standard tyres (awaiting their reply) as the car hasnt been built yet.
I suppose the worst case scenario, when the time comes, replace RFTs with normal tyres.

Has anyone experienced them already? How bad/good are they?
Considering I do travel in Europe now and again, how easy/difficult would be to find an authorised tyre shop to get them swapped, as I am told local garages will not necessarily have them in stock.

At the moment I can think of more disadvantages, than positives.

What's your view?

 

[stumpy1]

I have them on the Phantom and there are no downsides on that particular vehicle other than cost. I have taken them off my Mini though as the ride was very skittish with them on. Makes a big difference. They can be repaired though depending on the nature of the puncture and how far it has been driven. Finding someone who will do it is the challenge.

 

[cinek]

Finding someone who will do it is the challenge.

Which is my biggest concern.
I might not breakdown right outside a tyre shop, during its working hours

 

[JRH30]

Had them on an X5 and also 530 and they are terrible. Ride is far worse than standard tyres. Also very expensive and even though they will get you home in an emergency the tyres tend not to be repairable. Lots of people have switched just because of the ride. Would avoid if at all possible.

 

[edstrom76]

I had them on my BMW 120D. They are very stiff, which compromises ride quality. On the other side of the coin, turn-in was unbelievably sharp.

They seemed more prone to picking up punctures, although evidence of that is anecdotal.

They are more expensive, but I think price has come down loads in recent years (they used to cost around twice that of non-rf's).

Wear is another thing to factor in. Because they are stiffer, traction is compromised i.e. they slip more hence will wear quicker.

Safety is arguably the biggest selling point and experiencing a flat tyre at motorway speeds would be a bum-twitching experience. RF's would allow you to soldier on in such an event, albeit at reduced speed.

 

[Dave Richardson]

I have Bridgestone S001 run flats fitted on all four wheels no probs for ma at all. I can't use them as run flats though due to my original rims not being suitable.

Good these were bought on a cash deal ( big saving)

 

[st13phil]

The only car I've driven which was on runflats was my wife's MINI R56 Cooper S and in conjunction with sports suspension it made the car extremely skittish and very uncomfortable. I also rode in a BMW 123d driven by a friend of mine who works at Plant Oxford a couple of years ago and the ride was similarly appalling. However...

The same friend recently took me out in his current 120d and the ride was very good. I asked him if he'd spec'd it on normal tyres but the answer was no, so it would appear that BMW have learnt how to set up the suspension more appropriately for runflats and our pot-hole strewn UK roads. Bottom line is that I'd try out a car on runflats in the spec you've ordered and make your own mind up about the ride quality.

Regarding repairing RFT's, as others have said, it is doable but finding a repair shop can be problematic. Also, there's a limit to the distance you can drive on the tyre flat before its scrap.

All in all I'm not convinced that RFT's are a good thing, but the ride quality issues of old may have been sorted on current generation cars.

 

[RWDpetrol]

I had Bridgestone Potenza RE050 on my e92 330i on 19" wheels. I thought they were fantastic, lasted over 20k miles. I had one puncture - great that I could continue my journey. Only downside is slightly more expensive than non RFT. I wish I had them on my c63.

And the rumours about cracked alloys were untrue, just check tyre pressures regularly. I do that anyway.

 

[cinek]

Cracked wheels were more than just true.
BMW fiercly denied faulty design and never fully admitted liability.

There are pages upon pages on the net, different forums, thousands of users absolutely steaming with bmw and their stubborn lack of response on the matter.
Of course the manufacturer blamed the end user for their bad driving :/

Issue was also officially investigated by Watchdog.

 

[c63chris]

I've had 3 BMWs with run flats. They do make the ride firmer though I never found it to be too bad. Mine had either 17" or 18" wheels. I had a puncture and tbh it's better than normal tyres as you keep going and at 50mph it's nearer 100-120miles before you need to replace which is normally more than enough to get you home. Have to agree cracked alloys were an issue, check out E90Post for one but I think this was as much the design of 19" alloy as it was the use of run flat tyres and has been fixed now.

 

[stevieb15]

Had them on an X5 and also 530 and they are terrible. Ride is far worse than standard tyres. Also very expensive and even though they will get you home in an emergency the tyres tend not to be repairable. Lots of people have switched just because of the ride. Would avoid if at all possible.

I thought run flat wheels were different to standard and a wheel change was required to change...that's certainly what I was advised on my wife's E34 in the mid 90s.
Agree re ride and cost which is why we wanted to change.

 

[cinek]

I thought fun flat wheels were different to standard and a wheel change was required to change...that's certainly what I was advised on my wife's E34 in the mid 90s.
Agree re ride and cost which is why we wanted to change.

As far as I know, no wheel change is required when swapping RFTs for normal tyre.

Its a different story if you tried the other way round. Tyre pressure loss detector is required on RFTs, and not many standard cars have this.

 

[c63chris]

Wheels are not different nowadays. Originally I think they had a special lip but not now. As above you can swap them out and many have done so though there is a lot of debate on if you should tell your insurance company or not.

 

[cinek]

there is a lot of debate on if you should tell your insurance company or not.

There is, but then, strictly speaking, every time we put winter tyres on, or tyre type / make that did not come as OEM, we should notify the insurance company as well.

 

[stumpy1]

I think it is most easily summed up this way - when you have them you wish you don't, and when you don't have them there will be a time when you wish you do.

 

[markjay]

1. The 'cheap' software-based TPMS which works-out change in wheels rotation speeds from the ABS sensors is enough for run-flat tyres, i.e. PTMS valves with built-in tyre pressure senders are not mandatory.

2. The main safety advantage of run flat tyres is that you do not have to stop the vehicle at the roadside, more so when on motorways. The 50 miles range is not meant to get you home, just to somewhere where you can stop safely, e.g. motorway service area. And in spite the fact that a spare wheel is not provided, there is nothing stopping you from carrying one in the boot if you wish to do so.

 

[G.P]

Because they are stiffer, traction is compromised i.e. they slip more hence will wear quicker.

They use the same compound, but been stiffer you do have more feedback, so feel more and can therefore use more of your power, I could argue a softer wall wear's quicker because it rolls over to much in corners..

I also rode in a BMW 123d driven by a friend of mine who works at Plant Oxford a couple of years ago and the ride was similarly appalling. However...

The same friend recently took me out in his current 120d and the ride was very good. I asked him if he'd spec'd it on normal tyres but the answer was no, so it would appear that BMW have learnt how to set up the suspension more appropriately for runflats

Bridgestone are now on their 4th generation runflat, which is much softer than the first generation..

 

[Giantvanman]

When having a puncture repaired recently, my wife watched, fascinated, as another customer (a man) burst into tears when the fitter informed him that his punctured run flat could not be repaired (because he had driven for too long with the nail in it) and the replacement tyre would be £250.
In his defence, they were tears of frustration/anger at having not spotted the nail; he was going to change to standard tyres when he could afford it.

 

[RWDpetrol]

Cracked wheels were more than just true.
BMW fiercly denied faulty design and never fully admitted liability.

There are pages upon pages on the net, different forums, thousands of users absolutely steaming with bmw and their stubborn lack of response on the matter.
Of course the manufacturer blamed the end user for their bad driving :/

Issue was also officially investigated by Watchdog.

But I did 56k miles in 3 years and followed BMW's advice to regularly ensure correct tyre pressure and I never had a problem. They were the same wheels as shown on Watchdog.

 

[cinek]

But I did 56k miles in 3 years and followed BMW's advice to regularly ensure correct tyre pressure and I never had a problem. They were the same wheels as shown on Watchdog.

They might have been, and I never said that EVERY wheel had this issue.
You were obviously a lucky one not to experience it.

I too had number of beemers before, with no wheel related issue on record.
Fingers crossed this is not about to change.