640d Runflat to non runflat
Discussion
RobM77 said:
REALIST123 said:
RobM77 said:
Fox- said:
cerb4.5lee said:
Suffered another puncture today 
that's three punctures since I binned the run flats in June 2015.
That's three brand new rears I've put on now and surely that wouldn't have happened if I'd stayed with the runflats.
At least I'm getting some use out of my AA membership though!
Runflats are not puncture resistant so I'm not sure why you'd have fared better with them fitted? that's three punctures since I binned the run flats in June 2015. That's three brand new rears I've put on now and surely that wouldn't have happened if I'd stayed with the runflats.
At least I'm getting some use out of my AA membership though!
Some believe RFTs are worse, based on their own experience, though there's no evidence that I've ever seen either way.
Have you been running at higher pressure to compensate for the softer sidewalls by any chance?
I'm running at the BMW recommended tyre pressures.
With regard to the RFT debate, I think the stiff sidewall probably does cause a jiggly ride with a low profile tyre, as I had on my Z4C, but in my experience of trying both extensively on my E90s, with the standard 205/55/16 tyre, the RFT rides and handles noticeably better than the non-RFT, which is way too soft and bouncy. I need to find out if the low drag wheels on my ED will handle RFTs, but if they will then I'll switch.
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 15th March 12:19
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 15th March 12:21
Presumably the sidewalls are being damaged by being trapped between the rim and edge of the pothole.
Maybe try a higher pressure to get the overall compliance closer to how it was designed and give a bit more pothole tolerance?
That's what I'm guessing, yes. I popped into BMW today to ask if my wheels were RFT suitable and their tyre guy commented on how high the standard tyre pressures were, so I don't want to run them much higher, but I could try the fully loaded recommendation I guess.
My current thought is to ditch the Michelins and get the same RFTs that my much loved old 320d SE ran on. That car had superb ride and handling, so I'd like to try and recreate that (but with close to the 70+ mpg I'm getting now!). If that doesn't get it as good as I want then I'll fit M Sport or Birds suspension. In the meantime, I hope the RFTs get rid of these constant punctures. So far I've not lost out massively by getting one, but it's only a matter of time before it really ruins my day!
My current thought is to ditch the Michelins and get the same RFTs that my much loved old 320d SE ran on. That car had superb ride and handling, so I'd like to try and recreate that (but with close to the 70+ mpg I'm getting now!). If that doesn't get it as good as I want then I'll fit M Sport or Birds suspension. In the meantime, I hope the RFTs get rid of these constant punctures. So far I've not lost out massively by getting one, but it's only a matter of time before it really ruins my day!
Edited by RobM77 on Wednesday 15th March 20:55
I have just replaced the original Pzero Rft's on my F30 335D with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 non rf. So far a great move, more comfort, less noise and more grip. I hated the car crashing into every 2" hole in the road making it feel like the strut was coming through the bonnet.
Michelin are doing a £75 fuel card with a set of 4 tyres over 19" and 2 year's roadside recovery if you get a puncture. Still £810!
Michelin are doing a £75 fuel card with a set of 4 tyres over 19" and 2 year's roadside recovery if you get a puncture. Still £810!
mike150 said:
RobM77 said:
What size are your wheels Mike? On my 16s with a 205/55 section, RFTs are good and non-RFTs are awful. I suspect that's the height of the sidewall.
19" 255/35 back and 225/40 frontHardly a recipe for a smooth ride regardless of tyre, really. No doubt non RFTs will ride better in your case but there are many cases where they can be worse.
REALIST123 said:
mike150 said:
RobM77 said:
What size are your wheels Mike? On my 16s with a 205/55 section, RFTs are good and non-RFTs are awful. I suspect that's the height of the sidewall.
19" 255/35 back and 225/40 frontHardly a recipe for a smooth ride regardless of tyre, really. No doubt non RFTs will ride better in your case but there are many cases where they can be worse.
The issue is the spring rate of the tyre. There's obviously a big difference in stiffness between 78mm sidewalls as with Mike's car and my car's 113mm sidewalls. I haven't tried non RFTs on 19s (but I have owned an RFT equipped BMW with 19s), but I'm guessing ditching runflats for a tyre sidewall that small could carry benefits as described, whereas for me, ditching runflats just turns my car into a jelly. I either need smaller sidewalls or RFTs.ETA: I've just had a couple of quotes and it's quite hard convincing tyre retailers that you want to switch to RFTs! The first place insisted that I had a quote on an RFT that "didn't feel like a runflat"....
Edited by RobM77 on Friday 17th March 14:32
smashy said:
Hello Cerb dont get stranded. mine have ultraseal in them. Last year a flipping great big screw in the shoulder,an area ultraseal say will not be helped by their gunk however it did, it turned it into a runflat and drove 60 miles on it no problem.
Found this thread while searching for alternatives to RFTs for my 640dGC. How can I buy this Ultraseal stuff and is it a DIY fit?RobM77 said:
That's what I'm guessing, yes. I popped into BMW today to ask if my wheels were RFT suitable and their tyre guy commented on how high the standard tyre pressures were, so I don't want to run them much higher, but I could try the fully loaded recommendation I guess.
My current thought is to ditch the Michelins and get the same RFTs that my much loved old 320d SE ran on. That car had superb ride and handling, so I'd like to try and recreate that (but with close to the 70+ mpg I'm getting now!). If that doesn't get it as good as I want then I'll fit M Sport or Birds suspension. In the meantime, I hope the RFTs get rid of these constant punctures. So far I've not lost out massively by getting one, but it's only a matter of time before it really ruins my day!
Seeing as there's a thread bump I thought I'd add what I did in the end and how successful it was. The first change I made was Birds suspension, which transformed the car and is stunning, particularly the ARBs. I still had too much bounce in the 205/60 tyres though, so switched both winter and summer tyres to RFTs and yes, a big improvement and it's now very close to perfect. Perfection would be a slightly stiffer sidewall, which is not surprising because the Birds kit is designed for a non-RFT 19" 35 profile wheel, so even with my runflat there's still a bit too much bounce. I'm not going to a bigger wheel though as the last thing I want is more grip and more noise; I like my cars to feel dainty around corners and quiet on the motorway.My current thought is to ditch the Michelins and get the same RFTs that my much loved old 320d SE ran on. That car had superb ride and handling, so I'd like to try and recreate that (but with close to the 70+ mpg I'm getting now!). If that doesn't get it as good as I want then I'll fit M Sport or Birds suspension. In the meantime, I hope the RFTs get rid of these constant punctures. So far I've not lost out massively by getting one, but it's only a matter of time before it really ruins my day!
Edited by RobM77 on Wednesday 15th March 20:55
Blu3R said:
smashy said:
Hello Cerb dont get stranded. mine have ultraseal in them. Last year a flipping great big screw in the shoulder,an area ultraseal say will not be helped by their gunk however it did, it turned it into a runflat and drove 60 miles on it no problem.
Found this thread while searching for alternatives to RFTs for my 640dGC. How can I buy this Ultraseal stuff and is it a DIY fit?Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff