Run flats v 'normal' tyres
Discussion
I have a 2010 320d which is currently on Bridgestone run flats.
I need to replace all 4 tyres in the next month or so and Am toying with ditching the run flats and going with normal tyres.
I assume a fair few other people have also done this? What are the pros and cons?
Obviously if you have a flat then you have to stop but run flats are only good for 30 or so miles anyway. If you have decent breakdown cover then you can get picked up. Is there a generic space saver you can just stick in the boot?
What are a decent tyre choice at the moment? The car is only used for motorway commuting so I don't need the last word in feel and performance.
Thanks
I need to replace all 4 tyres in the next month or so and Am toying with ditching the run flats and going with normal tyres.
I assume a fair few other people have also done this? What are the pros and cons?
Obviously if you have a flat then you have to stop but run flats are only good for 30 or so miles anyway. If you have decent breakdown cover then you can get picked up. Is there a generic space saver you can just stick in the boot?
What are a decent tyre choice at the moment? The car is only used for motorway commuting so I don't need the last word in feel and performance.
Thanks
just replaced my bridgestone runflats (re050a) with michelin pilot sport 3s. I must say a big change, car feels more comfortable an much less "crashy" over bumps. I was considering kumho but only went with ps3s as price difference was about £100 and michelins had far better reviews..
Unless you have a paranoid need for the Run-Flat bit, change: BMW engineers must (in fact, they do - I've spoken to one about it) weep at the damage the marketing department does by putting runflats on their cars. We've had three RFT-equipped cars on which we've swapped and, in each case, the difference to ride quality has been dramatic, with a lesser improvement in road noise. On a 123D with the 18" wheels, I put non-RFT 17"s on as winter tyres and the result was so dramatic that I kept them on all year - apart from ride quality, traction was dramatically improved, as the RE05A RFTs would skip off a matchstick - I was getting the TC kicking in in 4th on local roads. That all stopped with the non-RFTs and life became a lot more fun. Pre-LCI E70 X5 went from feeling like we were driving a tank over concrete blocks to actually being quite pleasant and current DD, an LCI E70, has turned from being a bit harsh to a proper limo ride.
In general, the turn-in on non-RFTs is slightly less sharp than with the RFTs but is much more linear and progressive, which I prefer.
In general, the turn-in on non-RFTs is slightly less sharp than with the RFTs but is much more linear and progressive, which I prefer.
Davey S2 said:
I have a 2010 320d which is currently on Bridgestone run flats.
I need to replace all 4 tyres in the next month or so and Am toying with ditching the run flats and going with normal tyres.
I assume a fair few other people have also done this? What are the pros and cons?
Obviously if you have a flat then you have to stop but run flats are only good for 30 or so miles anyway. If you have decent breakdown cover then you can get picked up. Is there a generic space saver you can just stick in the boot?
What are a decent tyre choice at the moment? The car is only used for motorway commuting so I don't need the last word in feel and performance.
Thanks
My 2010 320 ED came on Michelin Energy tyres which aren't run flat. It has a pump and a tub of gloop in the boot so you could just get that kit if you need some emergency back up. It won't help if you have a massive rip in a tyre but would hopefully block a nail or screw hole.I need to replace all 4 tyres in the next month or so and Am toying with ditching the run flats and going with normal tyres.
I assume a fair few other people have also done this? What are the pros and cons?
Obviously if you have a flat then you have to stop but run flats are only good for 30 or so miles anyway. If you have decent breakdown cover then you can get picked up. Is there a generic space saver you can just stick in the boot?
What are a decent tyre choice at the moment? The car is only used for motorway commuting so I don't need the last word in feel and performance.
Thanks
The RFT's on my 3 series were very sharp in the handling department but a nightmare on speedbumps and anything other than a smooth piece of tarmac. Putting Bridgestone Non RFT's on was the best thing I did. 95% of the sharpness when cornering but the ride quality for every day driving is so much better. When pushing hard you do feel the tyres squish a bit more under load but nothing too alarming.
I played with the idea of buying a space saver and lugging it about in the boot but my car only gets used for a short 3 mile commute and the odd trip to the shops, friends or family in the area so if the worst happens, I'll not be too far from home. If I travel for work I use a pool car or if I travel further I use the XC90 which is a better cruiser.
I played with the idea of buying a space saver and lugging it about in the boot but my car only gets used for a short 3 mile commute and the odd trip to the shops, friends or family in the area so if the worst happens, I'll not be too far from home. If I travel for work I use a pool car or if I travel further I use the XC90 which is a better cruiser.
RicksAlfas said:
Davey S2 said:
I have a 2010 320d which is currently on Bridgestone run flats.
I need to replace all 4 tyres in the next month or so and Am toying with ditching the run flats and going with normal tyres.
I assume a fair few other people have also done this? What are the pros and cons?
Obviously if you have a flat then you have to stop but run flats are only good for 30 or so miles anyway. If you have decent breakdown cover then you can get picked up. Is there a generic space saver you can just stick in the boot?
What are a decent tyre choice at the moment? The car is only used for motorway commuting so I don't need the last word in feel and performance.
Thanks
My 2010 320 ED came on Michelin Energy tyres which aren't run flat. It has a pump and a tub of gloop in the boot so you could just get that kit if you need some emergency back up. It won't help if you have a massive rip in a tyre but would hopefully block a nail or screw hole.I need to replace all 4 tyres in the next month or so and Am toying with ditching the run flats and going with normal tyres.
I assume a fair few other people have also done this? What are the pros and cons?
Obviously if you have a flat then you have to stop but run flats are only good for 30 or so miles anyway. If you have decent breakdown cover then you can get picked up. Is there a generic space saver you can just stick in the boot?
What are a decent tyre choice at the moment? The car is only used for motorway commuting so I don't need the last word in feel and performance.
Thanks
I think the wheel size has quite a bearing on whether changing is a good idea - if you have wide 18's or even 19's RFTs may not be the smoothest of rides.
Personal experience is that I had an E46 Compact on 17 inch non-FRTs and got a puncture on a summer day in Windsor Great Park - found a nice tarmacced area off the road and put the space-saver on to get to work.
Next 2 punctures were in my 123d with 17 inch RFTs, but both times it was snowing so I was relieved to just carry on rather than try to change a wheel in slush on a busy A road in falling snow, and the ride was as good as the E46!
But AFAIK the RFTs and Spacesavers are both usable for 100 miles at no more than 50 mph so no advantage either way.
Am tempted to put normal tyres on my Z4 Coupe because in so many ways it is a serious drivers' car, but to be fair a 320d isn't quite as sharp a tool in the first place so does it matter so much?
Just a matter of choice I suppose.
Personal experience is that I had an E46 Compact on 17 inch non-FRTs and got a puncture on a summer day in Windsor Great Park - found a nice tarmacced area off the road and put the space-saver on to get to work.
Next 2 punctures were in my 123d with 17 inch RFTs, but both times it was snowing so I was relieved to just carry on rather than try to change a wheel in slush on a busy A road in falling snow, and the ride was as good as the E46!
But AFAIK the RFTs and Spacesavers are both usable for 100 miles at no more than 50 mph so no advantage either way.
Am tempted to put normal tyres on my Z4 Coupe because in so many ways it is a serious drivers' car, but to be fair a 320d isn't quite as sharp a tool in the first place so does it matter so much?
Just a matter of choice I suppose.
Run flats and suspension setups are better than they used to be. Cars more than a few years old will have owners singing the benefits of normal tyres on comfort etc but it's not so bad now. I have a 2012 6 series with 19" wheels and the ride was fine.
However.. I still came off run flats because there are better tyres available. Michelin pilot super sport is a great tyre for instance. Normal tyres are also generally more available and cheaper.
I carry a compressor which will enable a slow puncher to be dealt with by hopping the air up. Bit of a pain but can usually get you somewhere and tyre gunk/foam if you're really stuck. But I've also had a chunk taken out of a tyre that I suspect even an rft wouldn't have coped with. I think continental do a mobility kit (pump/foam) for £20-30 which is what many manufacturers supply if they don't fit rft or a spare
However.. I still came off run flats because there are better tyres available. Michelin pilot super sport is a great tyre for instance. Normal tyres are also generally more available and cheaper.
I carry a compressor which will enable a slow puncher to be dealt with by hopping the air up. Bit of a pain but can usually get you somewhere and tyre gunk/foam if you're really stuck. But I've also had a chunk taken out of a tyre that I suspect even an rft wouldn't have coped with. I think continental do a mobility kit (pump/foam) for £20-30 which is what many manufacturers supply if they don't fit rft or a spare
Personally I see run flats as a way to get myself and the family off the motorway to find somewhere safe to stop. You can't do that with a non run flat.
I am fine with the ride quality (2005 E61 M-Sport).
The person who said run flats made the TC kick in in 4th gear, what the hell are you doing to make that happen??
I am fine with the ride quality (2005 E61 M-Sport).
The person who said run flats made the TC kick in in 4th gear, what the hell are you doing to make that happen??
ThunderSpook said:
Personally I see run flats as a way to get myself and the family off the motorway to find somewhere safe to stop. You can't do that with a non run flat.
I am fine with the ride quality (2005 E61 M-Sport).
The person who said run flats made the TC kick in in 4th gear, what the hell are you doing to make that happen??
Not too hard I expect on the farm tracks we designate as A roads in the UK - my 123d regularly had the TC light on in 3rd on damp roundabouts and slip roads - would probably have still lit up if I had used 4th instead!I am fine with the ride quality (2005 E61 M-Sport).
The person who said run flats made the TC kick in in 4th gear, what the hell are you doing to make that happen??
Some bumps get my Z4 TC light on in 3rd in the dry in a straight line (admittedly not when I am driving Miss Daisy style)
like most other modern BMWs my 335i has the Re050 runflats fitted.
However as my rears are down to <2mm I'm in need of rear tyres. I have had no issues with the ride quality of the tyres but I had a super stiff E36 previously but have found I can spin the wheels with minimal effort in the first 4 gears. I can even get a bit in the dry.
I'm changing to non runflats now as I can get a set of PS3s or Eagle F1s for a cheaper price than I can get 2 rear runflats (It gets even cheaper as my fronts have 6+mm on so will sell for £150ish).
For me it's a massive win win. I get new more grippy and confidence inspiring tyres and I save money in the process. I also gain more comfort on what is already a very comfy car.
However as my rears are down to <2mm I'm in need of rear tyres. I have had no issues with the ride quality of the tyres but I had a super stiff E36 previously but have found I can spin the wheels with minimal effort in the first 4 gears. I can even get a bit in the dry.
I'm changing to non runflats now as I can get a set of PS3s or Eagle F1s for a cheaper price than I can get 2 rear runflats (It gets even cheaper as my fronts have 6+mm on so will sell for £150ish).
For me it's a massive win win. I get new more grippy and confidence inspiring tyres and I save money in the process. I also gain more comfort on what is already a very comfy car.
I changed my F30 330d runflats 3 weeks in ,even the 3rd gen are bad,the difference on Michelin PS3s is amazing I feel as though I actually have rubber between me and the road ,they are all full of Ultraseal £70 all in ,REALIST thinks its crap I totally disagree check out youtube and do your research.
roofer said:
gizlaroc said:
The main difference between a BMW on runflats and on proper tyres is on run flats it is s
t.
This man speaketh the truth .t. Frankly I wish all manufacturers had just stuck to a proper spare wheel FFS - was it really that difficult???
Maybe it should have been the subject of an EU Directive!! Quick, get to the Court of Human Rights before we leave!
Mr Tidy said:
Frankly I wish all manufacturers had just stuck to a proper spare wheel FFS - was it really that difficult???
Maybe it should have been the subject of an EU Directive!! Quick, get to the Court of Human Rights before we leave!
A wooden one with spokes? Inner tubes perhaps? (No doubt some on here would say they are 'belt and braces')Maybe it should have been the subject of an EU Directive!! Quick, get to the Court of Human Rights before we leave!
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