Would you risk getting rid of runflats for normal?
Would you risk getting rid of runflats for normal?
Author
Discussion

un1corn

Original Poster:

2,143 posts

168 months

Monday 7th August 2017
quotequote all
Without a spare wheel?

I need two new front tyres on the 5-series (and one on the rear very soon too). All 4 are bridgestone runflats. Reaplacments are about £120 each. However I can get none runflat ditchfinders for £45 each.

Is it worth the risk of getting ride of the runflats for normal ones and just hope I don't get a flat?

e21Mark

17,733 posts

204 months

Monday 7th August 2017
quotequote all
Lots of cars run without a spare. Most usually carry a can of tyre rear gunk or just call the AA/RAC. How often are you really likely to get a puncture anyway?

Thermobaric

725 posts

151 months

Monday 7th August 2017
quotequote all
RFT tyre discussion aside, most people that refer to cheapies as ditchfinders wouldn't consider putting them on...I just found that a bit odd.

Edited by Thermobaric on Monday 7th August 20:50

smashy

3,108 posts

189 months

Monday 7th August 2017
quotequote all
ive run non runflats for 25k a year plenty of evening in the rain stuff with ultraseal pumped in them ,got me out of trouble twice just sealed the tyres up after a nail went in.

Will be going back to runfflats as I might be chopping it in next year

Edited by smashy on Monday 7th August 20:43

bigdom

2,360 posts

176 months

Monday 7th August 2017
quotequote all
I've run non runflats for past 3 years, slow puncture fixed last week for a £10. Apart from that, all good.

As previously mentioned, no idea why you want ditchfinders on any car, let along a BMW. Sort of defeats the object of changing to them.

Heathwood

3,043 posts

233 months

Monday 7th August 2017
quotequote all
Yes, I would risk ditching run flats (indeed I did on my 130i) but I wouldn't risk fitting cheap 'ditch finders'. Get yourself something at least half decent with an extra load (XL) side wall rating, a can of mouse and a compressor.

stuart-b

3,651 posts

257 months

Monday 7th August 2017
quotequote all
I bought MPSS before, now swapped to the new PS4S. I have a compressor in the car and a can of expanding foam if it's really bad.

Check these tyres, may have been "run in" before the swap ! Still kept their air ;-) one also had a nail, which caused a puncture a few miles from the tyre shop - stopped and filled with air, no problem - tough as old boots (XL loading).

The new PS4S (up one size, bigger wheels, 235/265)



The old tyres ! That's what camber and stiff tyres does, had the right tyre pressure, regularly laser aligned, etc. Tough tyres (non RFT)


msej449

177 posts

152 months

Monday 7th August 2017
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Just for balance, no - I have considered switching but my experience persuaded me not to. I scraped a sidewall on my 3 Series on a jagged kerbstone. It only looked like cosmetic damage. A few days later it depressurised on the motorway. Nothing dramatic and I managed to get off the M25 and home, and to the local BMW garage the next morning.

From what I could see, a non-runflat would (a) have been unrepairable and (b) deflated much more dramatically. At best, I would have been stuck on the hard shoulder waiting for a flatbed. At worst, I would have lost control.

I also drive on French and Swiss autoroutes 3-4 times a year. So overall, my risk analysis concluded that I would stick with the runflats. I appreciate that lots of people have different scoring and circumstances, and you can't generalise from individual cases (although the latter works both ways). So there's no single 'right' answer.

DJMC

3,606 posts

134 months

Monday 7th August 2017
quotequote all
We chose 18" wheels with non run-flats on the X1 last year when bought new so as to avoid the terrible ride they gave on 19's.
My Cayman also has no spare, no run-flats, and a bottle of gumpf.

I understand that if you use the tyre sealant for a puncture you can't have the tyre repaired. So far haven't had to use this stuff.
Most punctures I've had have been slow, wheel removable at home, taken to a tyre shop and repaired for a tenner so I'd be concerned about ruining a good tyre when no spare is carried.

In 40 years I've never had so bad a puncture I was stranded apart from one tyre which shredded itself on the M6, and fortunately I had a spare wheel for that car.

anonymous-user

85 months

Monday 7th August 2017
quotequote all
DJMC said:
We chose 18" wheels with non run-flats on the X1 last year when bought new so as to avoid the terrible ride they gave on 19's.
My Cayman also has no spare, no run-flats, and a bottle of gumpf.

I understand that if you use the tyre sealant for a puncture you can't have the tyre repaired. So far haven't had to use this stuff.
Most punctures I've had have been slow, wheel removable at home, taken to a tyre shop and repaired for a tenner so I'd be concerned about ruining a good tyre when no spare is carried.

In 40 years I've never had so bad a puncture I was stranded apart from one tyre which shredded itself on the M6, and fortunately I had a spare wheel for that car.

We had a puncture in our SLK last year, not runflat of course. Reinflated with tyre sealant. Lasted about 30 miles then went down again and we were recovered home.

Car had done about 10k. I had two new tyres fitted, as my changer was out of action then took the original two home and cleaned and repaired the injured one. So now I have two good rear spares, if we have the car long enough to need them!

Tyres with sealants in can generally be repaired but most tyre shops won't spend the time to clean, dry and then fix. The time the tyre takes to dry after washing out the sealant often makes it impractical of course.

Wouldn't change the runflats on our 5 series, without a spare and even the the safety benefit in the admittedly rare case of a rapid deflation is worth consideration.

anonymous-user

85 months

Monday 7th August 2017
quotequote all
Heathwood said:
Yes, I would risk ditching run flats (indeed I did on my 130i) but I wouldn't risk fitting cheap 'ditch finders'. Get yourself something at least half decent with an extra load (XL) side wall rating, a can of mouse and a compressor.

You can get mice in cans now?

SteveS Cup

1,996 posts

191 months

Tuesday 8th August 2017
quotequote all
I just have yes, the difference is incredible.

I had 255/30 19's on the rear, they looked like rubber bands so I've also gone up to 255/35 19's with a Uniroyal Rainsport 3.

So for the tyres have been excellent, the front end has so much more grip as does the rear.

I'm fairly sure my car doesn't even have a jack so I'd be calling the AA regardless!

Maracus

4,553 posts

199 months

Tuesday 8th August 2017
quotequote all
Yes. Had non runflats on my 328i for the past year now.

I've got a couple of cans of tyre gunk and a compressor in the boot. Plus recovery if necessary.

We're going to Europe next week, so if I get a puncture and the gunk doesn't work, then my Mrs will kill me hehe

aquarianone

502 posts

208 months

Tuesday 8th August 2017
quotequote all
Absolutely, was pretty much the first thing I did on the Z4 - switched to MPS4 and it's been much nicer to drive and well worth it.




SantaBarbara

3,244 posts

139 months

Tuesday 8th August 2017
quotequote all
e21Mark said:
Lots of cars run without a spare. Most usually carry a can of tyre rear gunk or just call the AA/RAC. How often are you really likely to get a puncture anyway?
You are likely to get a puncture on a bank holiday weekend, in my experience

Swervin_Mervin

5,009 posts

269 months

Tuesday 8th August 2017
quotequote all
e21Mark said:
Lots of cars run without a spare. Most usually carry a can of tyre rear gunk or just call the AA/RAC. How often are you really likely to get a puncture anyway?
Exactly. Not only that but a puncture bad enough that you can't run on it.

I've not had a car with a spare now for almost 10 years/>100k and it's never been a problem. In the 3-4 instances that I've had a puncture the tyre has still been able to be driven on as the puncture has been slow. And in all instances the tyre has been repairable.

Contrast with my wife who has had 2 car on RFTs now within the last 6yrs and out of 3 punctures, only 1 was repairable. All 3 were similar in nature to the punctures I've had - screw in the tyre type. My understanding is that the repairable area on an RFT is smaller than a non-RFT and on top of that a lot of places simply won't repair them.

balfron100

40 posts

118 months

Tuesday 8th August 2017
quotequote all
stuart-b said:
I bought MPSS before, now swapped to the new PS4S. I have a compressor in the car and a can of expanding foam if it's really bad.

Check these tyres, may have been "run in" before the swap ! Still kept their air ;-) one also had a nail, which caused a puncture a few miles from the tyre shop - stopped and filled with air, no problem - tough as old boots (XL loading).

The new PS4S (up one size, bigger wheels, 235/265)



The old tyres ! That's what camber and stiff tyres does, had the right tyre pressure, regularly laser aligned, etc. Tough tyres (non RFT)

How old are these tyres? I would have thought a split like that would be a defective tyre, take it back and ask for a replacement.

T16OLE

2,965 posts

222 months

Tuesday 8th August 2017
quotequote all
First thing I did with my 640d was replace the runflat, it improved the car no end.

Osinjak

5,453 posts

152 months

Tuesday 8th August 2017
quotequote all
un1corn said:
Without a spare wheel?

I need two new front tyres on the 5-series (and one on the rear very soon too). All 4 are bridgestone runflats. Reaplacments are about £120 each. However I can get none runflat ditchfinders for £45 each.

Is it worth the risk of getting ride of the runflats for normal ones and just hope I don't get a flat?
Given that I've just paid over £400 for two front RFTs on my 3er, £120 each sounds like a right bargain.