Run flat tyres

Run flat tyres

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Discussion

b2tus

Original Poster:

952 posts

260 months

Tuesday 16th January 2007
quotequote all
Hi all....don't normally pop up on this forum....mostly on TVR.
My wife has a 2005 Cooper with standard alloys/tyres. Took it out yesterday for first time for yonks and felt a slight knocking through steering column and a graunching noise from front offside. Sounded like a wheel bearing and was worse on left turns but disappeared on right turns.
Took it in to our local Mini dealership....they heard the noises, checked everywhere whilst up on the ramps and said they were perplexed as bearings etc were all OK.
Chief Techie came over and said anyone looked at the tyre? They checked...it was fine. Then they took the tyre off the rim and refitted it.
Result? Steering knock gone along with the noise. Chief Techie said the tyre bead was probably moving on the rim hence the noise and by refitting it, they had effectively resealed the rim/tyre!!!!
Anyone else experienced this? The dealership never had before but Techie said he was always suspicious of runflat tyres. He was right.

blackspider

1,038 posts

210 months

Tuesday 16th January 2007
quotequote all
When they first came out we had this problem-With 5 spoke and the goodyear tyre.We found that the fault was being caused be the tyre rubbing on the edge of the rim-gave a grating sound alot like a wheel bearing or diff noise.The solution was to break the bead,turn the tyre quatre of a turn and lubricate bead.This always cured the fault.

All of a sudden we are now finding this same fault with the late 05' modles.Again 5 spoke,again same solution.

b2tus

Original Poster:

952 posts

260 months

Sunday 28th January 2007
quotequote all
Thanks Master Techie. Sorry for slow response.
Wonder if BMW have issued a notice to all their dealers about this strange phenomena?