Run Flat Tyres

[cobra kid]

Hi all,

just a bit of advice if I may;

My FIL has a 59 plate Zafira which has standard tyres and comes with no spare but the spray stuff in case of punctures.

He is looking to put run-flat tyres on as an alternative. If they aren't fitted as standard, what are the pitfalls of retro fitting them?

I guess tyre pressure sensors would web an issue as It wouldn't be immediately apparent that there would be a problem?

Any brands to look for/avoid?

Thanks people.....

[Defcon5]

He wants to fit runflats?

I couldnt wait to get rid of mine!

[cobra kid]

May I add he's not that bothered about ride quality.

[Jimmytno1]

The lack of a tyre pressure monitoring system is the biggest problem, it may even cause problems with his insurance company. He may also find the ride harsh with run flats on as the suspension is set up from the factory for non run flats. I personally would keep standard tyres on the car and look for a spare wheel to keep in the boot if he has the space. If he decides to go down the run flat route steer clear of wanli and similar budget brands which are shockingly bad quality.

[cobra kid]

Bump.

[RicksAlfas]

Do you need stronger wheels for run flats? They transmit a lot more shock into the wheel than a normal tyre.

It sounds a really poor idea to me. Does he use all the boot space? Surely a space saver spare would be a better idea?

[Defcon5]

Why cant he just use the canned stuff in the unlikely event he gets a puncture?

[pilchardthecat]

Runflats are the work of satan and don't just ruin the ride quality - they wreck the handling, cornering, turn-in, increase unsprung weight and are universally and completely awful.

[Justin Cyder]

cobra kid said:

May I add he's not that bothered about ride quality.

He will be once they're on. God awful tyres. Couldn't take them off my cooper fast enough.

[toon10]

That's an odd way to look at it. My car has run flats as standard. The handling feels sharper when cornering hard. I replaced them with normal tyres which has improved the ride and made speed bumps less back breaking. They move around more when cornering hard but the imporved ride makes up for it. If I had a none sporty car like a Zafira then I'd rather buy a spare wheel and jack. Run flats are so much more expensive too.

[Monty Python]

You must have a tyre pressure monitoring system fitted with run-flats, otherwise you could be driving around on a damaged tyre without realizing it.

As for the ride issues, I find that if you stay away from the stupid 19" wheels, then the ride is fine. My 335d has sports suspension and 18" wheels/RFTs and I don't have any problems at all with ride comfort/quality. I've been in mainstream cars with normal tyres that have a worse ride.

[Mr2Mike]

You should not fit run-flats to conventional wheel rims; run-flats must be used in conjunction with the special rim profile used to locate the bead when running flat (EH2 rim). You can safely fit conventional tyres to EH2 rims, but not the other way around.

Besides that, he's insane to even consider fitting them. Their convenience in the event of a puncture is greatly outweighed by all the negatives (not least of which is price).

[pilchardthecat]

toon10 said:

That's an odd way to look at it. My car has run flats as standard. The handling feels sharper when cornering hard. I replaced them with normal tyres which has improved the ride and made speed bumps less back breaking. They move around more when cornering hard but the imporved ride makes up for it. If I had a none sporty car like a Zafira then I'd rather buy a spare wheel and jack. Run flats are so much more expensive too.

There are good reasons the no M car has ever had runflats, despite the whole of the rest of the BMW range were rolling out of the factory with them on for 10+ years

(You do need to adjust the tyre pressures up 1-2psi, this will be the cause of your turn-in/sidewall issues)

[davepoth]

Googling this reveals that the Zafira can carry a spare underneath the car but a spate of thefts caused them to stop offering them. A steel wheel and ditchfinder will run him less than the cost of one run-flat, let alone four of them.