Runflat tyres here too stay

[Nate]

Most of you assumed that I am going to be bitching about runflats and how crap it is. Well I'm not :nono:. Even though I am still in shock and financially embarrassed for having to fork out R9000 for 2 rear tyres.

But back to the matter at hand. Monday I rode to work as normal. Doing about 130 - 140 kms on the N2 in Cape Town I heard a load sound coming from the rear. Thought I rode over a piece of wood or something.

Then I saw it. My nightmare coming true. The red tyre deflated warning light. I was so pissed off. After sorting out the tyres while cursing BMW and their engineers I realised that those runflats potentially saved my life.

A blow out at speed is dangerous period, but the car literally just continued as per normal. I can think of a few cars I previously owned that would have sent me straight to the intensive care unit at the local hospital. It even ran in a straight line with no/little effort on my part to control it.

I still think that they reduce the price of runflat rubber because you basically have to buy a new tyre for every puncture you get. That sucks. But I now know why runflats will be here to stay in future.

Well that's my story for the day.

 

[XMAX]

Good story. Im glad that youre ok.


Interestingly enough, a few years ago a buddy of mine who owned a tyre fitment centre had tried to sell me a foam of some sort.

He said that if i sprayed it inside my tyres, that it would work in a similar way to runflat tyres and would seal the hole up. He said that this was some sort of technology created by the british army for their off road vehicles. The problem with this product was that once the product "activated" it created a lump inside the tyre, which would make it difficult to balance. but thinking about it, if this product were to be used and activated, then it should be able to get you to safety where you could scrape it out from inside the tyre and then plugging the hole.


I didnt pay too much attention to it back then. but if anyone here knows about this product, it might be useful as a replacement for runflats.


P.S. it was not the tyre puncture foam that you can buy from Midas or somewhere similar.

 

[andrewbuch]

I know of a guy who had runflats fitted.. was traveling from JHB to EL & said he hit something that took out both tires on the one side of the car.. he had to drive with them "flat" for a few hundred KM's & said they handled perfect.. saved his life he recons.. & this was fitted to a E39... so was his choice to fit them, and it paid off

 

[AshG108]

runflats:

cons:
Damn expensive
bit more harsh of a ride

pros:
saves your life while having a blow out at speed
saves your life if you in a bad area and cant get out to change a wheel
somehow, alot of people say they wear less than a normal

in my eyes, the pros weigh out the cons, and i can see alot of pro which i havent even listed at all! these tyres cna be horro on the pocket but i have read plenty a good story about run flats. i feel they worth the expense

 

[Bavarian1]

+1 to runflats
I had a potentially deadly puncture on my way to durbs last year the rear tyre had a lump and was a bit worn I took advantage (which I will never do again). The runflat did save my life @130km/h. The cost of runflat is worth it...there are a lot of videos on youtube

 

[XMAX]

i was told by someone that driving with runflats is like having someone kick you in the kidneys.

I havent really had a chance to experience a long ride with runflats so i cant comment. can the owners of cars with runflats give feedback.

 

[andrewbuch]

i was told by someone that driving with runflats is like having someone kick you in the kidneys.

I havent really had a chance to experience a long ride with runflats so i cant comment. can the owners of cars with runflats give feedback.

My mom has a E90 320i with 17" RFT's and the ride is bumpy but not uncomfortably so...

my dads E60 Mkit has 18" non RFT & the ride is worse(in terms of bumps) than the 320i's

 

[akash]

Yepp the runflats are hard, but its worth it......

 

[Jakkals_F30]

I have to agree the runflats are very hard to drive on..

1. Drove the new 320i with runflats and standard suspension - but nicer cause i compared it to mine.
2. driving mine daily with runflats and sport suspension... not bad but you feel alot more coming back at you from the road.

So all in all they aren't too hectic but make sure you avoid the potholes with my car cause it feels like you driving through a 1m deep ditch at 60km/h and i cant see this being good for the car...

Handling on the car is great as i compared to a normal 323 through bends and he doesn't come close and i love that but don't go for a harder suspension on RFT's - my 2c

 

[Philip Foglar]

Here's the thing, RFT's are probably never going to be as nice as non-RFT's, but I reckon they are improving over time.

On my 330i which has 17" wheels and RFT's and on a non-sportpack suspension the ride is firm but hardly ridiculous to live with. I reckon with lower profile and/or sportpack it would become a lot worse to live with - that's where non-RFT's are going to shine!

Also consider that (from what I have noticed), a RFT tyre has a different shoulder profile than a non-RFT, and with the stiffer sidewalls they almost behave like a lower profile non-RFT just from that difference...

 

[AshG108]

the run-flats ar very smooth, on smooth surfaces, they are a bit bumpy when low speeds around urban areas with our kak roads, but long runs, they actually comfortable and handling is great!

 

[Jakkals_F30]

Agreed there - long runs i have no issues whatsoever
But with my setup and the road conditions it's a bit of a pain in the ass in and around town.

Other than that i have no issues with them... Besides the price that is. :shocked:

 

[XMAX]

ok, im sure bmw has considered this... but would RFT's lead to accelerated wear on the suspension components due to a harder / stiffer ride. I know that sport suspensions are built harder, and will therefore handle the RFT suspension issues, but how would non sport suspension cars last.


Im not sure of the answer, thats y i ask. I am in no way insinuating that RFTs are kak. I just wanna know as much as possible so that I am properly informed when it comes to me purchasing a new car (read new model with RFT's) at some time in the near future.