04-07-2015, 06:35 AM | #1 |
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What is the point of run flat tyres?
Now before anybody states the obvious answer ie you can continue to drive on them after a puncture consider this.....
Last night I suffered my 2nd puncture in 40 years of driving, not bad, I know. With the benefit of the run flat tyres I could complete my journey, albeit at reduced speed because of the understandable deterioration in handling. Nothing too serious, just a nail through the tyre well away from the sidewall. However, nobody, and I do mean nobody (here in the UK) will even consider repairing the tyre and I have been obliged to pay out £190 today to order a replacement tyre to be fitted tomorrow. That s a significant premium over the same size non runflat tyre....and of course because they are comparatively rare nobody holds stock of these tyres. Thing is, with all the various aerosol repair kits around these days I could just as easily have stopped, re inflated the tyre and continued on to the end of my journey. Yes, the tyre might still have not been repairable since it was now full of "gunk" but I would be shelling out a lot less cash for a replacement tyre. My other car, a Mazda MX5 (Miata) has a compressor and sealant kit supplied. If car makers don't want to supply cars with spare tyres any more for various reasons the repair kit seems to make more sense than run flat tyres. |
04-07-2015, 07:03 AM | #2 |
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You can repair run flats, just like any other tire.
Dealers don't want to because of the possibility of sidewall damage with run flats that could lead to ultimate failure, but if you fix them before they suffer damage it's not a problem. To that end I have a tire repair kit in my car, as well as a jack and wrench. The advantage to run flats over sealant and a pump is that not all flats can be repaired with sealant and a pump, leaving you stranded. Researching this prior to having a flat you could have been prepared and saved yourself the cost of a new tire. I believe you're getting screwed on the tire price. Here the original replacements are readily available, for around $200 USD, which is about the same as a standard tire of the same quality. |
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04-07-2015, 09:32 AM | #3 |
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Yes, we probably are getting screwed, albeit that price is fully fitted and with all taxes.
I checked the OEM tyre sites and whilst a couple of brands permit repairs Pirelli are dead against. I probably rang in excess of a dozen tyre shops none of whom would touch the tyre. I shall likely get the tyre repaired by a vulcaniser once it's off and keep it as a spare. Then if lightning strikes twice I shall just get the tyre changed without asking any questions. |
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04-07-2015, 10:02 AM | #4 |
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That's only because they don't want to be held liable if someone repairs a puncture without being sure that there's no sidewall damage. RFTs are no different than standard tires where puncture repair is concerned. But since running them when flat can result in sidewall damage one must be very sure of them before returning them to service. OTOH if you repair them immediately the likelihood of sidewall damage is remote. The key to doing that is to have a repair kit on board.
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04-07-2015, 10:35 AM | #5 |
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The point of run flats is the convenience. Sure paying to get one replaced seems inconvenient because of costs but the whole point of a run flat tire is convenience: as in its pouring outside, dashboard shows your tire has low air, maybe a flat, well just slow down a notch and drive home safely. Mobility kits are great and for handy people changing a tire is not a big deal at all if you have a spare but the truth is you still have to stop, jack up the car maybe get wet if raining or snowing... Just like push start, can we live without it?? Sure... But it's nice at times knowing that you have that extra security and comfort
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04-07-2015, 11:19 AM | #6 | |
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04-07-2015, 01:13 PM | #7 |
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I've had a bunch of runflats plugged and patched. Not an issue. Still reuse to have them on my car though. They kill the ride and bend wheels. I run standard tires and bought a Repair kit from Hyundai. Came in a bag and fits perfectly in the GTs strap on the left side.
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04-07-2015, 02:11 PM | #8 |
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They don't feel bad to me, but I purposely stayed with 17 inch rims and 55 series tires. I can see them being pretty harsh with smaller aspect ratios, and if you look at those who've bent rims they tend to be smaller aspect/larger rim users.
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04-07-2015, 02:23 PM | #9 |
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I bent all 4 of my 750s rims in 5 months with 245/50-18s. After that, no way I was keeping them. Pulled them off this car with 140 miles on them.
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04-07-2015, 03:43 PM | #10 |
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Yeah, but you're in New York. It's only a matter of which happens first there, whether they get bent or they get stolen.
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04-07-2015, 04:14 PM | #11 |
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Nah, they won't steal stock BMW wheels. They steal 2 types of wheels; First are the ones they can flip fast. Typically these are stock Honda or Toyota wheels. Lots to choose from and so many of the cars out there that somebody always needs them. And second are high end stock wheels. These are the really pricey ones, such as the magnesium Alcoas on late model Jeep SRTs and various Ferraris. These sell for $800 to a grand a piece used all day long (or more for rarer ones), so its one of those high risk, high reward type things.
BMW wheels don't fit either criteria. They produce too many different styles, so any given style isn't in high demand, and they aren't exotic and expensive enough to make bank on. I still keep locks on my wheels, but I'm not worried about anybody trying to steal them. |
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04-07-2015, 05:25 PM | #12 |
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When I lived on the Upper West Side in '74 they broke into my van and stole the spare. I can't imagine that they got more than $20 for it, but if you're a thief you take what you can where and when you can. I have locks too, not for here, but for when I'm on the road.
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04-08-2015, 02:07 AM | #13 | |
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04-08-2015, 04:47 AM | #14 |
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Local branch didn't want to know.......No, Sir, you will need to replace the tyre.
A couple of places asked what brand the tyre was before refusing. Seems they won't touch Pirelli since they are one of the manufacturers who don't permit repairs. I have subsequently decided to keep the damaged tyre when it comes off and will take it to a vulcaniser or similar and get it repaired myself and to be kept as a spare in case the same happens again . |
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04-08-2015, 04:58 AM | #15 | |
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Shame but you can as you say repair it yourself.
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04-08-2015, 08:02 AM | #16 |
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04-08-2015, 08:14 AM | #17 |
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One difference we don't shot each other over here.
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04-08-2015, 10:14 AM | #18 |
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That's because gun sales in the US total around $30 billion a year. The gun lobby has very deep pockets with which to buy politicians.
Our gun culture dates to the first colonists, who had to own guns for hunting and protection, and because until 1776 there was no standing army. Defense was the responsibility of local militia, who had to provide their own weapons. That was the basis for the Second Amendment. A truly strict constructionist of the Constitution would remove it as justification for personal arms ownership, other than for National Guard (militia) members, but there's too much money at stake for that to happen. The last time Britons/Europeans had to rely on local militia for defense the weapons they had to provide were swords and longbows, so their views on firearms come from a very different historical perspective. |
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04-08-2015, 11:09 AM | #19 | |
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04-08-2015, 12:39 PM | #20 |
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So the tyre has been replaced and interestingly the interior of the tyre sidewalls do look "creased". The mobile fitter said he certainly wouldn't want to repair it in that state. Quite surprising since it had only been driven about 9 miles at an average of about 35 mph
Apparently one of the reasons the tyre is so expensive is because the 225/50 R18 size is VERY rare. Seems it is only used by the BMW group on certain BMWs and Minis. He did suggest however that when the time comes to change the tyres because of wear an option was to buy four standard tyres and an aerosol repair kit �� saying many people have done this and if they break down and can't re-inflate the tyre they just call out the break down service to do a "recovery". |
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04-08-2015, 12:48 PM | #21 |
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Yeah, its a rare size. Thats why I can't sell my stock tires. They don't fit anything. The Accord coupe used them, the G37 used them and a some compact pickups use them, but none of them are run flats.
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04-08-2015, 01:03 PM | #22 | |
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