Your view on runflats?

[Macman]

What is your experience with run flat tyres?

Hearing mixed reviews on them, just doing a bit of research for my next set of tyres.


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[TeePee]

What is your experience with run flat tyres?

Hearing mixed reviews on them, just doing a bit of research for my next set of tyres.


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I'm interested. I currently have them, and will need new tyres this year. Not sure if I want to switch...

[kalniel]

If I was a regular autobahn user and I needed something that was controllable from a high speed puncture and it would likely be too dangerous to stop and mend/replace a wheel then I'd consider them.

But as I'm not, a spare wheel is better in every sense for me, so I can run cheaper/lighter/more comfy normal tyres.

[jimborae]

Awful things and should be be changed at the earliest opportunity for decent rubber.

[zaphod159]

I think they are kind of useless, or have a niche use. Just have a spare tire. Had a punctured tire recently, didn't even bother to put on the spare myself. Pulled over, called AA, and within 30 minutes ( despite it being 8pm ) I was ready to go.

[watercooled]

Can only offer a completely subjective opinion on them. My friend's not long bought a 2005 Mini Cooper S which has run flats. I'm not sure how much is the tyres and how much is the car itself but the tyre roar is quite audible and the ride fairly choppy at motorway speeds. It's not terrible or anything but they feel overly firm, I guess?

Personally I'd be tempted to replace them, when worn out, with standard tyres, but I seem to recall someone complaining about 'non-star-marked tyres' showing up some kind of warning on the dash? Might be worth researching.

[Ttaskmaster]

What is your experience with run flat tyres?

My experience typically goes like this:

Customer shows up, complains about car handling funny.
I looks, sees he's on runflats and has run them flat for so long the sidewall has split open around a quarter of the circumference, has a mini heart attack, then lectures said customer on his stupidity.
Customer typically recalls something funny happening the other month while hooning down a motorway.
I then lectures said customer again, before booking the mobile tyre guy to come fit something that isn't ripped to shreds.

Occasionally I don't see the splits and end up ripping a hand open on the exposed threads. That's always good fun...!

[Butcher]

My experience typically goes like this:

Customer shows up, complains about car handling funny.
I looks, sees he's on runflats and has run them flat for so long the sidewall has split open around a quarter of the circumference, has a mini heart attack, then lectures said customer on his stupidity.
Customer typically recalls something funny happening the other month while hooning down a motorway.
I then lectures said customer again, before booking the mobile tyre guy to come fit something that isn't ripped to shreds.

Occasionally I don't see the splits and end up ripping a hand open on the exposed threads. That's always good fun...!

No TPMS warnings on the dash? Or do they just ignore those?

[peterb]

Really useful on a getaway vehicle likely to run over a ‘stinger’ or in an occupation where your tyres might get shot at.

[Ttaskmaster]

No TPMS warnings on the dash? Or do they just ignore those?

Go on, take a guess......!!

[watercooled]

I'm assuming not all cars are the same but the information warnings in my Ford are pretty... obvious? Not ran into a TPMS warning yet (I check stuff like that frequently) but on other Fords I've been in, it's been the same style tone as open door warnings, so it's quite disturbing if people aren't noticing those.

But my guess is they are ignored?

[peterb]

I came across these https://www.tyron.co.uk/tyron-multiband/ as an alternative to run-flat tyres. Basically rim well fillers that prevent the tyre coming off the rim in the event of a catastrophic deflation that claims to allow better manoeuvrability and time to get to a safe place to change the wheel.

Not tried them myself so neither a recommendation nor a condemnation!

[shaithis]

I've seen too many cracked alloys that all the tyre fitters say "that's what runflats do"....just replaced all my wheels due to RFT cracking and put non-RFTs on. Smoother ride but now have to carry puncture repair kits as a lot of cars that come with RFTs now don't have a spare tyre compartment.

[TeePee]

My experience typically goes like this:

Customer shows up, complains about car handling funny.
I looks, sees he's on runflats and has run them flat for so long the sidewall has split open around a quarter of the circumference, has a mini heart attack, then lectures said customer on his stupidity.
Customer typically recalls something funny happening the other month while hooning down a motorway.
I then lectures said customer again, before booking the mobile tyre guy to come fit something that isn't ripped to shreds.

Occasionally I don't see the splits and end up ripping a hand open on the exposed threads. That's always good fun...!

In the US every tyre place offers free tyre repair. But they won't actually repair a tyre, only tell you it needs to be replaced and offer to sell you one. I had one that hadn't moved an inch, and they still told me the tyre couldn't be repaired. I've been plugging my own since then.

[Spud1]

I have had both - on my old M135i I ran MPSS, "proper" tyres, no runflats. On my current M240i I am running bridgestone Potenza S001's all round. I have also driven an M240i that I had on loan which had PS4s all round.

On balance, I do prefer the MPSS and I wil swap over to them (well actually, PS4s) as they grip better when driving round corners at speed or in the wet, and are slightly quicker off the mark....but for everyday driving? There isn't much of a difference. Tyre noise is pretty much the same, the RFLTs are not noticeably harsher in terms of ride (I have a pretty firm suspension setup anyway) and replcement cost wise there isn't really that much in it as long as you shop around (offers aside - the PS4s have been *very* cheap a couple of times this year).

I have had two punctures in the past 2.5 years and the RFLTs meant I could drive me car to get them replaced, even in the snow when I had one Christmas week, which just wouldn't have been an option with "proper" tyres....that tyre gunk is nasty stuff and I really don't want the added expense & weight of a spare.

What I am changing then? Well, even if there isn't much in it the PS4s *are* cheaper, and they are repairable in the case of minor punctures (RFTLs technically are, but depends much more on the type of damage) and they do handle slightly better, which is what you really want in a semi-performance car.

So i think the initial comment of "mixed opinions" is true even from someone who currently runs RFTLs