Run Flat Tyres & non Run Flat - BMW

[StuartUK]

Morning all,

Wifey has a BM 320D (2011), which has Continental tyres on, think they are the SportContact 3...
Anyway, on the tyre, I cant see a symbol showing 'RF' for Run Flat or 'SSR' for Self Supporting run flat, so I got no idea how to tell if the tyre is run flat (without letting out the air!)

Wifey ordered x2 tyres online for the rear, and went to have them fitted today (Uniroyal Rainsport - 225/45/17)
However, the tyre place said to her "you have runflats on your car, so you need to replace runflats with runflats.. If you don't, your car insurance will be invalid"

Now, if I recall, Run Flats were ugly tyres ? yet her tyres have that minor stretched look over the rim (standard 3 series alloy), which makes me wonder how they can be runflat ?!
and the insurance stuff, that don't make any sense ?

Anyone got any info on the above ?
cheers

[Evilchap]

Take a pic of all the markings on the tyres and post them up

[R3K1355]

You must replace runflats with runflats??

That sounds like a load of ****ing shit.

[Evilchap]

Also, yes, generally lots of people replace their runflats with tyres which, erm, shall we say 'ride better'. The only downside is most BMWs dont have spares due to runflats being fitted - so you need to get something in the car just in case, even if just some squirty tyre snot stuff.

Also, new BMWs aren't being fitted with runflats any more unless you choose them... read into that what you will.

[Mark]

Wifey ordered x2 tyres online for the rear, and went to have them fitted today (Uniroyal Rainsport - 225/45/17)
However, the tyre place said to her "you have runflats on your car, so you need to replace runflats with runflats.. If you don't, your car insurance will be invalid"

That reads 'Female went into tyre shop who tried to sell her shit she doesnt need'

Just go to another place

[StuartUK]

All sorted now, she had a look and said they are SportContact 2 SSR (I said to her earlier does the tyre show SSR, to which she said No! doh!!!)

[StuartUK]

From what I can gather, its best to get rid of the Run Flats, and replace all 4 tyres with normal tyres...
Sell the 2 front tyres which have 5mm tread to a part worn place...
she has Tyre Weld in the boot of the car too.....

[Mark]

http://www.national.co.uk/information/run-flat-tyres

[sideways14a]

Run flats make a crap riding car even worse..
Hideous things.

[R3K1355]

The point at which you know full well someone is telling fibs

BMW promote run flat technology because of its advantages for driver comfort

[sideways14a]

^Lmao..

Yeah and pigs might fly..

[StuartUK]

heh !
Reading on BM Forums, most say they get rid of the runflats cos they suck!
Now I got the task of educating a woman on buying 4 tyres when she only needs 2, so she can sell the 2 good ones, and offset the cost against buying the 4, when in theory, it will cost £248 to install x4 Uniroyal Rainsport normal tyres, compared with £180 for x2 Runflat branded tyres, and then trying to sell x2 Conti Runflat with 5 / 6mm tread to a part worn place for £30 , so in theory, it brings the cost down to £218 for a set of 4 tyres..
Given she drives around 3 - 4k miles per month, its better to use standard tyres, which are better anyway, etc etc and cheaper in the long run....
Yes, I believe I will struggle to explain the above !

[CNHSS1]

Also, yes, generally lots of people replace their runflats with tyres which, erm, shall we say 'ride better'. The only downside is most BMWs dont have spares due to runflats being fitted - so you need to get something in the car just in case, even if just some squirty tyre snot stuff.

Also, new BMWs aren't being fitted with runflats any more unless you choose them... read into that what you will.

I didn't have a choice 10months ago when I ordered my 5 series, run flats or runflats--end of story.
when I wore out the rears I looked at replacing with non run flats and came to the conclusion I would be pissed off sat on the hard shoulder waiting for the big yellow bus to take me home, so would stick with them. That said, they are noisy on certain surfaces, made worse by the fact the cars so quiet, its only the tyre racket you hear. its worth checking the decibel rating of differing tyres and models as some are 20% quieter, basically same as the worse 'non run flats'

[R3K1355]

Alot of cars now don't come with a spare and just have a can of goo, it's not like run-flats are a necessity or anything.

[Johnny]

Alot of cars now don't come with a spare and just have a can of goo.

I have had 3 punctures in my time .... and every one of them couldn't be fixed with a can of Goo .... perhaps I am unlucky but all three were major tears through the tyre. none of them were caused by a nail all, large objects or catastrophic tyre failure

Thank god for the spare wheel I say

do fun flats work after you runner a lump of rock and tear a 3 inch gash in the tyre ?

[Quail]

I have had 3 punctures in my time .... and every one of them couldn't be fixed with a can of Goo .... perhaps I am unlucky but all three were major tears through the tyre. none of them were caused by a nail all, large objects or catastrophic tyre failure

Thank god for the spare wheel I say

do fun flats work after you runner a lump of rock and tear a 3 inch gash in the tyre ?

That's extremely unlucky; how many miles do you do?

After 10 years of driving, I only got my first debris related puncture last week (screw + AD08 = ) - I may have just jinxed myself, however.

On the subject of runflats, the ride on a friends E92 with M Sport suspension was unbearable; more crashy than my S14 on coilovers. We changed all 4 to normal tyres, and it transformed the handling, road noise, and ride comfort.

My F30 has runflats, and they're certainly not ideal, but brand new so I have no excuse to change them.

[Johnny]

That's extremely unlucky; how many miles do you do?

really not that many

the 1st was a nice night time drive from Bournemouth to Bristol, A-roads, unlit, winding fast and clipped a blooming great rock in the road that tore through the tyre ..... might have seen it if it was day, but at night, it just looked like art of the road

the 2nd was a nice 30mph clip to a kerb after an oncoming tractor decided to overtake a cyclist and I was forced to choose between the kerb or a big digger, the verb also tore a hole in the side wall and I destroyed a hub cap .... cor remember hub caps

and the 3rd was a brand new Goodyear F1 that delaminated on the edge after a whopping 500miles .... still I got a new tyre free from E-tyres

[big_mac]

I have a 7 series with 20" wheels which are fitted as standard with run flats, the ride is awesome. The ride is firm but very compliant, handles very nicley too and in sport mode is far more comfortable than friends cars with smaller wheels and a higher sidewall.

I've had 1 puncture which was from a pothole beside a drain cover, it ripped a 2-3" hole in the side wall of the tyre. Any other tyre I'd have been stranded but I got the car home with no wheel damage or dangerous/unpredictable handling. I've also hit countless potholes at decent speeds and the tyres are undamaged whereas friends have hit the same holes and have burst tyres.

I'd always prefer a spare wheel but I'd have run flats over tyre goo any time