Run flat or non run flat tires...thoughts

[riverroyal]

My wife's GLC 300 has 20" run flats. They are toast at 16k miles. Pretty pathetic.
There is no spare
You can only drive 50ish miles on a flat
They ride like shit, very stiff.

Car has mb assist for road side emergency.

Is it worth run flats again? Also stupid expensive. A flat without means a tow truck, so it's a gamble.

Thoughts??

 

[Mandelon]

My wife has em on her X-5. Same dilemma. Harsh ride. But do I wan't my wife on the side of the road? She was Ok with the ride and she is the one who drives it. We went the run flats again.

 

[n2otoofast4u]

We had this same conversation about my wife's BMW. The run flats are STUPID expensive. We decided that we have AAA, so if there is a problem they could get the damn thing to a repair center if needed.

 

[RodnJen]

Wife has them on her SUV. I hate them for the same reasons you posted. First set lasted 15k, next set (different brand) lasted 25k. I bought a spare just in case, but still buy the run flats because she says she feels safer. There are more arguments against them than for, but it comes down to your personal situation.

 

[Boat 405]

I had them on my 13 e63. I hated them, I switched over to regular non run flats. Worlds apart difference. I told my wife if she ever has a flat, destroy the wheel if you have to get off the freeway or somewhere safe. I'll buy a new set of wheels and tires for you if necessary.

 

[throttle]

I just replaced a set of run flats for the bmw. Wife drives it most of the week, sometimes to havasu. My thought was to have the ability to get to a safe location off the highway in a well lit area at night if needed.
I stopped to help a girl a few months ago that had run flats on a bmw, the problem she had wasn’t that the tire went flat tho- she had hit something that bent the wheel so it had a gap at the bead and lost pressure. She ended up on a tow anyway.


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[pronstar]

Modern performance tires just don't last long, run flats or not.

Carmakers are moving to them so that they don't need to waste space/weight on a spare, as noted.

Newer model run flats are better than they were even just a few years ago, to the point where even Lexus - the king of ride quality - is slowly beginning to embrace them again.

So a brand-new model of run flat (something introduced within the last year or two) might be a bit better than what your car came with.

But currently a run flat can't really provide that last added bit of sidewall compliance that a conventional tire offers.

You also have to consider peace of mind - if you're out in the middle of nowhere without cell service, a flat conventional tire - with no spare since your car came with run flats - can make a bad situation much worse.



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[Chili Palmer]

When we changed the wheels on our BMW 5 series I went with the Michelin Pilot Super Sports, unfortunately the size in the rear wasn't a run-flat size. As little as I drove the car, the only difference I could tell when I changed over to the non runflats in a +1 upgrade is that there was more road noise with the shorter sidewall. If I could I would run on runflats - I like the piece of mind that if a tire loses pressure I don't have to worry about it sending chunks of tire at an explosive force, damaging the car in the process, and if it does lose air I can still drive on it to get it repaired/replaced. Since it was on my wife's car it also gave both of us a piece of mind that she'd be safe and able to drive on it if the tire went flat.

 

[rvrrun]

My wife's JCW comes with run flats, but we went to a standard performance tire when she burned through them. It rides and handles much better w/o the run flats and she has a AAA card and a can of fix a flat. Except for running up the 110 to Kings games, the car is mainly run around the South Bay. She has about 35k on it and it's ready for its fourth set of tires. She loves driving the hell out of that thing.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

No run flats, ever. They suck. Carry a can of fix a flat and an emergency 12V compressor and call it a day.

 

[AzGeo]

Thought I just placed a post in this thread, but I don't see it .

OEM "runflats" didn't last at all . went to BFG G-force "DKWS" (?) regular high speed tires .

Drive the car everywhere, no problems, 38,000 miles on them and about 7/32" left .

Here in Havasu, the sidewalls crack and fail long before we wear out a set of normal compound tires .
Got some 7 year old Nitto's on our old ESV and the tread is 8/32 (per Discount tire) but the sidewalls have tiny cracks where the "tread is bonded to the carcass" .

IMO, "run flats" run hotter (more failures in hot weather) and are only offered in "softer compounds" , which don't last .

 

[Bobby V]

Thought I just placed a post in this thread, but I don't see it .

OEM "runflats" didn't last at all . went to BFG G-force "DKWS" (?) regular high speed tires .

Drive the car everywhere, no problems, 38,000 miles on them and about 7/32" left .

Here in Havasu, the sidewalls crack and fail long before we wear out a set of normal compound tires .
Got some 7 year old Nitto's on our old ESV and the tread is 8/32 (per Discount tire) but the sidewalls have tiny cracks where the "tread is bonded to the carcass" .

IMO, "run flats" run hotter (more failures in hot weather) and are only offered in "softer compounds" , which don't last .

There are 2 run flat threads for some reason.

 

[SBMech]

Soon as they are gone, make sure AAA is current and upgraded to Premium (a suggestion I make to all my clients, 100$ a year for 1 200 mile tow and 3 100 mile tows will save your ass) then toss a can of fix-a-flat in the trunk, call it a day. Run Flats suck balls.

I had a client go through 4 rear tires in a period of 5 months last year, all run flat punctures..newer Porsche...only $500 a pop...lol. Gets spendy quick if you are unlucky.

 

[Vmjtc3]

I'm in the same boat right now, The Wife's BMW is due for it's first set of tires and I don't know what to do. I'm tempted to go with the run flats again because it spends most of its life within 10 miles of home, so she can always get home??

 

[riverroyal]

Sorry for the 2 threads, that was me I think. Hit submit twice.

So it's about 50 50 on yes and no. I've read there are better tires out there. It currently have Bridgestone dueler hp. The suv has been back to mb twice for a ongoing front suspension issue which still has no fix. Ridiculous, my last mb.
I'm going to stop at discount tomorrow, then mb

 

[SBMech]

Sorry for the 2 threads, that was me I think. Hit submit twice.

So it's about 50 50 on yes and no. I've read there are better tires out there. It currently have Bridgestone dueler hp. The suv has been back to mb twice for a ongoing front suspension issue which still has no fix. Ridiculous, my last mb.
I'm going to stop at discount tomorrow, then mb

They will stall you for as long as possible, they want to get you out of warranty. Call up MB NA if you have had it in more than 2x for the same issue.

 

[bagged97taco]

look into the Bridgestone drive guard line. They don't make some of the higher performance wider sizes. But they are a good run flat tire at a good price. What most retailers won't tell you is they have a free replacement if something happens in the first year or 12k miles.

 

[riverroyal]

look into the Bridgestone drive guard line. They don't make some of the higher performance wider sizes. But they are a good run flat tire at a good price. What most retailers won't tell you is they have a free replacement if something happens in the first year or 12k miles.

They don't make the size I need! Looked at those earlier

 

[Ziggy]

There are 2 run flat threads for some reason.

Mods need to merge 'em.

 

[Works909]

I'm buying this when its time for tires

 

[Duffster]

Run flat tires handle and ride like crap. I had a Mini Cooper S that I switched over to normal good performance tires and it made a huge difference in ride quality.