Run Flats Suck

[skippybangkok]

Have Run Flats on the car (came new with the car), sounds good - no need for spare tire. What they dont tell you is they make a hell of a noise. The 7 yr old Camry is quieter in the cabin than BMW 5 series !

Any advice - can move over ? ( they recon suspension is tuned to the run flats ). Need to check in the boot if there is space for a spare.

[thaicbr]

they are only to get you to a repair centre. what's the problem?

[WarpSpeed]

they are only to get you to a repair centre. what's the problem?

Eh? He's talking about "run flat tires" which are on the car all the time like any other tires mounted only they don't go flat when they get punctured.. His complaint is they're noisy and his 7 year old Camry without them is quieter..

Edited March 25, 2012 by WarpSpeed

[Lickey]

OP, are you a rastifarian? cos rastis think BMW stands for Bob Marley and the Wailers, if so, put a cd in the player and wind it up, that should overcome the noise of your piece of re-cyled german junk,

[steveromagnino]

Minis have run flats as standard which are pretty unpopular from a ride comfort perspective; I know a lot of the owners switch to non run flats and carry a small repair kit which uses compressed air and a gum of some sort you spray into the tire, and that plugs the leak. Then go and get a proper repair somewhere or replace the tire.

The Volvo S60 I looked at had a system like this as standard (non run flats + little repair kit).

Works fine if you run reasonably common tire sizes, would not like the idea of running 18 or 19 inch low profiles then having to fix upcountry.....

[thaicbr]

they are only to get you to a repair centre. what's the problem?

Eh? He's talking about "run flat tires" which are on the car all the time like any other tires mounted only they don't go flat when they get punctured.. His complaint is they're noisy and his 7 year old Camry without them is quieter..

dohhhh. ok. my bad

[mogandave]

Unless something has changed significantly in the last few years, the only thing an aerosol repair kit will "fix" is a slow leak. You might do a little better plugging the hole first, and then using the aerosol, but this involves actually finding the hole, not so much fun on the side of the road in the dark. Also, if the bead is broken or you have a blow-out, you’re SOL.

Keep in mind, if you are lucky and get the tire to hold air (you only have one try with the aerosol) you still need to find the closest shop and let whomever is there start dicking with your alloys with whatever they have around to dick with. Please note: If you are ever in this situation, do yourself a favor and don’t watch.

I would not ride around without a spare on a bet.

That said, I do advocate keeping a little 12V compressor in the vehicle. If you end up with a flat due to a slow leak, you’re aired up and back on the road pretty quick.

BTW: Why is it blow-outs always seem to occur way out of town, on a narrow road, in the dark, and on the driver side back?

[skippybangkok]

Yep, you guys for the gist. They are permanently attached... And no spare in the boot. Unless someone knows of a good brand which is quiet, I recon in am going to buy one of them thin spare wheels, jack, nut thingy. The noise is pretty unbelievable and am positive was not like this when I bought the car

Edited March 26, 2012 by skippybangkok

[Spoonman]

Price up a new set of the run flats. the result will make you angrier than the noise they are making.

Buy a space saver/jack/wheel brace but for the love of god do not use that aerosol crap if you do get a puncture as your tyre will then be a throwaway item due to it not being easily repaired after that shit has been pumped into it.

[Brissance]

Yep, you guys for the gist. They are permanently attached... And no spare in the boot. Unless someone knows of a good brand which is quiet, I recon in am going to buy one of them thin spare wheels, jack, nut thingy. The noise is pretty unbelievable and am positive was not like this when I bought the car

Sorry to hear that you're not happy with the set-up and Thai road compatibility, with such an expensive ride. Unfortunately, you're kind of stuck with the runflats.

BMW design and tune the steering and suspension for this type of tire. Other tires won't have the required sidewall strength to maintain the balance of the steering and suspension set-up. Changing the tires, to a different type, requires further supplementary and costly changes elsewhere.

[Spoonman]

Sorry to hear that you're not happy with the set-up and Thai road compatibility, with such an expensive ride. Unfortunately, you're kind of stuck with the runflats.

BMW design and tune the steering and suspension for this type of tire. Other tires won't have the required sidewall strength to maintain the balance of the steering and suspension set-up. Changing the tires, to a different type, requires further supplementary and costly changes elsewhere.

Yeah nah.

Most bimmer owners only keep the runflats until they need replacing then swap out for conventional tyres with no ill effects on the vehicles on road performance, infact less unsprung mass helps the on road handling dynamics of the vehicle.

Edited March 26, 2012 by Spoonman

[WarpSpeed]

Yep, you guys for the gist. They are permanently attached... And no spare in the boot. Unless someone knows of a good brand which is quiet, I recon in am going to buy one of them thin spare wheels, jack, nut thingy. The noise is pretty unbelievable and am positive was not like this when I bought the car

Good luck on finding a space saver spare, (thin spare thingy) my cars have them and can't find one anywhere but if you do find one let me know please..

[WarpSpeed]

Sorry to hear that you're not happy with the set-up and Thai road compatibility, with such an expensive ride. Unfortunately, you're kind of stuck with the runflats.

BMW design and tune the steering and suspension for this type of tire. Other tires won't have the required sidewall strength to maintain the balance of the steering and suspension set-up. Changing the tires, to a different type, requires further supplementary and costly changes elsewhere.

Yeah nah.

Most bimmer owners only keep the runflats until they need replacing then swap out for conventional tyres with no ill effects on the vehicles on road performance, infact less unsprung mass helps the on road handling dynamics of the vehicle.

Seconded, there isn't anything so critical to keep him from using standard tires, I'd just get some low profile tires with a nice stiff sidewall..

[aussiebebe]

Okay, this is funny, there are so many BMW owners dissatisfied with run flat tires that there is a forum specifically for this - bmwrunflat.com. Plenty of advice on there.

[skippybangkok]

Yep, you guys for the gist. They are permanently attached... And no spare in the boot. Unless someone knows of a good brand which is quiet, I recon in am going to buy one of them thin spare wheels, jack, nut thingy. The noise is pretty unbelievable and am positive was not like this when I bought the car

Good luck on finding a space saver spare, (thin spare thingy) my cars have them and can't find one anywhere but if you do find one let me know please..

Cheers.... I have done 66k and still plenty of tread... Strange but true. Give me 12 months or so and I Might give u a buz where to find a slim wheel. I rarely drive super fast ( 160 kmh +. . ) and don't go screeching around the corners, so a decent tire should still do the trick. Might check out the forum and see what others do

[Brissance]

Sorry to hear that you're not happy with the set-up and Thai road compatibility, with such an expensive ride. Unfortunately, you're kind of stuck with the runflats.

BMW design and tune the steering and suspension for this type of tire. Other tires won't have the required sidewall strength to maintain the balance of the steering and suspension set-up. Changing the tires, to a different type, requires further supplementary and costly changes elsewhere.

Yeah nah.

Most bimmer owners only keep the runflats until they need replacing then swap out for conventional tyres with no ill effects on the vehicles on road performance, infact less unsprung mass helps the on road handling dynamics of the vehicle.

Seconded, there isn't anything so critical to keep him from using standard tires, I'd just get some low profile tires with a nice stiff sidewall..

So, recommend a tyre.

[WarpSpeed]

Sorry to hear that you're not happy with the set-up and Thai road compatibility, with such an expensive ride. Unfortunately, you're kind of stuck with the runflats.

BMW design and tune the steering and suspension for this type of tire. Other tires won't have the required sidewall strength to maintain the balance of the steering and suspension set-up. Changing the tires, to a different type, requires further supplementary and costly changes elsewhere.

Yeah nah.

Most bimmer owners only keep the runflats until they need replacing then swap out for conventional tyres with no ill effects on the vehicles on road performance, infact less unsprung mass helps the on road handling dynamics of the vehicle.

Seconded, there isn't anything so critical to keep him from using standard tires, I'd just get some low profile tires with a nice stiff sidewall..

So, recommend a tyre.

Yokohama Advan, GoodYear, Bridgestone, Dunlop, Nitto, BFG, Toyo, Michelin..................................... Do I need to list any more?

[WarpSpeed]

Yep, you guys for the gist. They are permanently attached... And no spare in the boot. Unless someone knows of a good brand which is quiet, I recon in am going to buy one of them thin spare wheels, jack, nut thingy. The noise is pretty unbelievable and am positive was not like this when I bought the car

Good luck on finding a space saver spare, (thin spare thingy) my cars have them and can't find one anywhere but if you do find one let me know please..

Cheers.... I have done 66k and still plenty of tread... Strange but true. Give me 12 months or so and I Might give u a buz where to find a slim wheel. I rarely drive super fast ( 160 kmh +. . ) and don't go screeching around the corners, so a decent tire should still do the trick. Might check out the forum and see what others do

12 months? Thanks but won't need it, will be back home driving something really fun and exciting...

Edited March 26, 2012 by WarpSpeed

[WarpSpeed]

they are only to get you to a repair centre. what's the problem?

Eh? He's talking about "run flat tires" which are on the car all the time like any other tires mounted only they don't go flat when they get punctured.. His complaint is they're noisy and his 7 year old Camry without them is quieter..

dohhhh. ok. my bad

[nonthaburial]

I just purchased a BMW X5 SUV and that too is fitted with run flats, but in the boot there is a smaller non standard spare wheel for extreme emergency use.

A run flat can take you around a further 60kms at low speeds, but the weird "spare is", i assume ,if you are out in the boondocks.

For the record the ride in the X5 is extremely smooth and quiet.

[Brissance]

If the car's new and the OP's only issue with the car is the road/tire noise and he doesn't want to compromise on specification, then maybe he could consider improving the noise suppression.

Adding Dynamat (or a similar material) is the way to go. Use a recommended (high end) audio dealership. I've seen new BMW's with upgraded audio/visual systems fitted, so I'd ask BMW where this is done.

[Brissance]

So, recommend a tyre.

Yokohama Advan, GoodYear, Bridgestone, Dunlop, Nitto, BFG, Toyo, Michelin..................................... Do I need to list any more?

Yes please.

A standard tire that isn't run flat, but fully compatible with BMW's RCC system, would work for me.

Then, you wouldn't need to alter; the steering geometry, change suspension components and amend the ESC algorithm.

Making changes which detract from the design definition and so, no longer comply with the design requirement, may be acceptable to some. It isn't for me. If I want a dog, I buy a dog. Not, a cat and a mod kit.

[Woodsie888]

So, recommend a tyre.

Yokohama Advan, GoodYear, Bridgestone, Dunlop, Nitto, BFG, Toyo, Michelin..................................... Do I need to list any more?

Yes please.

A standard tire that isn't run flat, but fully compatible with BMW's RCC system, would work for me.

Then, you wouldn't need to alter; the steering geometry, change suspension components and amend the ESC algorithm.

Making changes which detract from the design definition and so, no longer comply with the design requirement, may be acceptable to some. It isn't for me. If I want a dog, I buy a dog. Not, a cat and a mod kit.

[WarpSpeed]

So, recommend a tyre.

Yokohama Advan, GoodYear, Bridgestone, Dunlop, Nitto, BFG, Toyo, Michelin..................................... Do I need to list any more?

Yes please.

A standard tire that isn't run flat, but fully compatible with BMW's RCC system, would work for me.

Then, you wouldn't need to alter; the steering geometry, change suspension components and amend the ESC algorithm.

Making changes which detract from the design definition and so, no longer comply with the design requirement, may be acceptable to some. It isn't for me. If I want a dog, I buy a dog. Not, a cat and a mod kit.

No you're being silly any of the tire brands listed are more then adequate.. I will give you credit though you've managed to fall for all of the sales PR and engineering gobbledygook hook line and sinker falling for that "no other tires will work properly as the suspension is custom designed for these tires only" spiel..

Edited March 27, 2012 by WarpSpeed

[hakku]

Also consider that if you you run into a flat runflat, you must get it replaced. In BKK that works, once you're out more then 200km from BKK you must first find a tyre shop that can handle the de-mount and installation of run flats, then you must hope they have the tyre or otherwise wait a few days.

Go normal tire or get a set of wheels and go bigger. You can then throw one of your run flats in the boot as spare or get a small compressor 12V and buy Holtz tyre repair cans at BigC. In the current Porsche's that's what you get anyway. it works.

The ride is better, the tires are better priced.

Warp is right, the "normal" tires are perfectly suitable for the job.

Hak

Edited March 27, 2012 by hakku

[Brissance]

So, recommend a tyre.

Yokohama Advan, GoodYear, Bridgestone, Dunlop, Nitto, BFG, Toyo, Michelin..................................... Do I need to list any more?

Yes please.

A standard tire that isn't run flat, but fully compatible with BMW's RCC system, would work for me.

Then, you wouldn't need to alter; the steering geometry, change suspension components and amend the ESC algorithm.

Making changes which detract from the design definition and so, no longer comply with the design requirement, may be acceptable to some. It isn't for me. If I want a dog, I buy a dog. Not, a cat and a mod kit.

No you're being silly any of the tire brands listed are more then adequate.. I will give you credit though you've managed to fall for all of the sales PR and engineering gobbledygook hook line and sinker falling for that "no other tires will work properly as the suspension is custom designed for these tires only" spiel..

Silly? No.

I just have a different opinion and I believe that it's up to the OP to make his own decision on the way forward. Basing that decision on more, not less iinformation which is freely available.

At no time, have I said that standard tires can't be fitted. I did say that; if you do so and don't make other changes, then, BMW's design will have been compromised. It's up to the OP (or any-one else for that matter) to decides on a remedial course of action, for themselves.

Personally I don't see the point in paying a premium price for a car and then, downgrading it's features. If it was miy new car, I would have been talking to BMW. If the problem was solely road noise, then improving the sound absorbing matting would help to bring the noise level down to an acceptable level, if it didn't fix the problem entirely.

As far as falling for all that 'engineering gobbledygook' (whatever a 'gobbledygook' is) goes. As a qualified engineer, it aint gobbledygook (good word) to me. Admittedly, the price of replacing these tires is high. Especially when considering that they are a sacrificial item in the event of a puncture. Hopefully, as/if this tire technology is used more widely, the associated costs will reduce. Think back to all the everyday items you see today, which commanded a premium price not too long ago.

The documents that I quoted have different titles in different industries. They form part of a 'process set' which is a mandatory requirement for ISO 9000 accreditation. BMW is accredited with international standards ISO 9000 and ISO/TS 16949.

Having said all that, it seems the OP has already made his decision and I hope his choice works well, for him. Thanks for the 'gobbledygook', I'll try to use it in future.

[skippybangkok]

I just purchased a BMW X5 SUV and that too is fitted with run flats, but in the boot there is a smaller non standard spare wheel for extreme emergency use.

A run flat can take you around a further 60kms at low speeds, but the weird "spare is", i assume ,if you are out in the boondocks.

For the record the ride in the X5 is extremely smooth and quiet.

Sorry to Alarm you, but mine were too. I did a cabin noise test using iPhone noise measurement app, the Camry was alot noisier that the BMW when we first bought it. Not the case now....... the tires start making noise as they get older...... maybe less rubber between the road and the hard inner tyre..

[Spoonman]

We just fit these.

http://www.rodgard.com/

[mogandave]

I've never had run-flats, but if they are getting significantly louder, I would take them back right away.

[WarpSpeed]

Also consider that if you you run into a flat runflat, you must get it replaced. In BKK that works, once you're out more then 200km from BKK you must first find a tyre shop that can handle the de-mount and installation of run flats, then you must hope they have the tyre or otherwise wait a few days.

Go normal tire or get a set of wheels and go bigger. You can then throw one of your run flats in the boot as spare or get a small compressor 12V and buy Holtz tyre repair cans at BigC. In the current Porsche's that's what you get anyway. it works.

The ride is better, the tires are better priced.

Warp is right, the "normal" tires are perfectly suitable for the job.

Hak

Regards, a man with a back bone and knowledge to boot....