Everyone hates run flat tires... until

[Kevlar]

Everyone hates run flat tires ... until they save their life. Friend of mine was travelling at higher than normal speeds on the highway the other day when the flat tire light came on the dash. He says he really didn't give it much thought but erred on the cautious side and brought it back down to a cautious speed just in case.

He pulled off at the next exit into a gas station only to find a huge bolt had punctured his passenger rear tire. He said if he has a instant flat tire at those speeds more than likely the tire would have shredded from the rim cutting the tire and causing seperation.

After that ... he said he no longer hates the run flat tires. He dislikes the fact that they are heavier, but realizes they are that was for a reason and without them, he probably would have had a really bad day when it happened.

[TopasBlau46]

Everyone hates run flat tires ... until they save their life. Friend of mine was travelling at higher than normal speeds on the highway the other day when the flat tire light came on the dash. He says he really didn't give it much thought but erred on the cautious side and brought it back down to a cautious speed just in case.

He pulled off at the next exit into a gas station only to find a huge bolt had punctured his passenger rear tire. He said if he has a instant flat tire at those speeds more than likely the tire would have shredded from the rim cutting the tire and causing seperation.

After that ... he said he no longer hates the run flat tires. He dislikes the fact that they are heavier, but realizes they are that was for a reason and without them, he probably would have had a really bad day when it happened.

Maybe my experience was less intense, but basically the same thing happened to me and I just cut the wheel all the way over and signaled over to get in the breakdown lane and I managed fine. Let's put it this way, the wheel was in two pieces; the sidewall which was still connected to the wheel, and the tread which the wheel had managed to cut through. Basically, I was riding on wheel at 70mph with a very small amount sidewall and rubber (1-2 inches tops). This was on 93N at 8:00AM, so there's the traffic scenario for ya.

No separation here.

I'm still against run flats, I think that by the time run flats are perfected and supersede non-run flat tires, non air tires will have already taken over. I'm pretty sure they're just passing the beta phase.

[robmpulse]

I think a lot of people that dislike the run flat tires have jumped into the "they are heavier/handle less/have more noise" bandwagon. When in reality, they are living above their means and just don't want to pay $500 to replace a tire......

[325bob]

I know some well to do people who think $ 500 for a tire is ludicrous! Not to mention an overnight motel stay just because you had a flat!

[mryakan]

I know some well to do people who think $ 500 for a tire is ludicrous! Not to mention an overnight motel stay just because you had a flat!
Much better than a hospital stay :rolleyes. And no one ever though what happens if you get 2 flats at the same time :confused. No issues with RFT as long as you can find a motel within 120 miles or so, usually not a problem.

[MIMI1]

I know some well to do people who think $ 500 for a tire is ludicrous! Not to mention an overnight motel stay just because you had a flat!

My E36 comes with a tool kit, a jack, a full size spare.

non runflat > runflat

/argument

[mryakan]

My E36 comes with a tool kit, a jack, a full size spare.

non runflat > runflat

/argument
They also come with a dipstick :D.

[bmwfan21]

Yikes. Glad nothing happened to you guys.

[Matt H]

Run flat tires offer all sorts of advantages, price isnt one of them. Each tire is designed specifically for the vehicle they are going on and they are incredibly low volume which pushes the price up. There has also been an issue with supply.

The tires are heavier but the reality is that doesnt matter except on a track car. It's also a plus for the car manufacturer because they dont have to put in a spare tire well, jack, spare tire, etc, etc (which more than negates the additional weight per tire). That is the real reason most manufacturers went to RFT to begin with.

[mfratt]

I don't like that they're not an option. Weight doesn't really matter, but they are a lot noisier, right?

At the very least, make rft's a no-cost option.

[timsev]

You guys have to think about the general population. Most of us on here know how to change a tire if needed and it's no big deal. But the majority of drivers don't even know where to look if they get a flat. RFT's take the trouble and hassle out of it for a lot of people. They just drive into the dealer, buy a new tire, and be on their way. You're going to see it more and more in the future so get used to it. If you don't like it, don't buy the car.

[Kevlar]

My E36 comes with a tool kit, a jack, a full size spare.

non runflat > runflat

/argument
A jack and spare isn't going to help you when you have a sudden loss of tire pressure at triple digit speeds. More than likely the tire is going to shred and send you into one ditch while it sends your fender into the one across the street.

The jack/spare thing is good, but not better than a runflat for saving people who think they are on a cannonball run to work.

[MIMI1]

A jack and spare isn't going to help you when you have a sudden loss of tire pressure at triple digit speeds. More than likely the tire is going to shred and send you into one ditch while it sends your fender into the one across the street.

The jack/spare thing is good, but not better than a runflat for saving people who think they are on a cannonball run to work.

but then again how often are you going triple digits here in the usa?

and how often do you get blow outs or sudden loss of psi?

i dont think that 500$ a tire which can be replaced for much less without rft is worth it

[Stück]

A jack and spare isn't going to help you when you have a sudden loss of tire pressure at triple digit speeds. More than likely the tire is going to shred and send you into one ditch while it sends your fender into the one across the street.

The jack/spare thing is good, but not better than a runflat for saving people who think they are on a cannonball run to work.So have you ever been in a highway speed blow out scenario, or have you just been watching movies? Seriously.. if you are just going straight and a tire blows apart its not world ending. Hold the wheel, apply brakes with ease, and carefully pull over.

Now if you are holding the steering wheel with your knees while talking on the cellphone and sipping a frapachio you are not going to have a good day.. but thats just Darwinism..

[Takashi]

There is no point arguing about Run-flats and non run flats. You either love it or hate it.

I personally don't want to go through the hassle of changing a tire in a packed freeway or in an empty road. All it takes is a small mistake from a single driver to change my life forever.

[robjohnson]

Runflat is a good proposition for the manufacturer because it's one less wheel and tire to supply with each new car. This probably saves them a bundle per car that leaves the factory. I prefer a standard tire at this point. Eventually I doubt there will be much of a difference between the two.

[Ryan666]

I've been in a sudden loss of psi situation and its not that bad. Granted I wasn't driving the vehicle, but we didn't go flying into a ditch or anything crazy. For the record we were going 80 MPH and it was a rear tire. Still if you are paying attention its a recoverable situation without RFTs.

[BimmerBoy740I]

Yes...run flats are great if you have a sudden and total loss of tire pressure...but come on...how often does that actually happen? Most of the time, it is a screw in your tire or a nail that you pick up while driving around on some rubbish road in an industrial complex... Without a spare and a jack, you are stuffed!

Something I found out the other day with BMW is that the wheel camber is adjusted in such a way that the front wheels curve in every so slightly towards each other. Meaning that if you drew a line on the ground through the direction of the tire, the lines would cross about 10 meters infront of you. BMW designed it this way so that if you had a blow out, the car would naturally pull the wheels inward allowing you to keep control...

The only argument that runflat tires have in my country is that you can keep driving until you can get somewhere safe to pull over. If you are female and have a flat tire in the country on a dark road, you run the risk of either being rapped, shot or kidnapped :(

[Stück]

The only argument that runflat tires have in my country is that you can keep driving until you can get somewhere safe to pull over. If you are female and have a flat tire in the country on a dark road, you run the risk of either being rapped, shot or kidnapped :(Or you can be like my wife, or got a flat on a brand new $200 Michelin, and instead of pulling over and trying to change it with everything she needed in the trunk... just drove several miles home on the flat and destroyed the tire and tore up the wheel. :rolleyes

[Scimitar]

I was driving 80mph when i nailed something on the freeway as I heard a clunking metal sound coming from the rear of the car. My FTM came on and I took the nearest exit and pulled over in a gas station. Due to the thickness of the sidewall of the RFT I wasnt sure which tire was flat. found out it was my D/S rear tire that was flat. Called up a used tire shop in the vicinity, continued on over there with the tire totally flat, and had it replaced with the same brand tire 75% tread for 70 out the door.

When they took off the damaged tire there was a huge hole in the middle of the tread line. Something had took a huge chunk out of the tire (the size of a tennis ball) and went in, hit the rim, and bounced out. There is no way a regular tire would have survived that. At 80+ mph and that kind of damage I would have been screwed.

RFTs saved my arse...

ps I had a couple flat/blown tires in my e36... being stuck on the shoulder of any freeway and replacing your tire with a steel spare is EMBARASSING

[themadhatter]

I think a lot of people that dislike the run flat tires have jumped into the "they are heavier/handle less/have more noise" bandwagon. When in reality, they are living above their means and just don't want to pay $500 to replace a tire......

My e36 currently has runflat tires from Bridgestone. They are of the worst behaving tires that I have ever experienced on my car or any car at speed or even around town. Have you actually driven a car and logged 500+ miles to actually have a real world opinion from using them?

Runflat tires are an engineering and design bandaid. There are many alternatives to running around with a set of runflats. Keeping a tire kit in the truck or AAA (cheap and spectacular benefits including hotel and rental car reimbursements).

I keep a tire kit in my pickup which contains a small yet powerful air compressor, box cutter, tire plugs, reamer, pliers etc to keep my 6 wheeled truck on the road....I have never used the spare tire on it in all of it's 68,xxx miles. This kit is no larger then a box of Tissues.

I have already purchased a new set of tires to rid myself of these horrible runflats and they'll be mounted in the spring.

[325bob]

Stuck, what a great point! Run Flats have been here forever, just keep driving to the tire store and buy a rim and tire, cost might even be close, BTW, I think I may have had 5 flats in 45 years, talk about neurosis! BTW#2, a flat at speed isn't flat, centrifugal force will give remarkable road feel, but not so good on a bike!

[NMMR]

Just get solid tires.


END THREAD

[Takashi]

My e36 currently has runflat tires from Bridgestone. They are of the worst behaving tires that I have ever experienced on my car or any car at speed or even around town. Have you actually driven a car and logged 500+ miles to actually have a real world opinion from using them?

The run flats I use works fine; however they are installed on cars with suspension designed for runflats. May be you need to spend some time tuning your suspension.

[Scimitar]

as one poster said. You either love them or hate them. i love them so i am going to keep them. i am not a hardcore driver nor do i track my cars. the performance junkies hate the rft's and the casual speeders like me love them :)

[tiFreak]

A jack and spare isn't going to help you when you have a sudden loss of tire pressure at triple digit speeds.

don't go triple-digit speeds? :dunno I have what is potentially the most riced out E36 on the forum and even I know that's just stupid

[Kevlar]

and how often do you get blow outs or sudden loss of psi?

i dont think that 500$ a tire which can be replaced for much less without rft is worth it

Probably rare ... but the chances of a house catching fire or flooding are pretty rare too but people still carry a fair share of home owners insurance and flood insurance.


So have you ever been in a highway speed blow out scenario, or have you just been watching movies? Seriously.. if you are just going straight and a tire blows apart its not world ending.

Depends on who's driving... I'm far from perfect, but I consider myself better than some. I've had a tire shred on me when I had it, but I wasn't going nearly as fast as some go on the highway. Luckily didn't damage the car any. Somebody who has no clue what they are doing, on the other hand, I have no doubt they'd end up in a ditch, even if they weren't driving with their knees and on the cell phone.

[Stück]

Stuck, what a great point! Run Flats have been here forever, just keep driving to the tire store and buy a rim and tire, cost might even be close.I was actually trying to say my wife was stupid for doing that, since she had a full size spare, lug wrench, jack, everything she needed in the trunk. She was just too lazy to even attempt it, much less get out of the car.... just kept on driving.

[dryle]

If I could afford runflats for my wifes car/bus, I would get them for her.

[paulmer]

I hate runflats. My moms mini-cooper came with runflats...felt like you were driving around on bricks. Ugh. DO NOT WANT.

[Toxic0n]

I had a tire explode at 183km/h in my old 1990 Celica GTS and I had no trouble maintaining control and coming to stop safely. I could see the spark in my side view mirror from the wheel rubbing on the road - and it was on of the front tires that exploded. Took out my fender lining, too. That's when I learned about ZR rated tires...Run flat tires are for people that are too lazy to change their own.

[Takashi]

Run flat tires are for people that are too lazy to change their own.

I agree with you. Why change a RFT by yourself if you don't have to?

[themadhatter]

The run flats I use works fine; however they are installed on cars with suspension designed for runflats. May be you need to spend some time tuning your suspension.
the suspension isn't getting tweaked any further then it already is. ride quality on Goodyear F1 GSD-3 rubber (same size as the RFT) was night and day smoother). the 'tuning' that you're referring to would be a softer and more lazy suspension that I choose not to run. thank you but no thank you.

the tires are going on ebay (or the dumpster) soon, if you want them, you're more then welcome to them.

[themadhatter]

I agree with you. Why change a RFT by yourself if you don't have to?
because they aren't designed to be driven long distances while a full size spare IS a long term replacement if needed to complete your trip. having no spare is a flawed idea.

drove to detroit from Jersey. got a flat in the middle of no where in PA, swapped my spare tire on and continued my trip without any issues. if I had run flats, I would have been in bad shape to find a shop willing to work on them (believe it or not, many shops fear RFTs as some sort of voodoo tires). if I couldn't get them repaired (major damage) then I'd be at the mercy of the local tire shop (if I found one) to sell me a tire that was an RFT and the right size...if they even had one.

[fyfee]

themadhatter, with 33,000 posts, 4 cars with turbos and 2 without please please please tell me your car has run flat rims too....otherwise your run flat tires are useless

[mryakan]

don't go triple-digit speeds? :dunno I have what is potentially the most riced out E36 on the forum and even I know that's just stupid
Tell that to a German on the AutoBahn. Fact is the safety and convenience of RFTs is well worth the downsides. Getting stuck with a flat on the side of the road on a rainy or snowy day is neither convenient nor safe. Been there, done that, and Thank the heavens for runflats.

[mryakan]

I was actually trying to say my wife was stupid for doing that, since she had a full size spare, lug wrench, jack, everything she needed in the trunk. She was just too lazy to even attempt it, much less get out of the car.... just kept on driving.
I don't blame her and I don't think it is laziness. Just think about what kind of attention a woman stranded on the side of the road would attract. yeah maybe a good samaritan would stop and help but chances are some horny idiot will pull over and try to harass her even if she tried to change her tire, not to mention she might not want to break a nail, ruin her hair or smudge her dress, all valid reasons and you are better off with a shredded tire and wheel than a pissed off woman, you know what I am talking about ;).

[mryakan]

Run flat tires are for people that are too lazy to change their own.
And who wouldn't like to be lazy if they can. I'd love to sit on my couch and have a drink deliver itself to me, or have someone wipe my rear end for me if possible. Wait, I actually heard there are "homes" where they do that for you ;).

[mryakan]

because they aren't designed to be driven long distances while a full size spare IS a long term replacement if needed to complete your trip. having no spare is a flawed idea.

drove to detroit from Jersey. got a flat in the middle of no where in PA, swapped my spare tire on and continued my trip without any issues. if I had run flats, I would have been in bad shape to find a shop willing to work on them (believe it or not, many shops fear RFTs as some sort of voodoo tires). if I couldn't get them repaired (major damage) then I'd be at the mercy of the local tire shop (if I found one) to sell me a tire that was an RFT and the right size...if they even had one.
You are not going to get anywhere far with a donut either. I had to buy a temp tire when I had a flat while visiting Boston in my e36 just so I can get to Ottawa and then had to buy a "real" replacement (still have that tire too, wanna put it on eBay with you? ;)). Same would hold for runflats, only difference is I wouldn't have had to change a damn flat and spend an hour on my ti doing so (Yes changing the tire on a ti is a PITA, not a 10 min job).

[NMMR]

why not have run flats AND a full size spare?

[mryakan]

why not have run flats AND a full size spare?
Why not have 4 spares, and a hoist :rolleyes. It all adds weight and takes away space on otherwise smallish cars. The 5 series and 7 series do get a full size spare along with the RFTs but they have room to spare *pun intended*. Also think what would happen if you had some road debris or a pothole puncture more than one tire, it is either wait for a tow truck on the side of the road or drive home/work/important meeting if you have . Some people can't afford to have their schedules disrupted by a flat (luckily I am not one of those people).

[Takashi]

There are other issues too. What happens if you are carrying passengers where some (or all) of them have a short fuse when they get stuck on the side of the road because of a flat tire?.

Last year my gf and her mom decides to take a road trip from Edmonton to Calgary (~ 300 km) by Greyhound because I was reluctant to drive them there and back. My gf and her mom took a ride in her brother's car when coming back to Edmonton.

About 80 km outside of Edmonton her brother's car got a flat tire (rapid deflation due to puncture near sidewall) while travelling along the highway. My gf called me and ask me what to do. I asked her to stop the car and change the tire. They parked on the side of the highway but cannot do anything because 1) her mom don't know what to do. 2) My gf doesn't know how to change tire or she don't want to get herself dirty. 3) Her brother's gf is too weak to do anything since she got her wisdom teeth removed. 4) My gf's mom won't let her brother to change the tire because it was dangerous on the highway.

And the end I have to stop what I was doing (I was looking at the 2007 BMW E90 at the time when she called) and go to my gf's house and pick up her dad's SUV (and her dad) and drive ~ 80 km highway to locate their car so I can drive them home. When I got there, my gf and her mom won't let me change the tire for them (Keep in mind I was probably the most mechanical skilled out of all 6 people) At the end we called a tow truck to have the guy change the tire.

The tow truck bill came to $150.00 (change tire, 50km outside of city...etc). The gas bill for my gf's dad's SUV = $20.00 (160km). The cell phone bill (roaming, long distance) came to about $10.00.

In summary, this whole ordeal cost ~ $180 bucks and it does not include the 3 hours lost because of a flat tire. I also have to put up with my gf's mom complaining that I should be the one who drove them to Calgary and the time wasted because of the flat tire. There were 6 people involved in this whole ordeal. If each of us get paid $10.00 / h and the event took 3 hours to correct, the sum of time lost will = $180 bucks. In other words, a fiat tire in my gf's brother's car bears a minimum lum sum of $360.00.

What would've happened if he have run flat installed? The TPMS will alert the driver of the car and he can still drive home w/o having to stop to get the tire replaced. It will take him an extra hour to get home since he can't go > 80 km/h. There is no need to risk changing a flat tire on a highway where everyone travels > 120km/h and there is no need to bring out an extraction team to take you home.

Do I think RFT is worth it? Of course.

[edhchoe]

Got a flat today in my non-RFT and didn't even notice it until I went to get in the car at work and noticed that the LR tire was flat!
I took out the full size spare from the trunk and it was not up to the proper pressure either but much better than a flat tire. I will have to go get flat repaired after work.

[mryakan]

Got a flat today in my non-RFT and didn't even notice it until I went to get in the car at work and noticed that the LR tire was flat!
I took out the full size spare from the trunk and it was not up to the proper pressure either but much better than a flat tire. I will have to go get flat repaired after work.
You bring up a good point. I can't recall the number of times I ended up spending half an hour changing a spare on my dad's cars only to find the spare is flat too :(. Imagine how much worse your day will get. RFT don't solve all the problems but they are definitely a step forward AFAIAC. A runflat + spare is a close to ideal solution, but at the expense of space which is an issue on "smaller" cars.

[nort0188]

How about runflats AND A SPARE. No loss of control, and can get you safely to an area where you can change it out and continue on your way.


They're still loud and expensive though.

[tiFreak]

There are other issues too. What happens if you are carrying passengers where some (or all) of them have a short fuse when they get stuck on the side of the road because of a flat tire?.

<snip>

as amusing as that story is, it really has more to do with the people involved than the tire, I'll keep my non-RFT's thank you

[BimmerBoy740I]

There are other issues too. What happens if you are carrying passengers where some (or all) of them have a short fuse when they get stuck on the side of the road because of a flat tire?.

Last year my gf and her mom decides to take a road trip from Edmonton to Calgary (~ 300 km) by Greyhound because I was reluctant to drive them there and back. My gf and her mom took a ride in her brother's car when coming back to Edmonton.

About 80 km outside of Edmonton her brother's car got a flat tire (rapid deflation due to puncture near sidewall) while travelling along the highway. My gf called me and ask me what to do. I asked her to stop the car and change the tire. They parked on the side of the highway but cannot do anything because 1) her mom don't know what to do. 2) My gf doesn't know how to change tire or she don't want to get herself dirty. 3) Her brother's gf is too weak to do anything since she got her wisdom teeth removed. 4) My gf's mom won't let her brother to change the tire because it was dangerous on the highway.

And the end I have to stop what I was doing (I was looking at the 2007 BMW E90 at the time when she called) and go to my gf's house and pick up her dad's SUV (and her dad) and drive ~ 80 km highway to locate their car so I can drive them home. When I got there, my gf and her mom won't let me change the tire for them (Keep in mind I was probably the most mechanical skilled out of all 6 people) At the end we called a tow truck to have the guy change the tire.

The tow truck bill came to $150.00 (change tire, 50km outside of city...etc). The gas bill for my gf's dad's SUV = $20.00 (160km). The cell phone bill (roaming, long distance) came to about $10.00.

In summary, this whole ordeal cost ~ $180 bucks and it does not include the 3 hours lost because of a flat tire. I also have to put up with my gf's mom complaining that I should be the one who drove them to Calgary and the time wasted because of the flat tire. There were 6 people involved in this whole ordeal. If each of us get paid $10.00 / h and the event took 3 hours to correct, the sum of time lost will = $180 bucks. In other words, a fiat tire in my gf's brother's car bears a minimum lum sum of $360.00.

What would've happened if he have run flat installed? The TPMS will alert the driver of the car and he can still drive home w/o having to stop to get the tire replaced. It will take him an extra hour to get home since he can't go > 80 km/h. There is no need to risk changing a flat tire on a highway where everyone travels > 120km/h and there is no need to bring out an extraction team to take you home.

Do I think RFT is worth it? Of course.
Bearing in mind that you can only drive on a run flat tire for a MAXIMUM of 80KM at 80KM/h, the chances are that the truck would have had to get them anyway or they would have had to stay in a hotel waiting for the runflat tire to arrive from the supplier!

The whole idea behind runflats and where they work is that most people do not do more than 80KM journeys in their day, so if they got a flat, 90% of them would be able to make it back home and wait for a spare to arrive or take the other car. You are SCREWED if you go for a long journey across the country. Who wants to be stuck out in Nevada Desert with a Runflat and no spare...you will be dead by the time they get to you???!!!???

+1 on the idea for runflats and a runflat spare in the trunk...

Rawdon

[absent]

I dunno, i really don't like the idea of making a sacrifice ALL of the time for the potential few moments when something might actually happen to a tire that would warrant run-flats.

I've had a pair of tires on the same side completely shredded at basically the same time by a random piece of steel at ~90km/h. It was pretty startling and definitely got my heart going, but it wasn't anything even remotely unmanageable, and didn't really seem like something that warrants having runflats on all the time. I'm sure it would've been much more frightening were i doing triple digit mph speeds (160km/h+).

But the thing is, the only reason i ran into this issue at all was because the piece of sharpened steel i hit was buried under a fresh layer of snow, meaning that it happened in the winter...You can probably see my point here...

[325bob]

I dunno, i really don't like the idea of making a sacrifice ALL of the time for the potential few moments when something might actually happen to a tire that would warrant run-flats.

I've had a pair of tires on the same side completely shredded at basically the same time by a random piece of steel at ~90km/h. It was pretty startling and definitely got my heart going, but it wasn't anything even remotely unmanageable, and didn't really seem like something that warrants having runflats on all the time. I'm sure it would've been much more frightening were i doing triple digit mph speeds (160km/h+).

But the thing is, the only reason i ran into this issue at all was because the piece of sharpened steel i hit was buried under a fresh layer of snow, meaning that it happened in the winter...You can probably see my point here...

Now you're on to it, sacrifice is what the neurotics don't get, all they know is worry, look at the millions of 4wds out there now, I'd bet 99% never needed 4wd, but they will live with 10mpg and rollovers "just in case".And then theres the Hummers, with the look at me syndrome.

[GR330ZHP]

I guess they're not that bad, but the thing that bugs me the worst, is that the cars don't have a spare!

I have family and friends that have Mercedes with runflats and they still have some sort of spare... those cars are an 05 E55 AMG, and an 05 SLK55 AMG and they at least have a donut...

I miss the days when cars especially BMWs had full-size spare tires! ie...my dads E32 735iL and 03 X5, but his M3 doesnt have anything, except the M mobility system!

[Kevlar]

Having a spare these days takes up a huge amount of trunk room. Having a spare that's able to clear a 14" brake rotor/caliper up front would be huge. Let alone having a full size 19" spare tire in the truck.

Having a spare in the past was easier because rims/tires were smaller. I can't even imagine something like a 22" rim/tire acting as a spare for a Rolls Royce.

Anyway, back to the topic (as this topic will be coming up in the next Neucast Podcast).

Runflats have their place... majority of the driving public who don't know how to deal with such a problem will be saved by runflats. Granted, those who are performance inclined will know how to deal with a rapid tire deflation when it happens to prevent total destruction.

So basically it boils down to the same methodology of insurance... do you either pay for it now up front with the higher cost and added rolling resistance penalties or do you pay for it later when you have a rapid tire deflation and the tire shreds and takes the fender with it?

[iM6xy]

Everyone hates run flat tires ... until they save their life. Friend of mine was travelling at higher than normal speeds on the highway the other day when the flat tire light came on the dash. He says he really didn't give it much thought but erred on the cautious side and brought it back down to a cautious speed just in case.

He pulled off at the next exit into a gas station only to find a huge bolt had punctured his passenger rear tire. He said if he has a instant flat tire at those speeds more than likely the tire would have shredded from the rim cutting the tire and causing seperation.

After that ... he said he no longer hates the run flat tires. He dislikes the fact that they are heavier, but realizes they are that was for a reason and without them, he probably would have had a really bad day when it happened.


it is a shocker that the police does not use them