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08-03-2007, 03:11 AM | #1 |
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If you're ditching the RFT's what'll you do in case of a flat?
I know the rft's suck, but are you really going to carry around a can of fix a flat as your back up? I remember workin at Discount Tire when I was in college and customers came in with that crap in their tires. What a disaster!! It didn't work back then (late 90's) and all it did was inject a ton of nasty creamy liquid between your rim and tire that you had to be able to feel whoooshing around as the car drove. Is the fix a flat technology better now? What will you be using as your back up in case you get a flat in the middle of nowhere? Curious...
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08-03-2007, 07:20 AM | #2 |
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Run flats are a great concept - but a pretty lame and expensive product at the moment.
I ditched my OE runflats after 10k miles on my Z4...they were worn down to nothing. I put Pirelli P-Zero-Nero M&S's on (at 1/3 the cost of the runflats) and haven't worried about it. I've run w. this tire on 2 different cars since they brought it out in the early 2000's. Caught a 6" knife in my sidewall on I-70 in St. Louis with 2" in the tire...no problem. As you know BMW has a tire-leak indicator light on the dashboard that is very accurate- I'm not running in the desert or some forlorn place that doesn't have tire-repair shops. My advice, take the runflats off almost immed after getting your 1-er and store them. Put 'em back on when you turn in the car off lease or cpo inspected. Run-flats don't have the bite and traction/adhesion that a quality hi-performance or ultra-high performance tire has...and now that a variety of manufacturers are making all-season u-h-p's the runflats are a piss-poor choice that every BMW customer is stuck with. |
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08-03-2007, 07:56 AM | #3 |
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I remember hearing a while ago from someone I knew that had a Z4 that had bitched and moaned to his dealer about the run flats. Turned out the suspension the Z4 was not tuned for the RFT's as they were an afterthought. That may be total bs, just something I heard.
I will def test out the rf's when I get them before making a swap. Hopefully the noticeability of the problems will be offset somewhat by the fact that the roads are really good here as compared to the states. There are some of the best I've ever seen, and it's even better in SOME of the neighboring countries. Holland has some of the smoothest highways I've ever put rubber to tarmac on. Amazing. They're putting the revenue collected from the 'extra-curricular' activities to good use there. |
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08-03-2007, 08:09 AM | #4 |
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I plan on swapping the RFT's for winter tires on the stock wheels and purchase alternate running gear for summer. Any idea if a dealer would give you anything for a set of brand new tires? If I could work out a deal I'd have my summer set ready when the car came in and let the dealer take the RFT's immediately.
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08-03-2007, 08:15 AM | #5 | |
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But the runflat's as they are now aren't the tire they should be for the price. If I had good roads to run on- I'd probably stick with the runflats- as is tho, I'll trade out as soon as I can after recovering from the purchase hit. |
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08-03-2007, 09:05 AM | #7 |
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There are several 3rd party kits available that are less expensive & just as good.
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08-03-2007, 09:08 AM | #8 |
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08-03-2007, 09:10 AM | #9 |
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08-03-2007, 09:25 AM | #10 |
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Yes, I'd like to know more about the M-kit. These are my original runflats just after delivery to my dealer.
One thing...they look great. Check out the inner lip- totally protects the edge of the wheel...something I've learned not all tires do. |
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08-03-2007, 12:27 PM | #12 |
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M Mobility is a tire goo/air pump solution, like many others, but it's a nice package, fits in the diminutive fake spare tire well of most BMWs, and has little roundels on it... :wink:
M cars get away with that only.. I think I'd be good with it as well... In the unlikely scenario that I get a blow out, there's always Roadside Assistance. |
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08-03-2007, 12:30 PM | #13 |
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There's only a couple.. They all stink. Of the runflats, the Bridgestone RE-050A RF's are decent. RF technology uses extremely thick sidewalls on the tires, making them ridiculously firm, and quite harsh on substantial bumps.
When I run non-RFs on my e90, the grip and comfort increase immensely. |
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08-03-2007, 12:37 PM | #14 | |
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08-03-2007, 12:44 PM | #15 |
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Bridgestone, Dunlop, Continental, and Michelin, I believe.
Ive used the latest generation of Fix-A-Flat and it works well. So I will have no problem using that when the run flats are replaced. That said, I still prefer the run-flat technology... just wish they werent as expensive. |
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08-03-2007, 01:00 PM | #16 |
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08-03-2007, 01:39 PM | #18 |
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I also found a kit similar to the Conti-kit at my local auto part store for $50
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08-06-2007, 02:36 AM | #21 |
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08-06-2007, 10:59 AM | #22 |
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I'm not sure what the cel network is like in Germany but I *always* have reception. I also charge my phone daily, so I never have a dead battery.
I ran without a spare in my A4 (amps in the spare tire well) and my Mini (ditched the crappy runflats) and never had an issue - about 7 years. |
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