[mgattmch]

In the last year I have had to replace 4 run flat tires (Goodyear Eagle LS2 245/40R-19 RFT in my case) and have two cracked rims repaired due to failure of the tires. I have finally had enough of RFT after getting a split in the sidewall on a new tire! Yesterday I went to Tire Rack (I live near their major distribution center in South Bend IN) and had 4 conventional Dunlop Signature HP All Season tires installed. What a difference; now when I go over a bump in the road I am no longer in fear of another tire failure and a +$300 bill to replace the tire. To say nothing of the inconvenience to do so.

Performance of the conventional Dunlop tires versus the Goodyear RFT is comparable IMHO. The one major difference is the conventional Dunlop tires absorb bumps in the road far better than the RFT. No longer does the suspension sound like it is bottoming out if I hit a bump/pothole. Best of all the Dunlop tires only cost $155 each before a $50 mail in rebate for purchasing a set of 4 tires.

OK, so I no longer have the ability to continue driving if I get a flat. No problem, I purchased a Continental Comfort Kit (tire sealant and 12V compressor) from Tire Rack. Alternatively, I am OK with calling a tow truck if need be.

Wish I had made the decision to switch from RFT to conventional tires a year ago. I am a happy BMW 550iX driver again! RFT are a complete disaster in my opinion.

[visualguy]

Originally Posted by mgattmch

RFT are a complete disaster in my opinion.

Some of them are decent-enough. I'm ok with the Bridgestone Turanza ER300 on my 550i. The ride is surprisingly comfortable and quiet. The handling is good. The only issue is their cost - particularly the 275/35R19 rears.

[mgattmch]

I agree with the previous post; my experience with RFT is with Goodyear Eagle LS2 tires only (truly dreadful in my opinion). Other brands of RFT may be a lot better.

[ndinh]

Pirelli P0 RFT's are a little better but still crap IMO. When I first bought my car, I had 3 leaks in a year on my RFs. I quickly bought new wheels w/non RF's and have not looked back. Funny because I was at Big O Tires this past weekend for the wife's car and a guy pulled up in '16 MB C-class. He was raging mad because he got a flat and MB wanted to charge him $500 for a tire. This was after about 6 months of driving. I told him just to ditch the RF's. He finally left fuming because the tire shop told him they can't fix a RF.

[2SwiFt29]

I have Pirelli P0 RFT. Less than a month, ended up with a nail. My wife didn't tell me about the low tire pressure until late at night. Only good thing is that the RFT will run for a bit. Ended up going to a local shop the next morning and see what they can do. Luckily it's patchable but I don't know for how much longer. Looked up pricing and they run about $280-$340 on tirerack. I may just end up getting a set of 4 non RFTs.

[Silent_308]

I'm with the OP, I had RFTs on my E90, and now on the F10... When I was new to BMW, with the E90, around here in MD, VA, DC, especially in MD and DC, the roads are horrendous, potholes, craters, speed bumps on major thruways, road gators... After my first set of RFTs were destroyed by a construction nail, an some metal fragment waiting in a pothole like a landmine..

I went to the stealership and gave them my left kidney for a new set which didn't last long either... I had an epiphany "I have AAA, USAA Roadside, and BMW Roadside, F' the RFTs, why not put the same tires I run on my turbo Teg, on the BMW"... I switched, and never was more happy with the handling, and tread wear. When the RFTs on the F10 get worn, I'm switching to non RFT, in fact I might switch before that..

In my opinion, the only advantage of having run flats are the ability to drive slightly further without adequate tire pressure.. A traditional tire with a good stiff sidewall gives you better handling, traction, and lasts longer, not to mention in some cases; cheaper..

[Nalod]

Changed to Extreme Conti DWS 06 on my Staggered Msport and find the same to be true with great handling but much better bump absorbtion. MY runflats were like new.

I put a Bimmerzone spare kit with a tote strapped down with a rubber strap (Tight) and whle I lose some trunk space, its not a problem. I have AAA so a tow truck to fix is not a big deal, but most of the time a flat will be in the driveway or at work lot. Flat and 10 minute ordeal to change myself than wait 45min for a truck to come. If not, I'll make the call.

[Stück]

I recently went from 18" Goodyear LS2 runflats to 20" Michelin AS3+ and even with the 2" bigger wheel it still rides better....

Run flats can EAD.

[Takumi587]

When my run flats eventually do get destroyed by a pothole here in LA then I plan on switching to some Michelin Pilot Super Sports. I honestly do not like how the car feels going over a bump or a pot hole. This makes me wonder if that's why when I test drove an M5 it felt smoother...

[Bmw doubles]

Run flats have nothing to do with comfort or performance. It's a safety measure in case you get a flat which is about less than a 1-2%chance. If traverse alleyways a lot then maybe run flats are good for ya.

[DDD31]

Originally Posted by Bmw doubles

Run flats have nothing to do with comfort or performance. It's a safety measure in case you get a flat which is about less than a 1-2%chance. If traverse alleyways a lot then maybe run flats are good for ya.

Ummmm what???

Run flat tires have a significantly harder sidewall than non-runflat tires and give a much stiffer ride. Run flat tires are also more susceptible to rim damage from potholes since the tires do not absorb as much of the impact.

[RSBro]

I got out of RFTs earlier this year and can't believe I waited so long. THIS is how I had always wanted my 550 to ride. I'm running Michelin A/S 3 Plus'.

[Bmw doubles]

Originally Posted by DDD31

Ummmm what???

Run flat tires have a significantly harder sidewall than non-runflat tires and give a much stiffer ride. Run flat tires are also more susceptible to rim damage from potholes since the tires do not absorb as much of the impact.

False. Run flat tires weigh more increasing unsprung weight so no performance there. Run flat tires have NO absorption in regards to kinetic energy from anomalies in the road. In fact my run flat hit a pothole, bent the metal in the sidewall, cracked my rim, caused a horrible vibration when traveling over speeds of 60mph and braking. Non run flats can absorb potholes, are lighter, provide a smoother ride and are stock on F80 M3's(BMW secretly acknowledged non rft are better).

My run flats were too stiff with zero give causing my backend to slide out more then I liked and when least expecting.

When professional drivers are looking for high performing tires they don't consider adding an additional 5-10lbs per wheel, aim for less traction and worry about nails in the road.

In regards to stiffness it's not completely attributed to the tires. My Eibach springs, Koni adjustables shocks and M5 sways along with my NON RUN FLATS has a tighter ride then my stock e90 335 M sport and because my tires are non rft the ride is not jarring when going over a pebble.

Have you ever owned non-run flats high performance tires on your BMW?

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Bmw doubles

False. Run flat tires weigh more.....

The Pilot Sport AS 3+ weighs a whopping 1# less than the Driveguards I just purchased...

[Bbb34]

Originally Posted by Bmw doubles

Run flats have nothing to do with comfort or performance.

I disagree, they are a lot less comfortable to ride on and don't perform as well either.
I have both, "ultra" high performance summer non run flat, and performance winter run flats, and speak from experience.

Not coincidence M cars don't come with run flats.

[visualguy]

Originally Posted by Bbb34

I disagree, they are a lot less comfortable to ride on and don't perform as well either.
I have both, "ultra" high performance summer non run flat, and performance winter run flats, and speak from experience.

Not coincidence M cars don't come with run flats.

My 550i M Sport with the Bridgestone Turanza ER300 RFTs has a very comfortable ride. It's the most comfortable among the many cars that I've owned over the years (all of which had non-RFTs). They perform and handle well. I don't take it to the racetrack, but on public roads I never experienced any performance or handling issues that I could attribute to the tires.

[DDD31]

Originally Posted by Bmw doubles

False. Run flat tires weigh more increasing unsprung weight so no performance there. Run flat tires have NO absorption in regards to kinetic energy from anomalies in the road. In fact my run flat hit a pothole, bent the metal in the sidewall, cracked my rim, caused a horrible vibration when traveling over speeds of 60mph and braking. Non run flats can absorb potholes, are lighter, provide a smoother ride and are stock on F80 M3's(BMW secretly acknowledged non rft are better).

My run flats were too stiff with zero give causing my backend to slide out more then I liked and when least expecting.

When professional drivers are looking for high performing tires they don't consider adding an additional 5-10lbs per wheel, aim for less traction and worry about nails in the road.

In regards to stiffness it's not completely attributed to the tires. My Eibach springs, Koni adjustables shocks and M5 sways along with my NON RUN FLATS has a tighter ride then my stock e90 335 M sport and because my tires are non rft the ride is not jarring when going over a pebble.

Have you ever owned non-run flats high performance tires on your BMW?

Did you even read what I wrote???

I said RUN FLAT TIRES give a much stiffer ride and cause more damage to the rim when hitting a pothole. Your post agrees with what I wrote about run flat tires.

I was disagreeing with your original post about run flat tires having nothing to do with comfort.

[Bbb34]

Originally Posted by visualguy

My 550i M Sport with the Bridgestone Turanza ER300 RFTs has a very comfortable ride. It's the most comfortable among the many cars that I've owned over the years (all of which had non-RFTs). They perform and handle well. I don't take it to the racetrack, but on public roads I never experienced any performance or handling issues that I could attribute to the tires.

I don't doubt that.

My winter Dunlop are drastically better than Goodyear OEM tires, for both performance and comfort. I'm sure new models of run flat tires are getting better with each day. My summer tires still had them beat in comfort, noise and grip though.

Also, it's a lot easier to notice the difference as you're switching back and forth at the end of the season. I too have felt that Dunlop run-flats are pretty impressive (which they are) but the difference going to non-run flat is pretty noticeable first few days after the switch.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by visualguy

My 550i M Sport with the Bridgestone Turanza ER300 RFTs has a very comfortable ride. It's the most comfortable among the many cars that I've owned over the years (all of which had non-RFTs). They perform and handle well. I don't take it to the racetrack, but on public roads I never experienced any performance or handling issues that I could attribute to the tires.

My DriveGuards ride better than the LS2s ever did. In fact, the LS2s rode about as well as a set of (non-RFTs) Generals I had 10 years ago. The DriveGuards ride, IMHO, as well as any non-RFTs I have owned; including the AS 3's on my Lincoln.

Like some. I don't really have a choice as I need the trunk space the spare occupies.

[Bmw doubles]

Well to each their own. Personally I like it when road bumps don't turn into explosions and small road imperfections don't turn into sounds like my control arm just cracked. Non RFT all day long with amazing comfort and performance.

Unless you guys are talking about 225/75/19 sidewalls? If you're not talking about performance tires then yeah I guess run flats are good.

Run flats are garbage on tires with sidewalls 35 or 40

[Bbb34]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

Like some. I don't really have a choice as I need the trunk space the spare occupies.

Same here, but as I mentioned in several other threads, I figured that run flats "may" get me to the service, same way that Continental kit in the trunk with non run flats. Neither are absolutelly guarantied to work, depends on type of blowout. Continental kit fits perfectly in the trunk cavity underneath the trunk floor, the one close to trunk latch.

[lsturbointeg]

also if i may add there's nothing worse when the Dealer will assume you hit a pothole when you're pointing out the bubble on the sidewall. especially when there's no appararent rim damage or marks of any kind! all he said was "yeah, looks like you may have hit a pothole?" i said "may? so you're just guessing?" he looks at me like i just offended him and walks back to the SA desk and says, "it's not covered under BMW, you will need to buy another RF which will cost $500 which we will do the install, wheel balance for free!" that's pretty much where i told him in front of everyone and told him to go "f himself"