my 02 S curretnly has perelli run flats...the have started leaking ...one more then the others..i have heard this happens. Opinions on replacement tires...not necessarily run flats...heard there are better options for us, weight and ride-wise....
anyone..?? Opinions..?? places to buy in Southern New England?

 

Run flats are expensive, heavy, hard, and they generally suck. Call tire rack and talk to Alex. He's the MINI tire expert there. You can get 4 tires for the price of 2 runflats. Also, but a pump and tire goo at a tire place.

 

I agree with the above... Runflats have very stiff sidewalls which account for much of the harsh ride. When I switched to non-runflats on my vette... it was a huge difference in ride , handling and noise. I will drop the runflats on mu 05 mini when they wear out...

 

Get regular tires, better ride, better tire, generally less $.

My biggest problem with run flats is what happens after you get a flat!

Once you get the tire or car somewhere to be fixed, very few shops will repair it, even if it were normaly repairable in a standard tire.
Almost no-one stocks run-flat tires, so you will have to order one or several.
Now your car is still out of comission for several days or more, unless you have other wheels or cars.

With regular tires, Around town, I just carry fix-a-flat and a tire repair kit. On out of town trips I bring a spare tire (one of my snow tires).

 

See posts 32, 33 (and 5 & 16) at https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=66588

 

I agree with that. I have had two runflats go flat. Both times I was told they were not repairable. Afterthe first flat I replaced it at the dealer at the cost of $250.00. After the second one I regretted having replaced the first one and I got rid of the runflats and replaced with non-runflat Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3. These tires are great. I am not the most knwoledgeable and can't tell you much in technical terms, but these tires grip so much better than the runflats. It is a huge difference.

Also some will say that the latest generation of runflats are so much better than what you originally had on your MINI and that the newer runflats are as good as other tires. My MINI is an '05 and so the runflats were pretty much in this later generation of runflats. They may be better than previous runflats but nowhere near as good as what I replaced them with.

 

Runflats = bad and expensive depending on what your priorities are.

Get thee to www.tirerack.com and figure out if you want some fancy new all-seasons, summer tires, performance, whatever - they have it all!

Also, hit up the tire/wheel/brake forum on this site and search this topic.

mb

 

Yeh.....run-flats do suck. After replacing my first one at a cost of $262 I immediately started looking to replace them. I got an MC doughnut spare along with a tire bag from Jerseygirl which fits nicely for me on the floor behind the driver's seat. Haven't had to use it since I got BF Goodrich Traction T/A, V-rated (205/50/16) all-season tires to replace the run-flats. Everything about them is better.

 

I'm with you guys.. i'm done with the run flats after the new set i put on. The worst part about it is, i put 4 new tires on (purchased at Tire Rack- of course) and blew one 4 days later.. not fun. I think tire goo and non run flats are the way to go.

 

OK, thanks ... I bought snow tires, blizzaks, from tirerack and those worked out great

 

I noticed the topic and started in reading, because my 05 mcs was in storage for a year, and since then, I've noticed my run-flats seem to be leaking air. I got run-flats because I have arthritis and really can't do the bending and lifting required to change my own tires. Plus, I'm a hapless female when it comes to this kind of stuff. Thanks for the www.tirerack.com info! Every time I log in, I learn something new, thanks to folks like you.

 

ES, sorry but not likely. I would bet even the 06s come with Goodyear of Dunlaps. The only second generation RF I know of that will fit 17" is the Bridgestone 050s and they are rated, at least on tirerack, almost as good as the Eagles in terms of performance

For those that hate RFs and have NO spare, read the thread about the guy getting a flat in Death Valley and there is another nightmare story here http://www.carnutgarage.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=1323 Sometimes they are worth their weight in gold.

If you dont have a fullsize spare, putting that donut on a front wheel may not clear your brakes so more work

 

Show me. Can you post a link. I looked at tirerack and could not find the ratings you are talking about. I found test results for the non-runflat 050s but not the runflats.

 

All tires loose air over time, high pressure road bicycle tires easily loose 1psi a day. How much air over how much time is the question. Check them frequently, and are they all loosing the same amount over the same time period, or is it just one tire?

That is a perfectly good reason to have run-flat tires, the convenience and piece of mind.

I will second that! There are some people with deep car knowledge here, and good humor too.

 

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....place=0#Survey

but looks like your right, when I click on http://www.tirerack.com/survey/Surve...e1=yes&place=1
there is not a big enuff sample size yet.

Alex said they were too new, not many ppl bought them yet. However, there is another thread on NAM were someone in germany was expounded upon their virtues as a RF being second gen. Here is the review against the Eagles http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...e050a_pole.jsp Note where they are standard on BMW and Ferrari now and have only been out since Feb, 06

here is a press release about use as OEM on Ferraris http://www.bridgestone.co.jp/english/news/040622.html

here is an article on Vette RFs claiming their Eagles are second gen http://www.theautochannel.com/public...-98/pg56.frame

List of Cars using 050s as OEM http://www.sae.org/automag/features/...-113-4-184.pdf

An old article saying RFs will make spares obsolete http://autos.msn.com/advice/article....tentid=4021164

I think in general the point is they are getting better and better.

Here is an interesting observation from reading ...

Just like other manufacturers, several years ago Porsche went to Goop and regular tires ... dumped all spares to save weight. After two years and huge stink ... after all goop dont fix blowouts ... the owners complained so much about the lack of a spare that 2007s will apparantly have an option that INCLUDES a spare inflatable tire. Sometimes the manufacturers do listen to their customers!

.

 

Not everyone hates runflats... I love mine, I didn't buy the MINI to have a ride like a Cadillac, and I like the stiff sidewalls - it provides for less "mushy" feel... topped off with the confidence of not getting stuck without a spare (and with my JCW brakes, the MC spare is not an ideal option). Many holes CAN be patched, just take it somewhere that will do it. The key is whether the hole is on the BOTTOM of the tire or on the sidewall. If it's on the bottom, and does not affect the sidewall strength, there's usually no good reason it can't be patched. I had one of my new runflats patched within a month of ownership - the tire has been just fine since then - over 20,000 miles later.

All I'm saying is... some people hate them, sure... but that doesn't mean EVERYONE does.

 

You NEVER put a mini-spare on the front of a fwd car. This is something everyone needs to know.

 

No spare makes run flats a good idea.

If you have a flat without RF tires you will need a rollback ((flat bed tow truck) your odds of damage just increased)) to get you to the nearest tire shop. That is a lot of money for just a flat IMHO. I wonder if companies like AAA will tow a car with just a flat? I do not have them so I do not know what their guild lines are.

 

I love my runflats! I'm on my third set of the 16-inch Dunlop Ultra High Performance All Weathers. I drive around the country by myself, and like KatrinaSurvivor, I'm also a hapless female. And since I had the HR Compound rear swaybar installed, the runflats feel much more nimble! I love my tires!

 

You are not alone. I don't hate my runflats at all. I have the Pirellis. They have been great. The ride is fine to me & they stick in the twisties fantastically. That said I am going to try out some Goodyear non runflats next month because they are cheaper not because I am unhappy with the performance or ride of my runflats

 

Yes they will; I know from experience. AAA charges something like $0.20 for anything over 6 miles.

 

Unless you have AAA's Premier membership, in which case I think it's 100 or 150 miles. Can't recall.

 

I got a great deal on some BF Goodrich GForce KD's from my local Big 'O' Tires.

My run flats had 26k on them and the wear bars were going to show.
So I took the chance. I don't miss the run flats at all.
The BFG's are quieter and grab much better.
Take into consideration the cost of the BFGs @ 95.00 each vs 200.00.
I'm satisfied.
I joined AAA, carry a can of Fix a Flat and carry a portable MINI compressor.

You can deliberate forever. In MHO it's up to you.

 

carry a plug kit and a compressor or a mini cooper spare. I have all three at my disposal.

 

try some gy f1 ds3 and you'll know what sticky is all about. cheaper than rfs and probably wear just as long. see above post for solutions to flats.