My first flat was in town, repairable, forced to buy new tire.

My second flat, out of town, drove to nearest service station. They would not repair it (was repairable), and it was going to be 3 days (on a Friday) to get any tire that will fit (2 weeks for a run-flat that was B/O). I bought two cans of fix-a-flat (for the run-flat), and was on my way.

So I bought a spare, 12v compressor, and an extra can of fix-o-flat for out of town excursions.


The moral of the story: The run-flat may get you somewhere, but where there is, may not help.

Every wonder why they give you a jack for your car with run-flats?

 

Fishey, I agree. What's with that jack? Perhaps another liability-related spec. 10 days ago I got my first flat, right rear runflat, and it was fixed by the Dunlop dealer nearby. Today I notice my left rear tire is nearly flat. I drove in the industrial part of town and off the pavement for an assignment. But it occured to me that because I won't have time to get the tire fixed before a meeting I can probably drive on it because it's a runflat. Guess there is an advantage to it. Makes me wonder why I have gotten 2 flats within 2 weeks after not having gotten a flat in over 11 years. And now I am waiting for the non runflats I ordered 10 days ago and when I get my next flat that jack will be useful! Except I wont have a spare anyway.

 

Just so we're on the same page here folks.

What I hit was the lip of a sewer lid protruding a mere 1/4" to 1/2" above the road surface- at approximately 40 mph, maybe (but I doubt it) 45 mph.
Those CRAPPY runflats did NOT save my 'bacon'.
They didn't do squat but shred and have an instantaneous, catastrophic failure. The entire side wall of the front tire ripped wide open. The rear tire sidewall was also torn open, but not to the degree the front one was.
I CAN SEND PICTURES if anyone wants to see it.

Had I been on any other kind of tire, this would not have happened.

 

The jack is so you can rotate your tires, of course! :smile:

I have driven Wanda almost 50K miles and am on my second set of 16-inch Dunlop Performance Runflats on V-spokes. I love them! I travel cross-country a lot and they give me peace of mind that if one or more go flat, I can make it safely to a service station.

I agree that the thread author was actually well-served by his runflats. It could have been a much worse situation with non-runflats!

edit: RedPepFL please DO post pix for us. I apologize for not understanding your situation.


Clover

 

Sorry, that STILL sounds odd to me. . .1/4 to 1/2" of a sewer lip shouldn't shred a tire, runflat or not. . .I'd prefer to see what you hit instead of the tire. . .weird. . .

 

Anything that will rip the stiff sidewalls of a runflat will rip the not-so-stiff sidewalls of a non-runflat. period.

 

The lower aspect ratio of the Perelli runflats may have contributed to this failure. Too quick to pinch probably.
Whereas a tire with a taller aspect ratio may have just bounded over the small obstruction.
That's my thinking anyway.

The sidewall of the Perelli is probably no 'stiffer' than that of a normal high performace radial.
It's what is inside that makes the tire 'run flat'.

I apologize for any impression of me having an attitude. I'm new to driving.
I've only had my license for forty years.
I'm just super glad there's people around like tarzan to keep us in line. We need superintelgint people like him on forums - for the ignerent amonst us.

 

Perhaps this is the root of the misperception. The runflats do have a low profile compared to many tires, but they are a standard profile for MINIs. When I think of a runflat versus a non runflat for a MINI I imagine them to have the same low profile. Perhaps others here do too. That may be why Tarzan and others think that what happened to the runflat would have happened to a non runflat.

My previous car had 80 aspect tires. My MINI runflats are 55 aspect. To me my MINI has low profile tires. But to others who have gotten aftermarket tires (or those with 17" diameter MINI wheels) 55 may be not seem very low. With my 2nd flat runflat on the car I have become a wee bit apprehensive about getting my new non runflats (whenever they arrive). But I'm going to tough it out with all the other hot shoe autocrossers on NAM.

 

There is run-flat technology like that, but they are rare and not available for MINI. See http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=EZ3&url=/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp&techid=56. The runflat Pirellis absolutely have stiffer sidewalls than non-runflat equivalents. There is nothing inside besides air. The sidewalls are so stiff and strong that they alone are able to support the wheel when the tire loses air (and in fact this is how they work). That is why people here are saying that anything that destroyed a runflat sidewall would have also surely destroyed a non-runflat sidewall, and with even greater catastrophic effect. You have blamed your tire failure on the runflat technology, but it was very unlikely to have contributed to the failure. It would be far more plausible, for example, that the tires simply had a manufacturing defect.

 

I think I remember hearing somewhere that we're not supposed to rotate tires on the Mini.

 

No. I don't 'blame' the run flat for anything.
They did do their job. [Saved my bacon as one person put it]
I got to drive them home without having to deal with changing them (which wasn't possible anyway) or waiting for a tow.

I'm just saying they gave up their lives for a relatively insignificant road hazzard. [I've been trying to send pictures, but the system hasn't cooperated yet.]
I swear, this sewer cap wasn't that big of a deal- any tire worth its salt should have breezed over it.

I've owned high performance cars (NSX, Carrera, Boxster) with low aspect ratio tires. Between them I've logged over 200K miles, and some of it on race tracks too.
I've never had a road obstruction damage a tire to this level.
In fact- the only flats any of the four examples (had two of the NSX's) ever had were due to punctures. You know, objects through the tire.

In the scheme of things I'm removing the run flat component from here on out (for the Mini). Perhaps I'll have better life out of the next set of standard, high performance tires.

 

You heard wrong.

 

Not i you keep running over things like you did, to blow out two of your tires.

 

You need to do some reading on runflat technology, you are waaaaaay off. Who cares how long you've been driving? Maybe you know how good a 1965 white wall bias tire is, but you simply have no clue about current technology and are blaming the wrong thing.

 

This might be a better option to handle those sewer caps.

http://www.michelinman.com/differenc...01102005a.html

 

I have an 02 MCS which needs new 17" shoes. I've had the P' runflats and have been happy with them. But now that I'm due to replace I'm in the middle of the runflat vs cost debate since the cost is 100/tire vs 170/tire.

But here's the dumb question.... I've been all through my MCS. Where's the jack hiding? I've never found it. Is the jack like the inside boot release? Something that got added after they realized they forgot it...but never was a recall for older cars. Mine is a very early S....

I've just always used my floor jack @ home but if I move to non-runflats that could lead to a spare and the need for a jack in the car. B4 I buy one, am I entitled to one from MINI or is it hiding from me?

p.s. I've had P's patched 3 times w/out problem. But always at tire stores that sell "the good stuff" - not mom and pop or chains

 

You do rotate, front to back only in most cases, not cross or side to side. Depends on the tire mostly. Many perf tires are directional. Including the non run flats I bought.

 

I believe the jack was added in 03. I've got an 04 and its there.
I don't think you are entitled to one from MINI, though I am sure they will sell you one. I have no idea as to the cost.

 

I have run the Dunlop DSST 9000 runflats on the car since I have had it. I now have 101000 milles on TooBlue.

I think of all the flats TooBlue and I have had only 1 called for the replacement of a tire. The others were in the tread and were repaired by my local tire dealer.

Will the runflats perform like they do when they have air in them? Of course not. The idea is to give one the moblitly to get to a place where the tire can be fixed.

'02. EB/W, 101K, 17" SSR-GT1, Helix 15%, H-Sport Swaybar, H&R Springs
otw Alta Blue CAI, Alta Blue CC, livewires(if I can find them), Screaming Demon(if I can find it!) and 3M light protector.

 

MINI's official stance is to not rotate tires, but many people disagree and feel that tires should be rotated regularly.

 

Try these tires for durability. Not only do you get that rugged, go anywhere dependability, you can also boast about having a huge wheel diameter (like so many posts on NAM)

 

MINI certainly DOES require tire rotation - it's part of the Service Schedules.

 

I haven't looked up the official service schedule. My comment was based on seeing several times on forums where owners inquired directly to MINI about tire rotation. Here is one example: http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41395

 

The weight's not really a factor in the arguement about runflats and non. Handling is, but for most people on street situations, they wouldn't know good handling from fair handling. Price is the factor.

 

You have yet to indicate what size run-flats you flatted. You did indicate that the original tires were for a MC which means they are 175/65-15". The original wheels are the 7-hole wheels and the lightest wheels and tires that MINI offers.

If the accessory wheels you bought were 17" the tire size would be 205/45-17. These are the heaviest wheels and tires that MINI offers. The height of the sidewall drops from 113.75mm on the 15" to 92.25mm on the 17". This is a reduction in sidewall height of 21.5mm (.85" or approx. 7/8" for the decimally challanged). This is a 19% reduction in impact adsorption capacity.

It is a well know and discussed fact of lower aspect ratio tires that they do not handle road hazards, pot holes and raised hazards, as well as higher aspect ratio tires. That is why areas with rough roads are not where you want to be using low aspect ratio tires.

The runflat tire used on the MINI do not have anything "inside" the tire. The runflat ability of the tires is entirely built into the sidewall structure. That is why the owners manual and the tire manufacturer both stress that you need to regularly check the air pressure with a gauge and to not rely on the ability to detect a bulging sidewall, the usual indicator of underinflation.

It is entirely possible that you were runing to low a presssure in your tires and that allowed them to cut the sidewall against the rim when hitting the manhole cover. It would be very interesting to see a photo of the offending manhole cover and the tire. The low pressure alert function, if the MC even has that, can allow up to a 15% -20% reduction in pressure before being triggered. It is even possible, if there isn't a sudden drop in a single tire, that the pressure drop could be even more than 20% if all of the tires slowly lost air over time, which all tires do.

On the positive side. Often, towns can be held liable for road hazards, especially in situations like this with a raised manhole, and will cover the cost of the repair.