i hate the stubid runflats, but they do come in handy as in when your tire is out of air, you can go a lil further and stop somewhere your comfortable in. normal tires perform better, but i don't want to be stuck somewhere with a flat that i don't want to be in... so can i put that green goo in the tires even theres no hole? and i think tirerack has runflat versions of the potenzas for 205/45/17's... does anyone happen to have some experience with them?

 

i put about 3 cans of fixaflat, or the green crap in my runflats on my cooper. it didnt seem to ever do anything, but it always held air and i never had to worry about it....

 

for punctures, but not good on sidewall problems. Also, it can effect balance, and you may notice that you get vibrations after you use it. Definantly not the way to go for high speed driving.

Matt

 

Think of it this way: fixaflat (or whatever product you decide to use) is intended to provide a temporary short-term solution (along with a small air compressor) to get your car to a tire shop that can repair the flat. MINI sells a Mobility kit that contains a can of generic fixaflat and the air compressor. As Matt notes, if you inject the fixaflat compound into the tire as a preventive measure, you run the risk of introducing balance problems.

 

I have the Potenza RE050 Runflats on my 03 MCS. The seem to grip alright. I often chirp them and even break them loose sometimes under hard acceleration. During cornering (i have not tracked my mini... only street driving) they seem to perform well, but on a track I don't believe they would give adequate traction. For a run-flat, though, they are a very good tire.

 

and you'll see (or I should say feel) just what a difference is available, for less price

Matt

 

2 Questions:

1. If you use fix a flat can the inside of the tire be cleaned, fixed and resused?

2. How much is that mini airpump and fix-a-flat?

 

Most are water-soluble and can be washed right off after dismounting the old tire. Some types are actually corrosive and will damage the wheel finish on the inside, but it's the part you don't see so not really much of an issue. Be sure to tell the tire guy you put the stuff in or he may get really mad at you after he goes to change the tire. However, the sight of him covered in sticky foam = priceless.

 

From MINI, I don't know, but it would be too much. If you went to K-Mart or Walmart, the fixaflat is probably $10 per can and the air pump is probably around $30 to $50 depending on which one you get (higher quality is going to be more expensive). But as BFG9000 posted there are differences in fixaflat products. You want to get the one that doesn't corrode your wheels. If the wheels are corroded, there are also likely going to be problems with the tires.

 

I was at the local Pepboys yesterday, they had Fix kit from Slime that had a bottle of goo, and an air compressor, all in a compact canvas bag for $19.95. They also had a Coleman compressor for $12.99 if you want to DIY.