Tire question

[Cavman]

Currently have the 333s (staggered 275/315) with summer performance tires (20" runflats and no spare due to 3rd row seating)

Am planning on driving from Kansas City to Steamboat, CO and am a little worried about getting a flat tire in Western Kansas that is more than 150miles (run flat limit) from a BMW dealer and/or a tire store that would have 275 / 315s in stock.

My newbie question to the board is this: are my rims the same width despite having different width tires on them? Meaning, do the 275s in front have spacers to push them to the edge of the rims (i.e. the 333s are the same width front and back)? Or are the rims different widths to match the width of the tire that is sitting on the rim?

I love the look of the staggered tires but it does make for worrisome travel when the route will take you far from a BMW dealer.

Would be willing to purchase a set of 20" all-season 275s (with spacers?) to run on all four 333 rims but don't know if that is possible. Or would I have to buy new rims too?

Worst part is, I already have a set of dedicated Pirelli Scorpions mounted on 214s for winter so this would be yet another set of tires! Ha.

Hope my questions makes sense. I want to keep my 333s but would be willing to swap the rubber on them from staggered setup to a consistent width all the way around so as to get peace of mind as we embark on our road trip.

My sense is that a tire dealer (Firestone/Goodyear etc) would be more likely to have a 275 all season in stock than a 275/315 summer performance tire.

Any help appreciated and if my questions aren't clear please let me know and I will try to explain it better. Am not very mechanical so I apologize if these questions are comically stupid.

Thanks in advance.

[BGM]

Unless your tire tread is getting bad I wouldn't worry about it. Chances of getting a flat in a "dead spot" between dealers is very minimal.

[motordavid]

Fwiw, we did a 13,000+ mile road trip in our VetteVert, two summers ago; it has non-RFTs, and no spare, of course.

I simply packed a small cig plug outlet compressor, a couple of vise grips, a good plug kit and didn't give it a thought. No flats, no prob, and the average small town tire joint is not stocking tires for the Vette, either.

While not answering your question directly, and considering your option(s), I feel that buying a another set of rims/tires for drives beyond the reach of a dlr or big tire store is an extreme measure.

And, your 'average to good' tire joint may not have your oe size tires in stock, anyway. Same goes for an given BMW dlr.

I have made that run across KS several times, and while western KS isn't metro KC,MO there are several towns all within <50 miles of each other: Abilene, Hays, Colby and then a fairly empty run climbing up to Denver, but not a huge distance, which could provide a shorter limp in if absolutely necessary.

But, if I was a 'ways out', I would plug the sumbitch and keep going to a metro area and a better chance for replacement.

Even a RFT tire is pluggable, to get you down the road to a metro area...I wouldn't wring my hands over the trip.

And, when was the last time you had a flat, on the road? I thought so...

My 50Cts.
GL, mD

[ard]

Originally Posted by Cavman

I already have a set of dedicated Pirelli Scorpions mounted on 214s for winter.

Simple.


Assuming the winter tire is the same overall diameter (IMO +/- 0.3") as the current tire on the car, toss one in the back as a spare. If you have a blowout/non-repairable flat, run the winter tire- then call ahead to a city you will be in 72hrs later and order the right tire.

Heck, if you have a jack and lug wrench, instead of waiting an hour for a truck and a tow, you can be on your way in 15 minutes. Stop for a meal in the next big city and drop the flat tire for repair. Remember, you drive 10 miles on a runflat, when all it needs is a simple patch, and you toss $350 away.




A

[JCL]

As long as you don't overheat the flat tire (by driving on it too far, and/or too fast) and the cut is in the tread area, it can be fixed. Correct fix is an inside patch, using a special combination patch/plug. The tire ends up as good as new. It doesn't work with a sidewall cut, and it doesn't work if you have driven the RFT in a low pressure condition, long enough to cause damage from heat. If you get a low tire warning, check the pressures. If it is only down a few psi, no big issue, get to a tire shop. If it is very low, you need to go slowly enough not to get it hot, until you get to a tire shop that can fix it. An on board compressor and a temporary plug kit can extend that range.

I definitely wouldn't be changing wheels and tires just as a preventative measure. If you have the space, and a jack to take along, carrying a winter tire as a spare isn't a bad idea. It is just that there probably isn't anywhere to put that tire and jack.

[ard]

Originally Posted by JCL

As long as you don't overheat the flat tire (by driving on it too far, and/or too fast) .

Actually this brings up a question...

One can look at a RFT (or any tire for that matter) once it is dismounted and see it has been destroyed by driving on it- sidewall is shredded due to heating and delam..

But what CAN one reasonably get away with and not damage a RFT?

Is "50 miles at 50MPH or less" going to work? My suspicion is no, that this is the outer envelope on safety, not on 'tire will survive'.

Thoughts?

A

[Cavman]

Thanks to all for the quick, thoughtful and helpful responses.

Opted to order a Continental ContiComfort Kit from Tire Rack plus an extra cartridge.

According to them, I can use the pump and the sealant on a runflat (as well as a non-runflat tire) and the sealant can give me another 50-150 miles. Although I just went deeper into the product's specifics and it doesn't look like it is recommended for 315s. Oh well. If anyone has any experience with the product feel free to chime in.

Here's the link:
Continental ContiComfortKit

Won't have room in the car for carrying an extra winter wheel/tire, although I had thought of that, but nixed the idea because I would actually need to bring a front and a rear tire to be totally covered. Then thought of putting them on the roof a la a Range Rover in Kenya, but my wife thought I was insane! Ha.

So will go with the Continental Comfort Kit and a few fingers crossed.

Thanks again for the replies.

[ard]

Originally Posted by Cavman

Thanks to all for the quick, thoughtful and helpful responses.

Opted to order a Continental ContiComfort Kit from Tire Rack plus an extra cartridge.

According to them, I can use the pump and the sealant on a runflat (as well as a non-runflat tire) and the sealant can give me another 50-150 miles. Although I just went deeper into the product's specifics and it doesn't look like it is recommended for 315s. Oh well. If anyone has any experience with the product feel free to chime in.

Here's the link:
Continental ContiComfortKit

I would actually need to bring a front and a rear tire to be totally covered. .

On my M5, it used to be staggered, I keep an old front wheel as a spare- in the trunk. No runflats on that car. You can run the smaller wheel front or rear axle, no need to carry two wheels for front and rear. It is, after all, only a spare. (This directed at your comment that youd need two wheels...)

Not sure I'd ever use 'fix a flat'...quite a mess of the tire and the rim. As a last resort, fine- but I can see shops declining to repair this saying 'its too dangerous' or 'our policy...' or whatever.

FYI: http://www.rma.org/tire_safety/tire_...lchart1111.pdf

have fun. 99+% chance you'll have an unused kit later this summer.

A

[motordavid]

The Conti kit is decent, but I agree on skipping the 'slime'. A decent quality plug kit will serve much better, is not hard to use, and done right, the plug will get you a long way with no TPSM damage or prob for a tire joint to remove the tire.

If you are leaving 'tomorrow', a good plug kit and a vise grip or two may not be handy; if you aren't up against the wall with time, there are several sites that have decent plug kits and ship overnight. Otoh, I still few a flat tire on a trip as the least of my concerns. 99% of my flats, (usually a nail or screw in the tread), have been discovered in my driveway or when parked overnight somewhere.
GL, mD

[JCL]

Originally Posted by ard

Actually this brings up a question...

One can look at a RFT (or any tire for that matter) once it is dismounted and see it has been destroyed by driving on it- sidewall is shredded due to heating and delam..

But what CAN one reasonably get away with and not damage a RFT?

Is "50 miles at 50MPH or less" going to work? My suspicion is no, that this is the outer envelope on safety, not on 'tire will survive'.

Thoughts?

A

Agree that if there is visible heat damage, it is toast. If there isn't visible heat damage, it may be toast. Tire shops aware of liability issues will err on the side of replacing it. I figure it is always better to try and save it, but I don't have the published guidelines. 50 mph for an hour sounds like too much to me.

I had a flat on the X3 last summer, coming back from a vacation. Luggage for a week, 2 bikes on the roof, and 14 cases of wine in the back. Literally. We had a temp spare, but I couldn't check the pressure, my gauge only went to 50 psi. We were 50 km from the nearest town. I drove slowly, forget a RFT, I just wanted the temp spare to last to town. Same theory though, heat kills things quickly.

I had a low pressure on the Z4 on startup at work years ago. I checked it with a gauge, 20 psi. Drove slowly to the nearest gas station, put 30 in it, reset the TPMS. Drove home, 30 km, where a trusted tire shop is close by. Checked pressure once on the way. Got to the shop, it was at 23 psi. No highway driving. Asked the shop if they would repair it. They asked how long, how fast, etc. Listened to my story. Said it was fine to repair according to the manufacturer's published guidelines. I think it was a BFG. Inside patch with the mushroom patch/plug combo. Extra care on the 19" rim. Balanced it. $30, from memory. This was years ago, when common wisdom was that a RFT could not be repaired.

As we have often discussed, it pays to have a shop or two that you have a relationship with.

Good to hear from you again.

Jeff