Run flat problems
 

Does this affect BMW'S with runflats??

http://tinyurl.com/9yx2l

Not mine. I have regular tires, and a spare in the back. :)

Thanks doc. I rephrased the question

what speed were they going when it was flat? - tires do not burst into flame without a great deal of heat - bulge in tire is a defect and replaceable with all warrantees - repetative problems make me wonder if the tires were properly mounted and balanced - I loved my Dunlop Radial Rovers on my Broncos, good wear, quiet for an aggresive tread, good in snow - so I've always thought Dunlop made a good tire

again, the 5 W's of reporting - Who, What, Where, When, & Why - what is the story not telling you?

The story is not telling me when the recall will start.

Just got to e90post.com and read all the reviews on everyone's e90's with RF's..There are some who swear by them, but the ones who dont, HATE THEM! There SOOO many people who have had them blown out after about 5,000 miles, and BMW does nothing to help them out. The time (or distance) it takes to get them replaced outweighs the 50 or so "limping" miles you get with them...I plan on buying an e90, but the FIRST thing I will do is replace the tires...Those things are death traps IMO...And NOT just on the road...

BMW now do an insurance on their supplied runflats, that will seem $$$ at first, but your first blowout or flat will prove it to be a very good investment...Those F*&#in things arent cheap either!!

:tantrum: :rant:...OK, Ill calm down now...And as for recall, it wont be long at all...

who makes BMW's run flats??

Dunno...it seems the "article" was referring to Bridgestone RFs.
My first & only exp w/RFs is on my VetteVert, currently. They came w/Goodyear F1 RunFlats or RunCraps as they are called on the VetteForum. In my experience, over the course of 25,000 miles in 3 1/2 yrs, they are "ok":
-they stick pretty well
-they have become noisy during the last 5K miles, but the Vette is noisy anyway
-they have some "feathering" on outside front edges; may be a bal. prob and I hammer the corners around here pretty hard.
-they do have a modicum of "safety net", though the prob is the 50-100 mile drive which becomes really a search for a high end tire joint that has your replacement tire and Knows how to change it w/the internal wheel sensors. Could be problematic on a long trip...it IS problematic here in hillybillyheaven.
-the "reports" of a tire "exploding" or catching on fire seem way overblown, but WTFDIK? I don't recall Any posts on this catching fire situ on the Vette Board.

None of this is BMW Runflat stuff, so it may be an application and/or brand issue.

RFs currently and in near future all seem to have some trade off in terms of ride quality, noise, real world grip, etc., for the "benefit". To call them a safety hazard, in general, or a pieces of crap, is imo, pretty sensational. I may relplace my Vette's RFs with new RFs or, I may go to a non-runflat which requires a m'cycle type patch/plug and pump situ, due to no spare. Nothing beats "regular" tires and a spare of some kind, imo.

They are not a panacea...they do allow Buffy to get her car home or to the stlr, which is the majority of the "marketing issue", methinks.
My Qtr's Up.
BR,md

MY Z06 doesn't have room for a spare nor does it have runflats, and I wouldn't have it any other way. RF's are crap. The car came with a puncture/fix a flat kit including a compressor and the 800 # for chevy road side assistance on a sticker on the door frame.

Bozo. I understand that to run other tires you have to have other wheels as well because the runflats and the wheels come as a pair and regular tires cannot be installed on wheels that sport runflats. I may be wrong though. Anyone else know for sure??

As far as I know, as long as the non-runflats are the same size they work fine. I've never heard of having to use rf's with a specific wheel, but then again, I'm no expert. (btw - C5 vette owners usually replace their stock RF's with non-RF's as soon as the RF's run out of rubber)

My Z4 with the 18"/sport option has Bridgestone Potenza runflats.

I haven't thought much about them since buying the car. I have had no problems in just under 12,000 km. They stick great once warm. They are a little harsh, but then they are 35 series 18" tires, so my expectations for ride comfort are pretty low. I do know that they take a while to warm up on cool days, particularly when it gets close to freezing (great convertible days...) I have to watch it first thing in the morning.

I figured that with the combination of the RFT plus roadside assistance, I didn't need a repair kit or compressor.

The Z4 boards are full of those who have taken them off for more comfortable tires, or softer compounds, but for general street use I haven't felt the need.

As for special rims, the current generation of runflats use standard rims. I believe that there have been previous generations that used special rims (with a special bead lock to prevent the bead unseating), but not the ones being used by BMW now. Don't know if anyone is still using that design.

When I was initally looking at the e90, I asked this question specifically to the stlr, and of course they told me "it was not recommended" which like Nav retofit, means, yeah it can be done, but we wont tell you that...I know several people who have taken RF's off of their Type 162, and put regualr tires on..

Again, its only the "after the fact" situation with RF's I dont care for..I drove for a whole day basically in an e90 with 18" RF, and the ride felt great! Its just the support you get once they die...From anywhere...the service shop, BMW, your wallet, etc....