Runflats VS Normal Tyres

[jayxx83]

Quote: Originally Posted by DaFlake (original)

First, you need to take a look at the rules of the site (MINI2 - MINI Forum - FAQ & DIY: Forum/Site User Guide & FAQ) There is no need to insult folks.

Tire choice is a personal choice, end of story. I guess I have no balls in the winter as I use run-flats during that time.

no offence intended dude, sorry for any caused, but as i was saying in my prev post, modern tyres, esp premium ones are so reliable now that you are unlikely to encounter any failure. if you really are scared of a flat and dont have breakdown cover then go for RF's. You are going to be missing out on a more compliant ride though.

I think BMW took the **** outta people expecting people to put up with such a hard ride from the factory.

[viperfire]

Quote: Originally Posted by batou (original)

Against Runflats
1. Tyre pressure checking on average twice a month & judging on how accurate on inaccurate they may be the garage one can be this is annoying but a must

You should check them more often that that anyway.

2. The thought that if i do use the runflat for the purpose its intended & then the thought of having to fork out for a new run flat after this, surely this is not on as that the purpose they were designed for!!! & there not cheap.

I didn't have time to wait for a internet price and had to replace a runflat at a local tyre shop. £160 per corner, nice! You can't even repair them either



[/color][/b]

I have no run flats on my car now solely to the mega cost of them but they can be repaired. I had one with a puncture that was repaired using the usual puncture repair methods. I was told at one garage it couldn't be done. The next garage didn't say anything and just repaired it. I think its some kind of urban myth going around!

[viperfire]

Ok after reading thru this thread i see i have done naughty things which have been frowned upon

I ran for a year non runflats (kumho ku-31s) on the front with runflats (dunlops) on the back. Now did i notice a difference in handling compared to having all four runflats on?........did i heck

Now i have switched all four tyres to Toyo 215/40/r17s. Have i noticed vast amounts of difference in ride quality and handling?????...............Nope! Maybe a tiny percentage but nothing to go mental over.

I personally think if you buy a new Mini stick with the runflats until they have worn down and then think of changing but don;t just change for the hell of it. Its really not a massive difference!

[DaFlake]

Quote: Originally Posted by jayxx83 (original)

no offence intended dude, sorry for any caused, but as i was saying in my prev post, modern tyres, esp premium ones are so reliable now that you are unlikely to encounter any failure. if you really are scared of a flat and dont have breakdown cover then go for RF's. You are going to be missing out on a more compliant ride though.

I think BMW took the **** outta people expecting people to put up with such a hard ride from the factory.

Fair enough....

However, you have to remember that not all people live where you live. In Germany I would have no problem with regulars because I had ADAC (RAC) and Germans keep their streets clean. However, I am now back in the USA where building contractors could care less and toss a bucket of nails into their truck allowing them to pour all over the place. Add to that, we have AAA but the response time for them is horrible as all they do is call a local garage to pick you up leaving you at the mercy of "we'll get to you". So, run flats serve a purpose here and for the most part are a necessity.

Lastly, BMW are not the only auto maker that is using them many others are heading that direction as well and I think that you are going to start seeing run flats become more of the norm as they change the formula. Heck, there is an airless tire that is out there now being developed and I wouldn't be surprised if we see it soon.

All of the above is why I jumped on you a bit sorry if it was harsh. Wouldn't it be nice to have a tire that you don't have to mess with ever?

[RedHotChilliPepper]

Thanks to everyone for their replies (esp. rothbury, dalboyne, minicabrio and viperfire) and for the warm welcome to the forum.

Think I'll get a pair of new Dunlop runflats for the rear and switch the rear to the front and leave it at that for now. I can see how they run then first hand and make the 'big' decision on switching next time around, or continuing with the runflats. Reckon I'll know better then how I like the runflats. Over here in Hong Kong the normal tyre and runflat tyre prices don't seem to be much different. But I'm not gloating - it's the normal tyres that are more expensive, not the runflats cheaper ...

Its been much easier coming to that decision having posted on this forum and got all your input. So a big thanks from Newbie, RHCP ...

I'll be back here, before long, for sure.

Deal being concluded for the MINI tomorrow morning, so quite excited now.

Cheers all.

[dalboyne]

Glad we could help RHCP - and we look forwards to seeing some photos of your new MINI in HK!

Enjoy

Ian

[viperfire]

No problem RHCP

Just giving my two cents from experience! A lot better than people just jumping on the bandwagon i think you will find!

[coupe-se]

I'm replacing my front tyres on saturday due to them being worn out.

The rears are 6 month old Dunlop Sp9000 runflats and the fronts the factory fitted Dunlop 01(something or other) runflats.

I'm having Dunlop Sp9000 NON RUNFLATS fitted on the front only and the company fitting the tyres have assured me that there is NO ISSUE with this. I've been told the car should feel alot more sure footed under heavy braking on uneven roads with the fronts being more pliable than their runflat equivalents.

I'll end up with a car shod with 4 tyres with identical tread patterns with the run-flat characteristic snatchy steering issue removed. The way the front end snatches at the moment worries my wife and has nearly caught her out on a few occasions. In my instance, posssibly due to the bumpy roads we drive on; non runflats are the safer option. In over 20 years of driving I've never had a 'blow out' and the Mini is the only car I've ever driven with run flats fitted, so not having them isn't an issue for me.

[jayxx83]

had the pilot sport 2's fitted today and the car feels like it is alive. mpg is up approx 3-4mpg on urban driving, the ride so much more comfortable and the car steers a lot more positively. it feels so light now the steering!

even in the wet not scruubed in yet, i have masses of confidence just pitching it in no matter what. highly recommended!

[BRG/Blk Cooper S]

Quote: Originally Posted by jayxx83 (original)

had the pilot sport 2's fitted today and the car feels like it is alive. mpg is up approx 3-4mpg on urban driving, the ride so much more comfortable and the car steers a lot more positively. it feels so light now the steering!

even in the wet not scruubed in yet, i have masses of confidence just pitching it in no matter what. highly recommended!

I'm so looking forward to replacing all 4 Pirrelli runflats with something similar to what you have when the fronts are sufficiently worn (prob' next summer).

The runflats are heavy, have no grip, start to crack betwen the tread blocks at 6months old and after 2 punctures in barely as many months (new tyres both times) I'm done........

I'm sure the car will ride so much better on conventional, high-performance tyres..

[rothbury]

Quote: Originally Posted by coupe-se (original)

I'm replacing my front tyres on saturday due to them being worn out.

The rears are 6 month old Dunlop Sp9000 runflats and the fronts the factory fitted Dunlop 01(something or other) runflats.

I'm having Dunlop Sp9000 NON RUNFLATS fitted on the front only and the company fitting the tyres have assured me that there is NO ISSUE with this. I've been told the car should feel alot more sure footed under heavy braking on uneven roads with the fronts being more pliable than their runflat equivalents.

I'll end up with a car shod with 4 tyres with identical tread patterns with the run-flat characteristic snatchy steering issue removed. The way the front end snatches at the moment worries my wife and has nearly caught her out on a few occasions. In my instance, posssibly due to the bumpy roads we drive on; non runflats are the safer option. In over 20 years of driving I've never had a 'blow out' and the Mini is the only car I've ever driven with run flats fitted, so not having them isn't an issue for me.

You are halfway there having identical tread patterns but you will still have tyres with different characteristics front and back which I would not consider having. Most people on here agonise over whether to change all of them . If it was that easy and advisable simply to change the front two I am sure i would have read about it and people would presumably be able to evaluate the
change and still be able to go one way or the other

[BRG/Blk Cooper S]

HI..
It is not considered safe to have 2 runflats and 2 conventional tyres on the same car - your insurance company would certainly try to invalidate a claim if you had an accident with this tyre combo.

4 conventional tyres is obviously ok - but do check with your insurance company, most are totally fine with it so long as you advise them and they can update their records on the car - others start mumbling "not original specification" etc etc, better safe than sorry......

[minicabrio]

Folks, if you're having two new tyres fitted, you should always put the better (grippier) tyre on the rear of the car. I've done it in the past, had two runflats replaced for Eagle F1s while the other two wore out, but always put the better tyre on the rear.

Yes, the front wheels do all the work, but if you pitch your car into a corner to fast, it's much easier to correct the front end than it is the rear. Having your worse tyres on the back could mean you losing the back end under spirited driving.

Always put the better tyre on the rear - and then only drive to the capability of your fronts. Not the other way round.

[rothbury]

Quote: Originally Posted by minicabrio (original)

Folks, if you're having two new tyres fitted, you should always put the better (grippier) tyre on the rear of the car. I've done it in the past, had two runflats replaced for Eagle F1s while the other two wore out, but always put the better tyre on the rear.

Yes, the front wheels do all the work, but if you pitch your car into a corner to fast, it's much easier to correct the front end than it is the rear. Having your worse tyres on the back could mean you losing the back end under spirited driving.

Always put the better tyre on the rear - and then only drive to the capability of your fronts. Not the other way round.

You're missing the point. What we are saying is that you should not have two runflats and two non runflats on the car whether front or rear

[coupe-se]

Quote: Originally Posted by BRG/Blk Cooper S (original)

HI..
It is not considered safe to have 2 runflats and 2 conventional tyres on the same car - your insurance company would certainly try to invalidate a claim if you had an accident with this tyre combo.

4 conventional tyres is obviously ok - but do check with your insurance company, most are totally fine with it so long as you advise them and they can update their records on the car - others start mumbling "not original specification" etc etc, better safe than sorry......

Who says it is not SAFE???? Where is the evidence and organisation that states this??

My insurance company is not interested in what tyres I have fitted and are only concerned that I have tyre approved in Britain. Much like having a NON BMW standard exhaust fitted, as long as you have a type approved exhaust fitted the insurancde company do not care (unless its perfomence upgrade type obviously).

Its best not to peddle old wives tales on an internet forum and present it as fact. Dunlop are fine with my choice and as I said the trye fitting company have said there are NO issues. The tyres on each axle will be identical in type and tread pattern. Life is all about making your own choices and decisions based on your own priorities.

Minicabrio, my rear tyres still look brand new and have only done a few motorway miles. I want to try the non run-flats on the front of the car before commiting to changing the rears to see if it get rid of the steering wheel snatching issue. Going to be seriously disappointed if it doesn't, and may well get rid of the car as a result before it ends up in ditch. I've come from WRX Impreza and A3 TDi 170 which were far more sure footed on bumpy country roads at speed. My mate runs an S6 and also found my Mini to be unsettling on a fast B-road run. He was expecting a lot more after all talk of Mini's sublime handling characteristics.