more Run Flat tire questions

[Contrails]

Hello, everyone. I'm new to BMW and picked up my CPO 2012 650i xDrive coupe about a month ago. I read in this and other BMW forums everything I could find out about 650's before I bought it, so i was already familiar with the Run Flat tire vs. non Run Flat debate. Sure enough, I somehow (don't even remember rolling over anything significant!) slightly bent a left front rim and took out the Bridgestone Potenza RFT. (The dealership had put four new tires on the car). I did not purchase the ridiculously overpriced wheel and tire plan, and I'm still glad that I didn't.
I drove the car the two miles to my local Discount Tire. That you can drive on a RFT for a few miles is great, I liked that. Discount Tire replaced the tire, and sold me their tire warranty on all 4 tires, since they were new, for about $150. I bought a reconditioned rim (it looks brand new) thru hubcaphaven.com for $249. I had the barely bent rim fixed at WheelsAmerica nearby for$140. So now if this happens again, I've got the tire covered for free and a spare front rim. Some dealerships were trying to sell me the wheel plan for $3,800, although some of them came down to "cost" LOL, of $2,600! No way.
So, indulge a new to BMW guy like me, and shed some more light on RFT's: Are RFT's significantly more prone to flats and failures than non-RFT's? I read the threads on keeping a spare in the trunk, and no way am I going to do that. So, maybe at some point I would like to try non-RFT's, but are you guys really OK with being at the mercy of calling a flatbed any time you have a flat? Fix-A-Flat will only work for very tiny punctures, right? Hardly a reliable solution, I think. Is there a way to drive non-RFT's, and keep something small in the trunk that could fix a puncture enough to get you down the road a few miles?
Thanks for your thoughts and a great forum.

[6SeriesBM]

Decisions. . . I got rid of my runflats and went with Conti DWS, after a week of ownership had a blowout. Lol. I didn't have a spare, so flatbed to the shop I go. I still don't have a spare but I need an intermediate solution. I thought the RFTs were way too susceptible to bubbles and too expensive to replace. I will most likely get a powered air pump and keep it in the trunk.

[650iGC]

I have a 2015 650iXCG and took run flats off. Best decision of my life.

The BMW dealer will sell you a BMW tire repair kit made exactly for that car. As a matter of fact, there is a cut out in the trunk of your car under carpet that if fits right into.

So options are flatbed or that fix stuff...I never worry. Run flats suck...take the leap, you will be fine...

[MrBreezenovel]

You have two problems first of all the BMW M sport wheels are heavy and ruin the cars handling ability. They are not suited to tires with weak sidewalls like the DWS and increase you chances of a blow out. The are heavy to stand the weight of the RFT's, and if I am not mistaken 20" wheels and RFT's inflated are over 60lbs. That makes the car feel like it has four boulder on the corner. Solution 19" lightweight (17,19lbs) wheels Bridgestone HP Pole position tire. What you get is a totally different feeling car it can actually handle. I have never keptr runflats on any car I have ever owned.

[363ny]

I too took off the run flats and replaced them with Michelin Pilot Super Sports. It is night and day, the ride is so much more forgiving and the car handles better with the MPSS. The Goodyear run-on-flats in comparison shook the car after any bump. The MPSS tire is 5-6 lbs lighter than the LS-2s that came with my car.

Originally Posted by Contrails

Are RFT's significantly more prone to flats and failures than non-RFT's?

I have to believe they are - they don't seem to perform particularly well on America's neglected roadways with cars that weigh > 4000 lbs. A lot of discussion on these tires in the 5 series forums as well.

Originally Posted by Contrails

So, maybe at some point I would like to try non-RFT's, but are you guys really OK with being at the mercy of calling a flatbed any time you have a flat? Fix-A-Flat will only work for very tiny punctures, right? Hardly a reliable solution, I think. Is there a way to drive non-RFT's, and keep something small in the trunk that could fix a puncture enough to get you down the road a few miles?

I have a space save spare in my trunk - you can get one here:

http://www.bimmerzone.com/BMW_Perfor...T-F12-KIT.html

I also keep an air pump in the trunk and then have AAA along with the BMW Road Side Assistance.

Highly recommend making the switch to non run flats.

[M6-Coupe]

Originally Posted by 650iGC

I have a 2015 650iXCG and took run flats off. Best decision of my life.

The BMW dealer will sell you a BMW tire repair kit made exactly for that car. As a matter of fact, there is a cut out in the trunk of your car under carpet that if fits right into.

So options are flatbed or that fix stuff...I never worry. Run flats suck...take the leap, you will be fine...

I think you are talking about mobility system coming with M cars. Yes that's the best solution then you can get rid of RFT. I had RFT on my previous 650i and it was suck. Heavy, expensive and hard compound. I have no idea why BMW put RFT on a heavy car like 6 series...

[Contrails]

Thanks for all of the good information. I see that Amazon has a BMW OEM Tire Mobility Kit for $125 that sounds like it fits in my trunk under the carpet somewhere (gotta go check that). Includes compressor, latex gel stuff, etc. If that would get me down the road far enough after a flat, then maybe that is the way to go. All reviews on those Michelin Pilot Sport tires are great, they seem like a good choice. I think I'll drive some tread off of these Bridgestone RFTs for a while, then make the switch. Should be interesting to see the difference.

[wolverine566]

Originally Posted by MrBreezenovel

You have two problems first of all the BMW M sport wheels are heavy and ruin the cars handling ability. They are not suited to tires with weak sidewalls like the DWS and increase you chances of a blow out. The are heavy to stand the weight of the RFT's, and if I am not mistaken 20" wheels and RFT's inflated are over 60lbs. That makes the car feel like it has four boulder on the corner. Solution 19" lightweight (17,19lbs) wheels Bridgestone HP Pole position tire. What you get is a totally different feeling car it can actually handle. I have never keptr runflats on any car I have ever owned.

Or 21" flow Forged Vorsteiners which are about 13 lbs lighter each than the stock 373's

[MrBreezenovel]

It is your choice what wheels you go with but as someone who has been taking cars apart (designing oarts) and rebuilding them for over 40 years I can tell you this, if you want the car to look good big wheels are fine, if you want to car to handle and drive well, go with 19" max. I remember back in 04 when I tore apart a Gallardo (I despise AWD in sports cars turn them all to RWD) and I was amazed how much crap was on that car to hinder its performance. The folks at Lamborghini though they never formally commented on what I told them (though I think they caught up even though it took them a few years) but car companies build cars for a wide variety of drivers and my 650 (with its Dinan Upgrades) has more power and handles better than my 07 M6 did but it is still big and heavy and will never really be anything but a GT car. I drive my girlfriends 650 convertible (she has lightweight 20" and Nitto all seasons) and the difference is very noticeable. I have gotten to old (eyes, ears, and arthritis) to be ripping cars apart, so these days I tell other people what I want done. Beside you do not get as messy and sweaty writing novels.

[GreyCoupe]

Yeah I am regretting the 20 inch wheels, or resenting the run flats.

Or both.

[Brazz]

I ditched my RFT's and went with Michelin PSS All-Season tires. I take the chances with a blowout. The car rides 100% better.

[xionium]

Originally Posted by GreyCoupe

Yeah I am regretting the 20 inch wheels, or resenting the run flats. Or both.

I'm regretting ordering w/ the 19s, so you just made my day better

[RiverRunner]

One consideration...If you leased your car, you'll need to turn it back in with run flats if that's what it had when you leased it.

My wife's 7 came with them, they don't last long. My M6 came with non Run Flat tires.

Just make sure the tire is rated for the weight of your car. I see a earlier post regarding the tire blowout and wheel weight, not an issue with the proper matched tire. It doesn't have to be an RFT.

[ShakeDaddy]

Originally Posted by PackerFan

One consideration...If you leased your car, you'll need to turn it back in with run flats if that's what it had when you leased it.

I have read a lot of posts from owners turning in their leased Bimmers without RFT and no issues. Depends on the dealer is the general consensus.

[AKDDMD]

Had Pirelli run-flats on my '12 740i that were okay but they inevitably bubbled so they were replaced with a set of non rft pzeros and a compressor mobility kit from tire rack (continental brand). The difference in ride and handling was huge, I used to dread bumps because they were so jarring and now the car just sailed over them quietly. I say the pzero rft were okay because on my 640gc it came with the horrible Goodyear ls2 rft, those tires bubble if you look at them the wrong way. Complete garbage and on NYC roads a disaster. I had planned to replace them once the weather got warmer (got car in February) the ls2 didn't make it a month when I blew up the second one I changed to a full set of continental dws and it's a different car. What I find is that the conventional tires have more "give" to them so they can survive small impacts. Lease return, at least in ny, is an issue because a third party inspector has to check the car not the dealer. I save whatever tires are good on mine and buy matching pair from Craigslist in ny/nj there are usually a lot of sets available for cheap.

I think that BMW has made a mistake not allowing for at least the option of having a full size spare considering it was once a hallmark of the brand until as recently as my 2008 750li. I know that they are desperate to save weight but at least an option would be nice. I think it's telling that Mcars don't come wearing rfts and I would have went with the Michelin pss but my 6 is an xi so went with dws for all season ability.

[GreyCoupe]

Yeah, the combination of the big rim/low profile tire with run flats tests one's patience. The run flat concept is great, too bad they suck so very badly in tires as produced...

[ShakeDaddy]

Originally Posted by GreyCoupe

too bad they suck so very badly in tires as produced...

+1 Absolutely !!

[Downfourit]

Does anyone know if the M tire repair kit kills the tire pressure sensor like the Slime repair product is known to do? I'm just wondering because I've had the Slime kit for 6 years now and I need to replace it as the shelf life was 4 years I recently found out.

[LivinginSanDiego]

I ditched my RFT for Michelin's, great ride and with 150 mile free towing better than the 50 miles on an RFT. If you get a flat have it towed and fix it. If the RFT goes flat and you drive on it you toss it. The handling is far better on the Michelin's with a bit softer ride. As a former Michelin tire engineer, I won't use another tire brand.

[Chief F1 Fan]

$3800 for tire/wheel protection plan insurance OP?? That is insane, I got mine for $1495 and have replaced one tire already. One little hole next to an expansion joint on the highway in Indiana and bubble city.

[Mitaka]

Originally Posted by Chief F1 Fan

$3800 for tire/wheel protection plan insurance OP?? That is insane, I got mine for $1495 and have replaced one tire already. One little hole next to an expansion joint on the highway in Indiana and bubble city.

My dealer asked $2800 for the tire/wheel protection plan...

[Chief F1 Fan]

okay-first bubble was mid-March 2016, bubble #2 appeared one week after I wrote the post above (different corner) and got replaced by dealer. That's $1000 worth of tires in 2 months. Once I get my $1500 back in replacements, however they come (tires or tires and a wheel) I'm ditching the RFT's. DESPISE these tires!!