Replacement tires for OEM RFT

[MichaelInChicago]

Hi everyone,

I recently purchased a 2016 650xi GC and it is a fantastic car, except for the tires.

The Dunlop SportMaxx RFT 20" tires are like driving on boulders, becoming almost unbearable on any road that is not Autobahn quality.

I am now considering replacing them with either of the following non-RFT tires and I am hoping that some people here have had experience driving on them:

1. Falken FK510
2. Vredestein Ultrac Vorti

They are considerably less in price than the two others I was considering (Michelin PS4S and the Continental ExtremeContact Sport) and almost as highly rated.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

[MARKPRIOR]

I havnt done this yet in the 6 but did switch to continental sports in my f10 5 series, can tell you difference is night and day. Only reason I have not changed the 6 is my tyres are all still above 6mm just seems a waste.

I don't recommend running a mix I tried back NRFT and front RFT is was horrible to drive. Go all at once.

[Ptoscano911]

Conti DwS

[regomellor]

Originally Posted by MichaelInChicago

Hi everyone,

I recently purchased a 2016 650xi GC and it is a fantastic car, except for the tires.

The Dunlop SportMaxx RFT 20" tires are like driving on boulders, becoming almost unbearable on any road that is not Autobahn quality.

I am now considering replacing them with either of the following non-RFT tires and I am hoping that some people here have had experience driving on them:

1. Falken FK510
2. Vredestein Ultrac Vorti

They are considerably less in price than the two others I was considering (Michelin PS4S and the Continental ExtremeContact Sport) and almost as highly rated.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Don't do it. I put non run flats michelin ps4s and they caused transfer malfunction. I had to put the dunlops back.

[MichaelInChicago]

What do you mean transfer malfunction?

Many people have switched to non-RFT with no problems.

[mgattmch]

I experienced the same problem with RFT on my 2015 650iX GC. Switched to Toyo Extensa HP II tires, never looked back. They are relatively inexpensive (approximately $1k for all 4 installed, 245/35-20 F and 275/30-20 R) and work well. Currently on a 6k road trip to AZ, CA and TX, driving through a wide range of weather conditions from a snow storm in CO to the desert of AZ; no issues so far.

[regomellor]

Originally Posted by MichaelInChicago

What do you mean transfer malfunction?

Many people have switched to non-RFT with no problems.

The car did like slipping on acceleration. Similar to traction control working. Very annoying and harmful for the transfer.

Yes, but many others had same problems as i had. It's a 1000€ bet.
The malfunction disappeared when i put the runflats back.

I hope you won't have any issues. Good luck

[MichaelInChicago]

Thanks for the responses.

I have also read that BMW tunes their suspension for the stiffer sidewalls of a RFT so I am going to keep the RFT tires on and when it comes time to replace them, choose a more recently designed RFT tire with slightly better ride comfort qualities than the Dunlops.

[elvisisdog]

I don't have xdrive, so can't advise on the implications. However, there are plenty of people in this forum and 5 series forums that do have xdrive and replaced with non runflats. Just pay attention to the diameter of the tyres and the guidance of 1% tolerance in rolling circumference from BMW.

What I can say from going non runflats is there car obviously rides a bit softer, didn't feel like every pebble is a 6 inch crater. I've switched out and don't intend to go back.

[Walt White Coupe]

As long as the diameter of tires front to rear is within the 1% tolerance for rolling circumference it doesn't matter to the Xdrive whether the tires are run flats or not.

[regomellor]

Originally Posted by Walt White Coupe

As long as the diameter of tires front to rear is within the 1% tolerance for rolling circumference it doesn't matter to the Xdrive whether the tires are run flats or not.

Yes, in theory. But ps4s where within that 1%, in fact the diameter was almost exactly the same, and the issue was there. I read a lot in forums and it seems that most people have no issues but there are quite many others, like me, that do have.
I only tell my experience

[MichaelInChicago]

Just spoke with the service manager at my BMW dealership, and he told me that BMW did design and adjust the suspension settings slightly in order to compensate for the stiffer sidewalls of a RFT tire.

Therefore, I would rather deal with a slightly harsher ride than to affect the original design of the car.

[Chili Palmer]

I've got a set of staggered 373's with brand new Sport Maxx tires, maybe only 500 miles on them including TPMS that I haven't posted in the classifieds yet.

I'll post them up with pictures this weekend when I get home.

[murph914]

How many times has this same thread come up, been answered, and never seen again?

It's almost funny. Almost.

[MichaelInChicago]

Never seen again?

It is still here.

[Mitaka]

I put Pirelli P- Zero (PZ 4) run flats and the ride was amazing. They felt so much softer and luxury than the Dunlops. Problem is that they wore off only after 10k miles.

[MichaelInChicago]

Well, I just couldn't take the incredibly rough ride and below average performance of the Dunlop RFT's, so I just ordered 4 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.

As these are non-RFT, can I use one of my winter wheel/tire combos as a spare?

Thanks

[Devilish]

How are you guys using none RFT on your 640 or 650? What if you have a plat tire? How will you handle it without a spare tire?

[elvisisdog]

I'm running non runflats with only gunk and a compressor as backup. Let's be honest, unless you hit something your not likely to pick up anything more than a puncture which will be reported in the idrive which gives you plenty of time to get gunk in the tyre and get to a garage. It is honestly something I don't worry about at all. In the last 25 years of driving I've had 2 punctures that needed the tyre changing. Neither of these cars had tyre pressure monitoring but even then you could feel the car pull because of the pressure difference. I've had other tyres that delaminate but they provide a vibration so you know to get them checked and sorted. The last thing I'm going to be doing is dragging around a spare tyre when it's not needed. Maybe we're just lucky in the UK.

[MichaelInChicago]

Hi elvisisdog,
Which gunk/compressor do you use? Is it true that many garages will not repair a tire that has been injected due to the mess it makes when removed?
Thanks.

[elvisisdog]

I got the mini compressor of eBay, there was a post on here about 18 months ago about it being the same part. The gunk is just the BMW part equivalent. I'm not expecting to use it as I'm more likely to just go straight to tyre place (depends on the issue). As for the tyre place not repairing, I've no idea. I had gunk in one of my runflats as it had a slow puncture and the tyre place didn't bat an eye lid about replacing the tyre.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by Devilish

How are you guys using none RFT on your 640 or 650? What if you have a plat tire? How will you handle it without a spare tire?

I make sure I renew my AAA roadside assistance annually...and I also picked up a BMW tire mobility kit which has the air compressor and BMW's sealant that can be purchased separately if used or goes past its expiration date. I got it off eBay from Sun Motors (a BMW dealership with an eBay store):