[gman3msport]

Has anyone gone to normal tyres and how does the car perform? Better or worse? Is the ride a bit softer and any difference to the steering? MPG?

[Damaga]

Look around..there are loads and loads of thread on this subject!

[gman3msport]

Originally Posted by Damaga

Look around..there are loads and loads of thread on this subject!

Thanks Sigh

[beardybaby]

when buying my e92 not so long ago i drove one with runflats and then non runflats back to back. I would massively say go for the NON runflats - world of difference and so so much better. Both were Msport's incidentally

[Statler]

Would definitely recommend the move. I'm very happy with Vredestiens.

As above, buy a green slime goo kit off Ebay, comes with all the stuff you need incase of a puncture

I had one about 3 months in and was able to just pump it up along the way without 'gooing' it and get to a repair shop, nail in the tyre tread so a fix was possible.

Green slime is supposed to be soluable with warm water so the tyre can, in theory be re-used after cleaning

[gman3msport]

Thanks for the replies guys, think I'm definitely going to replace the alloys and tyres with some new ones but might wait until the weather improves a bit. Not sure what to go for yet though.

Greg

[dopper99]

People have said non-run flats are better. But define "better", in what way are they better? Better handling? Better steering? Better ride?

I'd read somewhere the turn-in isnt quite as good with non-run flats? But you get used to it.

[Sparky68]

Originally Posted by dopper99

People have said non-run flats are better. But define "better", in what way are they better? Better handling? Better steering? Better ride?

I'd read somewhere the turn-in isnt quite as good with non-run flats? But you get used to it.

More feel for what the car is actually doing, no more crashing over every bump in the road and a load less road noise. Cant say i have noticed anything out of the ordinary with regards to turn in since switching.

[Lemans330i]

See this I put on a forum for the race series I'm in....It's written generally but it covers the change from RFT's to Normal tyres both on an RX8 and now on two beemers....

I liked F452's on the RX8....great tyres...I have used 452's, Vreidstein Ultrac Sessantas, some Bridgestone RE050 in both normal and the dire runflat, and lastly Goodyear Eagle F1's

I'd say in terms of performance....

Eagle F1 Assyms
Ultrac's
452's
and then the Bridgestone a long way behind

The Eagles are considerably better but circa 50 quid more per corner on my car...but they perform so much better, quieter, more secure, they don't seem to know what standing water is they just blast through anything, and pretty good wear rate atm. About 4000 miles on them an I've lost a mil off the rears which isn't too bad on the Beemer. I haven't had the opportunity to drive quickly on them though , well not at the limit track quick...On road they are great in the dry nice turn in not as quick as the Run Flats that were there before but they are a much nice ride. I have been told theyre good progressive tyres too but as I said I've never tracked them so don't know.

The ultrac's were awesome when they were cheap but they've moved the pricing into quasi premium brand, and I wouldn't say that for the extra £20 a corner the Goodyears are a worse buy. They look cool though. Great dry grip nice and progressive, wet grip is not as good as the eagles, and they are a little noisier the wear is approximatley the same at this point but they did get noticeably louder in the last few thousand miles. The Eagles have a more direct turn in.

452's were the cheap replacement for the ultrac's and theyre good where the ultracs are weaker. They seemed a little softer sidewalled so didn't turn in as directly, but seemed to pick that up and understeer less, however they have awesome wet grip almost as good as the Eagles and dry grip is pretty good too tbh. On the airfield they were amazing even on the abrasive surface they were good wear wise and at the price hard to beat.

Bridgestones :S anyone who's got a BMW or RX8 or 350Z or the like can atest to this...but I didn't like them....crashy ride, good dry grip, opposite lock central in the wet....if it was frosty they didn't work, expensive, kinda snappy at the limit too, loud as hell, expensive....on a positive note they were very very hard wearing...I think I did 20,000+ miles on the rears in the RX8 including a few thrashes around the airfield...so yeah they're good value for that....

Price wise I'd rate them as follows

Eagles = 452's (but the eagles are a better tyre....so I just buy them now as I can afford the extra maybe the eagles just edge it...I dunno it's hard to explain why I'd spend the extra....probably wet motorway driving)
Ultrac's





Bridgestone's

The only thing I'd say in addition is that I recently got the Eagles out on the airfield one day when nothing was going on and they are fantastic grippy and yet progressive tyres...The only slight downside is that they aren't as pointy as the 'Stones but they excel everywhere else.

[markymark34]

If your planning on running 19" then non run flats are so much better certainly on an 06-10 car. Ive driven/owned a couple and will never have RFTs on any bmw. I love a sporty ride but on 19" the ride is IMO awful. I replaced 17" RFT with non run flats on SE suspension and the ride was not taught enough for me but on m sport 18" or 19" there is no debate. You wont regret it.
Goodyear eagle F1s i had were good but im keen to try 452s next time.

[dopper99]

Originally Posted by Sparky68

More feel for what the car is actually doing, no more crashing over every bump in the road and a load less road noise. Cant say i have noticed anything out of the ordinary with regards to turn in since switching.

What tyres did you swap to?

[SCN_Saul]

ive just done it and the ride is t least 30% better, especially over bumps/potholes

i fitted eagle f1 assymetric 2's, pumped up to 36/39psi, turn in is a little softer, but the trade off is pliant steering with as a little more feel IMO

[Statler]

Yes, you do lose a little on the turn-in but the compromise is that you can actually drive the car like the 'sports car' it is supposed to be.

What use is fantastic turn in when you hit a small imperfection mid-corner and jump toward the ditch or the other side of the road?!...

[dopper99]

So the M3 does not have run flats but guessing it has a fantastic turn-in I'm sure. What's the difference to improve turn-in? Different rack, or is it the whole suspension set up?

[BLKSAPPE92]

Why does everyone say tire goo and compressor.

Why not tire plugs and a compressor if the tire has just a nail hole and its not near the sidewall and your not tracking car keep the harmful goo out of the tire and away from pressure sensor and magic you can finish using up your tire to 4/32 or 2/32 if you like to go to the wear bars keep that corrosive canned fix a flat away from rim, sensors and tires.

[shrink]

Originally Posted by Dhoffm80

Why does everyone say tire goo and compressor.

Why not tire plugs and a compressor if tire has just a nail hole its not near the sidewall and your not tracking car keep tue harmful goo out of the tire and away from pressure sensor and magic you can finish using up your tire to 4/32 or 2/32 if you like to go to the wear bars keep that corrosive canned fix a flar away from rim, sensors and tires

Eh?

[verysideways]

I use these for work:
http://www.dynaplug.com/

Brilliant!
Admittedly doesn't work if the tyre is cut, but then nor does goo.
The difference is that this is a permanent repair, whereas goo is just to get you to the nearest tyre shop.
We keep a few of these with us when we're out and about, just in case.

[Sparky68]

Originally Posted by dopper99

What tyres did you swap to?

Kumho Ecsta KU31

[mob17]

Originally Posted by verysideways

I use these for work:
http://www.dynaplug.com/

Brilliant!
Admittedly doesn't work if the tyre is cut, but then nor does goo.
The difference is that this is a permanent repair, whereas goo is just to get you to the nearest tyre shop.
We keep a few of these with us when we're out and about, just in case.

That looks really good. How many tyres have you repaired with it, and were they all punctured by nails? Any issues after?

[verysideways]

Originally Posted by mob17

That looks really good. How many tyres have you repaired with it, and were they all punctured by nails? Any issues after?

We were actually recommended it by one of our customers (a chap with a 1M as it happens!) and he's used a dozen of them over the last year or two on various cars. They're great for nails, screws, sharp stones, and you can even use two or three of them in a line if there's a small split in the tyre (for example from a piece of flint stuck through the tread) but as i said no good for sidewall splits.

But yes, for nails, screws, etc. they're absolutely brilliant. Fit and forget solution. We bought half a dozen with half a dozen refill packs from a chap on ebay in the US, even with postage it was much cheaper than buying here.

[hems77]

I changed to non-rfts last Feb' - went for ContiSportContact 5's all round. Ride feels much better and improved MPG.

However noticed yesterday my 2 rears treads are quite low and will need changing soon. Not impressed with the wear on these - only been 11 months. Got MOT next month so will wait after then and see what they say.

[BLKSAPPE92]

Originally Posted by shrink

Eh?

Sorry about the miss spelling and all couldn't correct till logged in later on computer all I'm saying is I do understand why people say ditch the run flats and use fix a flat.

Fix a flat or the canned stuff is supposed to be the compressor and the plug in one and I wouldn't use it.

Use tire plugs and a cigarette lighter compressor no goo no fix a flat it ruins a perfectly good tire/rim and sensor if the nail isn't in the sidewall and tire is perfectly new.

For M cars i would toss there can of fix a flat and buy plugs keep compressor to fix my tire punctures.

and run flats are not all that bad i still use mine cause im torn up on convenience and a super low profile tire with 35 sidewall (which i own) isn't much different then a run flat both are reinforced to keep the side wall from pinching between the rim and road except run flats or made to keep tire on the rim beads and not pealing off which is more a cornering aspect.