With Run Flat Tires, what are you supposed to do if you get a flat?

TheTwinz · 12-28-2009, 10:42 PM

Do you drive to your nearest discount tire center to get a new one? drive it to the dealer? drive it home? and what if its late at night, do you just drive it home and go sleep then when you wake up, it'll be good to go to drive to a discount tire center? or will you have to have it towed?

supposedly with RFTs you can drive like 50 miles? going 45mph? or something? is there a time limit on the 50 miles?

Tim2189 · 12-28-2009, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheTwinz

Do you drive to your nearest discount tire center to get a new one? drive it to the dealer? drive it home? and what if its late at night, do you just drive it home and go sleep then when you wake up, it'll be good to go to drive to a discount tire center? or will you have to have it towed?

supposedly with RFTs you can drive like 50 miles? going 45mph? or something? is there a time limit on the 50 miles?

you should be fine, i drove mine for 60 miles home then parked it over night, took it to the tire shop the next day and got it patched up

demosthenes · 12-29-2009, 12:13 AM

Most dealers won't repair RFT's but some independents will. Why? Because driving on RFT's with little or no pressure damages the sidewall due to the heat generated. Since tire shops can't tell if a tire has been driven with little or no pressure by examining it like they can with a conventional tire, the safe thing to do is refuse to repair it. Most independents will ask you if you've driven with little or no pressure before they agree to repair it.

If you've got a slow leak and you keep the pressure up, you should be able to repair the tire. But if you get a fast leak or don't keep the pressure up on a slow leak and you drive on it, you should replace it. I've had slow leaks that I could nurse along until i got to a shop and one fast leak that wouldn't hold any pressure.

The bad news is that it will cost you the price of a new tire ($300-$400+) to take full advantage of a RFT by driving on it when it is flat. It's worth it in some situations but not worth it in most.

Since RFT's have very stiff sidewalls, they are more difficult to mount and unmount. Be careful who you have repair your flats or mount new tires. I had an installer scratch three of my wheels when I swapped my RFT's for PS2's.

12-28-2009, 10:42 PM	#1
TheTwinz Second Lieutenant 14 Rep 273 Posts Drives: 300Z Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: 911 iTrader: (0)	With Run Flat Tires, what are you supposed to do if you get a flat? Do you drive to your nearest discount tire center to get a new one? drive it to the dealer? drive it home? and what if its late at night, do you just drive it home and go sleep then when you wake up, it'll be good to go to drive to a discount tire center? or will you have to have it towed? supposedly with RFTs you can drive like 50 miles? going 45mph? or something? is there a time limit on the 50 miles?
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12-29-2009, 12:13 AM	#3
demosthenes Major 50 Rep 1,162 Posts Drives: E90 328i 6MT Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: SF Bay Area iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 328i sedan [0.00]	Most dealers won't repair RFT's but some independents will. Why? Because driving on RFT's with little or no pressure damages the sidewall due to the heat generated. Since tire shops can't tell if a tire has been driven with little or no pressure by examining it like they can with a conventional tire, the safe thing to do is refuse to repair it. Most independents will ask you if you've driven with little or no pressure before they agree to repair it. If you've got a slow leak and you keep the pressure up, you should be able to repair the tire. But if you get a fast leak or don't keep the pressure up on a slow leak and you drive on it, you should replace it. I've had slow leaks that I could nurse along until i got to a shop and one fast leak that wouldn't hold any pressure. The bad news is that it will cost you the price of a new tire ($300-$400+) to take full advantage of a RFT by driving on it when it is flat. It's worth it in some situations but not worth it in most. Since RFT's have very stiff sidewalls, they are more difficult to mount and unmount. Be careful who you have repair your flats or mount new tires. I had an installer scratch three of my wheels when I swapped my RFT's for PS2's. Last edited by demosthenes; 12-29-2009 at 08:40 AM..
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