[kaishang]

I'd rather have a full size non-runflat spare tyre.

That said a lot of cars have either space-savers or a can of goo instead of a proper full size spare. Even a Holden Commodore doesn't come standard with a full size spare.

If I had the choice, if I couldn't have a full size spare, I prefer RFTs over a space-saver or can of goo.

I've driven across the Nullarbor, through the Snowy Mountains and through Europe on RFTs and if I had got a puncture, I would have just driven flat at limited speed until the next big city. Top Gear or some similar show drove a BMW with four x flat run-flats something like 800km and got there OK.

I also like the idea that if you are driving at speed and get a sudden loss of pressure, the car is going to be more controllable on RFTs. And I've seen plenty of online videos of people changing tyres in the breakdown land get wiped out and killed by people not paying attention, so that's another benefit of runflats.

These days I travel around with a foot pump and a temporary plug repair kit which I got off a motorbike shop. So far I haven't had to use it.

Originally Posted by Drew335

IMHO how is that better or more efficient that a spare tyre in the boot??? glad I converted back to normal tyres with a spare, at least I don't run that risk anymore given how much interstate driving I do.

[kaishang]

Speaking of interstate driving, anyone see this?

http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/1...011-16fer.html

A leading German safety expert says Australian drivers could travel faster on freeways in an effort to reduce the road toll

Australian drivers would be safer travelling at higher speeds on freeways, a German safety expert says.

Dr Ulrich Mellinghoff, the head of safety at German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz, believes that Australian authorities could also better manage our road network to create a system that was much safer for all motorists.

Dr Mellinghoff is visiting Australia to showcase safety technology fitted to the car maker's vehicles. He said drivers here should be allowed to travel faster on long stretches of road, mainly to fight fatigue.

He said Australian roads also needed to be better managed to introduce a European-style system where slow-moving traffic - including trucks - was confined to the left lane on freeways, freeing up the right lane for high-speed traffic.

''In Germany, it is not allowed for cars to pass on both sides (of slow-moving traffic),'' he said. ''This divides the traffic more or less, with faster driving on the left side and the slower-driving cars on the right side.

''I think there is no difference here. A system that works in Germany will work in Australia the same way.

''Maybe a top speed of 200km/h is not necessary, but I think if you divided it (the traffic) a little bit on these very long distances you have to drive, it's better to drive at 130 km/h or 140 km/h, although in terms of drowsiness you still have to drive at 100km/h.

''We in Germany have absolutely no problem with higher speeds. We've discussed it often, and very often the discussion was that it was unsafe. But our statistics show this is not the case.''

Dr Mellinghoff, who is on his first visit to Australia, said while the quality of roads here was comparable with those in Germany, the drivers were not.

''In Australia, the people drive very close to each other, and the distance between two cars is much closer than in Germany,'' he said. ''I think the people don't realise how critical, how dangerous this is.''

Dr Mellinghoff said Australia could also improve its road safety record by lowering all suburban speed limits to 60km/h, and imposing a much harsher speed limit on trucks.

''We know that a truck going from 80km/h to zero needs the same length in braking as a passenger car at 120km/h to zero,'' he said.

''It's better that trucks drive at 80km/h or 90km/h. I think this would help to optimise safety in Australia.''

Authorities would also have to do more to separate different road users, such as cars and cyclists, he said.

''I was very surprised to read on the highway that cyclists have to use the parking shoulder,'' he said.

''In Germany, it is absolutely forbidden for the bicycle to go on the highway. We try to divide the different people, the different partners in the traffic, and it makes it much safer.''

Despite having no speed limits on some roads, Dr Mellinghoff said the annual number of deaths per head of population in Germany had remained constant for the past five years, at about 28 fatalities per 100,000 people.

By comparison, he said, Australia's fatality rate sits at about 30 deaths per 100,000 people, almost the same as Germany's.

Of the 4000 people expected to die on German roads this year, only about 150 deaths were likely to be attributed to crashes on high-speed highways, Dr Mellinghoff said.

He said the next goal for car makers was to get the death rate down to one in 100,000 people, or about the same as the annual death toll for the aviation industry.

Volvo is working in conjunction with the Swedish authorities to aim for a zero road toll by 2020 as part of its Vision 2020 program.

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by Drew335

I had a Bridgestone RFT with a puncture about 8 months ago, wasn't repairable so a new tyre was required ... cue my hate relationship with RFTs

as you point out Cruvon some tyres can be repaired and as Kaishang mentioned this is largely about not letting the tyre go down to zero pressure while driving on it.

one thing I didn't realise is that getting an RFT off a rim is harder than a normal tyre due to the stiffer sidewalls, hence more chance of the rim getting damaged than with a normal tyre. worth bearing in mind if you do have repairable RFTs, eg where you take them for repairs...

coincidentally a colleague with a 335i coupe had a RFT with a puncture on Friday afternoon (on the Hume near Albury), he had to keep driving until he reached Albury so the tyre is now @#$%ed. given nobody stocks 19" RFTs in Albury he had to get a loaner (a Toyota Camry ) and return to Canberra while a new RFT is shipped from Melbourne to Albury. then it has to be fitted before he can get the car back later this week.

IMHO how is that better or more efficient that a spare tyre in the boot??? glad I converted back to normal tyres with a spare, at least I don't run that risk anymore given how much interstate driving I do.

(PS no offence to those who run RFTs and are happy with them, it's just my experience with them has been less than stellar)

whew, same experience think I mentioned before, got stuck on a long weekend in Canberra with a nail in my rft, called up bmw assistance and they couldn't assist with a new rft, said they could replace it when shops opened after the long weekend and could tow it to the repair shop. Couldnt stay so they sent me to a bmw dealership that was open half day, they noticed a nail in it and said could attempt the drive to Sydney (since their service dept was closed) which is out of the range of the runflat I think but had no choice. So kept at a 70-80 speed with hazards on and making me look silly on the highway amongst long weekend holidaymakers and luckily made it to Sydney. Not sure how bad it would have been if the rft shredded itself off the wheel while driving beyond range.

[johnnydad]

You can drive a very long way on a spacesaver and get a conventional tyre repaired just about anywhere. Given the carrying on you get from tyre sellers in major cities here when you enquire about RFTs, the costs and uncertainties they make little sense to me for rural Australia.

[cruvon]

Hi, looking at a spare wheel set, checked with Tischer and they suggested this one meant for the 5 and said goes nicely on the 3 series...I checked with the BMW dealership here and they said the 3 series space saver wheel is not made any more..any idea if this is a good deal?

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...catalogid=4462

This jack many sugested is available here in Austr for about 220 but if I took the above kit would I need it considering it already has a jack?
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...00&hg=71&fg=95