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[S4to335]

The more I have this car..the more I get pissed that the car doesnt come with a spare..and doesnt even come with a place to put a spare if I bought one for the car. I hate runflat tires due to lack of performance..removed them almost immediately...and now have to carry a track wheel/tire in my trunk...with a jack..and tool box (breaker bar, 17mm socket, torque wrench, and a few other odds and ends) just to be safe. AND my rant extends to bitchin about how I now have no room for anything else in my trunk. I am sorry BMW...but you should at least have kept the hole for a full-sized spare or a mini-spare. Many of us HATE "heavy" runflat tires.

[/rant]

[jlstyle]

Yea it blows.
I don't even care about the full size spare, small donut should be fine with me with nice ass Non RFT on the car.

[Indenial]

+1

[beskone]

Originally Posted by S4to335

The more I have this car..the more I get pissed that the car doesnt come with a spare..and doesnt even come with a place to put a spare if I bought one for the car. I hate runflat tires due to lack of performance..removed them almost immediately...and now have to carry a track wheel/tire in my trunk...with a jack..and tool box (breaker bar, 17mm socket, torque wrench, and a few other odds and ends) just to be safe. AND my rant extends to bitchin about how I now have no room for anything else in my trunk. I am sorry BMW...but you should at least have kept the hole for a full-sized spare or a mini-spare. Many of us HATE "heavy" runflat tires.

[/rant]

Sorry but get over it, BMW designed their cars with RFT's - it's your choice to not run them, so cowboy up and live with the consequences.

I get the RFT hate, i really do, but seriously everyone needs to get over it, it's OUR choice to not run them and deal with the hassles of figuring out what to do for a spare.

[742]

You could carry one of these instead:

http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=38

And consider that the odds of having a flat, having it on a surface and in a location where it can safely be changed AND most of all having a driver in 2009 who knows how to change it are pretty slim.

The lack of a spare is just recognition of the continuing stupidification of the American driver. We can not be trusted to put a quart of oil in the car from time to time, checking tire pressures seems to be beyond us and the thought of changing a tire along the side of a road is simply unimaginable.

[S4to335]

I have changed a tire on cars probably 150 times in the past 10 years alone..mounting and dismounting track tires at the track. It doesnt take me a long time at all. On the side of the road?...I have probably changed a dozen in my driving career.

[mmm def]

what about an air pump and a can of fix a flat like the E46 M3 had? That's what I will do when these runflats come off. Yes fix a flat wrecks the tire i hear, but how often do you get a flat.

[PNF]

Originally Posted by 742

You could carry one of these instead:

http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=38

Do these really work?

[noro]

I used http://www.slime.com/product_122_Sma...S-PDQ_06).html. It does work.

In fact get this, the rear tire that I patched back in summer still has this stuff in it with no air leaks. Not only it held up on the street but for the 1st time in my auto-x career I won 1st place with this stuff in the tire.

I am not even going to bother replacing the tire until it's due to wear.

[Pedal2Floor]

Originally Posted by damadama

Are there really people here that can't figure out how to change a spare tire (Besides Sara504)?

Now mind you I havn't done it on my BMW, I bet its about 25% more work than on my old honda though.... no advanced concepts

<rant>

During the whole rollover Explorer disaster period NHSTA did a survey on some national holiday. About 40% of the cars that they stopped to survey at various rest stops had under inflated tires. They found that over 20% of that group had more than two tires under inflated and in a different group, about 20% of the group had over inflated tires. Of the survey group with under inflated tires, 76% of that group when asked did not know how to properly inflate tires and some percentage (I cannot find the whole report; you can Google it, you will get a lot of hits) did not even know that they needed to inflate the tires.

So, what makes you think that everyone knows how to change a tire?

I have from time to time actually stopped to help someone at the side of the road that simply needed a spare put on so that they can keep going. Including one incident at the NJ Turnpike Toll Plaza for a couple who literally had stopped dead before the toll with a flat where the tire had come off the rim and did not know what to do.

Basic repairs/emergency repairs should be part of the driver training in the US. IMHO, you should be able to demonstrate that you can properly change a tire, wipers, check oil, and replace a temporary belt before you get your license as well as better driver and foul weather driving skills.

If you think about it, it is the most dangerous thing you do everyday....ride along on a 2,000lb to 4,000lb sled on wheels going 60+mph and all you have is 4 -- 6 to 8in patches on the road to stop you. More care should be involved.

The NAIC should instead of asking for more safety gizmos placed on cars to save the stupid, should be forcing states to have better driver education -- will it make it more expensive to initially get a license -- yes -- but it will probably save more in the long run. Technology cannot solve every problem, primitive brain functions will still be required.

</rant>

[Pedal2Floor]

Originally Posted by noro

I used http://www.slime.com/product_122_Sma...S-PDQ_06).html. It does work.

In fact get this, the rear tire that I patched back in summer still has this stuff in it with no air leaks. Not only it held up on the street but for the 1st time in my auto-x career I won 1st place with this stuff in the tire.

I am not even going to bother replacing the tire until it's due to wear.

Also, they have right on the label of the new bottles that Slime is 100% TPMS safe.

[carrabassett786]

I think theres an important differentiation between runflats and shitty runflats.
The original runflats on my car SUCKED. So much so, BMW replaced them with Contis, which I think are AWESOME. Respectable in medium depth snow, and a hoot in the mountains in the summer, quiet and all. The only thing I hate about runflats is that its gonna cost me $400 to replace just two of them.

[noro]

Runflats as a concept = good
replacing spare with it = bad.

[blk335i08]

Originally Posted by beskone

Sorry but get over it, BMW designed their cars with RFT's - it's your choice to not run them, so cowboy up and live with the consequences.

I get the RFT hate, i really do, but seriously everyone needs to get over it, it's OUR choice to not run them and deal with the hassles of figuring out what to do for a spare.

+1
Get over it

[shaddai]

I'm totally with you. I just spent basically the whole day yesterday replacing a run flat tire on my Honda Odyssey. I hate PAX more than it should be possible. Give me a spare any day. The problem with PAX is no one carries them except a very small handful of dealers who gouge you for labor. The only positive thing is I got michelin to pay 40% of the tire. So I lost a day of work because once you get a flat, you're stuck without a spare.

[andy92782]

Originally Posted by 742

You could carry one of these instead:

http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=38

This is exactly what I just did; replace OEM RFTs with non-RFTs and carry a "spooge" inflation kit in the car. I also have an AAA membership. Sure, it's still not as good as having a proper spare tire but it's not like I plan on offroading my 335i in Death Valley or something. I'm over it.

[MRQturbo]

i could w/o the need for a spare...CAA is always good to have in case of emergencies and you require a tow truck...i've been driving for over 20 yrs now and have only gotten a flat once in my life that left me stranded somewhere....if i noticed i ever had a slow leak, its repaired immediately....

[PNF]

Originally Posted by noro

I used http://www.slime.com/product_122_Sma...S-PDQ_06).html. It does work.

In fact get this, the rear tire that I patched back in summer still has this stuff in it with no air leaks. Not only it held up on the street but for the 1st time in my auto-x career I won 1st place with this stuff in the tire.

I am not even going to bother replacing the tire until it's due to wear.

This is only $30 and IT WORKS?

Can I ask how do you know where the leak is? What if it is in a pissing rain and you just cant find the nail (if it is a nail)..?

It also includes a power air compressor to inflate your tire?!?!

Almost too good to be true at $30~

[NewSong]

You know, you can probably buy a "donut" for around $50. I personally don't mind RFT, and I feel safer with them on actually.

[S4to335]

Originally Posted by Takashi

Put a lid on it. If you want a car that has a spare, then either buy one that comes with a sprae or put one in yourself. It is that simple. There is no need to rant on it as this topic has been covered many times.

Put a lid on it? WTF? I am trying to tell the BMW employees (product people) that this is not acceptable to me..and that it may weigh heavily in my next car decision. This is the first car I have ever gotten with run flat tires. I am definitely not a fan of them. I can rant all I like...its a free country..and I dont give a rats ass if this has been discussed before...thousands and thousands of topics have been discussed here before...geez..you get up on the wrong side of the bed or what.

[noro]

Originally Posted by PNF

This is only $30 and IT WORKS?

Can I ask how do you know where the leak is? What if it is in a pissing rain and you just cant find the nail (if it is a nail)..?

It also includes a power air compressor to inflate your tire?!?!

Almost too good to be true at $30~

Yup, all inclusive kit for 30 bucks. Keep in mind not all holes are created equally (no dirty jokes here)... In my case it was more like a cut, flat sharp metal object made its way into the tire. As for finding the nail sure it will be some effort. Most of the time you can hear the hiss sound and locate it. If not you will have to feel out the tire with your hand. I still have my RFTs so this kit came in handy even with RFTs. When I got the flat I had a choice - drive 100 miles on the RFT while it's flat which was guaranteed to damage it and would require me to get a $280 tire and add the risk of damaging the rim itself OR put this stuff in and see how long it holds up. Well my original tires are still on the car and will need replacement in 2-3 months, at which time I will get non RFT's since I have complete confidence in this product now. My wife's E90 with RFTs has this stiff in one of the tires as well and in her case it was a descent size nail.

People tell me sometimes, what if you have an all out blow out.. I say if you have an all out blow out the RFT won't do shit.

Since I have dedicated snow tires for the car I will usually take one of them if I go on long trips so that I don't get stranded, but with my day-to-day commute around the city I am not worried since I have at least one friend within 10 minute reach to rescue me if this does not work.

[PNF]

Originally Posted by noro

Yup, all inclusive kit for 30 bucks. Keep in mind not all holes are created equally (no dirty jokes here)... In my case it was more like a cut, flat sharp metal object made its way into the tire. As for finding the nail sure it will be some effort. Most of the time you can hear the hiss sound and locate it. If not you will have to feel out the tire with your hand. I still have my RFTs so this kit came in handy even with RFTs. When I got the flat I had a choice - drive 100 miles on the RFT while it's flat which was guaranteed to damage it and would require me to get a $280 tire and add the risk of damaging the rim itself OR put this stuff in and see how long it holds up. Well my original tires are still on the car and will need replacement in 2-3 months, at which time I will get non RFT's since I have complete confidence in this product now. My wife's E90 with RFTs has this stiff in one of the tires as well and in her case it was a descent size nail.

People tell me sometimes, what if you have an all out blow out.. I say if you have an all out blow out the RFT won't do shit.

Since I have dedicated snow tires for the car I will usually take one of them if I go on long trips so that I don't get stranded, but with my day-to-day commute around the city I am not worries since I have at least one friend within 10 minute reach to rescue me if this does not work.

Thanks for the link. i wasnt aware of these types of products. (well, I knew, but didnt think they would work).

well, i understand it wont cover alll types of puncture.. but at least, having this could help me 50% of the time.. anything more serious than that, I guess I'll still have to get tow trucks. I also purchased the wheel protection package, which will cover all damages to my rims, RFTs, everything including scratchs.. so.. this is great for emergency solutions.

I am now debating this or the Conti kit that another member posted in this thread.

Very good! and I have been wondering what do I do without RFTs in a couple months when i put on my 19s non-RFTs.