Sponsored by The Tire Rack

[ACZakka325i]

So i just went through the process of ordering some Blizzaks from the tire rack, and they are not run-flat tires. It has been made apparent to me that they dont even make run-flat tires for the winter! what the hell is that about.


I really prefered the extra rim and tire that came on my e46. if i had a flat, i could change the wheel and get the damaged one fixed at my convenience and not interupt my trip. with the run-flats, i can get another 50-something miles on the damaged tire, and drive to a shop which will undoubtedly not have another tire to match my car. i will then have to make other preparations to get where i was going -> what am i supposed to do get a cab on my regular drive from CT to OHIO. this is a great inconvenience.


not only do the tires run worse, they are more expensive to replace, and just are a pain in the ass!

thoughts?...

[wongmb]

RFT totally sucks and all it does is save the car manufacturer money for not providing spare.
Wait till u compare the weight of a RFT vs regular tire. I almost broke my back lifting the 255-40-17 with RFT on my 325SP. the 17" steel rim with winter tire weighs much less. WTF !

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by ACZakka325i

So i just went through the process of ordering some Blizzaks from the tire rack, and they are not run-flat tires. It has been made apparent to me that they dont even make run-flat tires for the winter! what the hell is that about.

they do make runflat winter tires

The USA reccomended winter tire is the 225/45/17 Bridgestone Blizzak LM22 RSC, which is a runflat tire

[ACZakka325i]

as for the Blizzak, thats the one i ordered, and they said they didnt have the run-flat model. i guess tire rack just dosent carry them?

in any case, this winter tire situation sucks

[ACZakka325i]

oh, and i forgot to mention that the fact that we dont have a full sized spare negates the option of wearing non-runflats all year long.

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by ACZakka325i

as for the Blizzak, thats the one i ordered, and they said they didnt have the run-flat model. i guess tire rack just dosent carry them?

in any case, this winter tire situation sucks

You can get them here for $286.99 each

http://www.1010tires.com/tire.asp?ti...=Blizzak+LM-22

[Oz]

You can also get Dunlop M3 DSST Tires which are run flat (but its 17")

[LEDZEP]

As E90Fleet said, there is a RFT Blizzak. Sounds like you got the moron at the Tire Rack.

[abc]

damn RFT are so expensive.

I'd get regular tires and new rims and throw some spare in the trunk. yes, undo what bmw employed.

sell the RFT and BMW rims, or keep the BMW rims for winter tires, or the new rims i buy would be for winter use.

[lux.sh]

Having RFT on my car makes my car "look" more luxurious and high-end.

Me and my friend with Audi S4(TT ver.) were comparing our cars the other day. We were talking about trunk space, and they couldn't find a spare tire. they were like "dude, you should complain. your car didn't come with a spare". I smiled and said "thats because I got run flats". Yes, they were impressed.

I agree though, it was an idea, but not the greatest one. Conventional spare tire option seems more practical in a way. RFTs with spare tire would've been awesome.

[tima]

I wonder what the correlation is between folks who think BMW made the right decision on use of runflats and folks who think that if the 15k oil change is good enough for BMW, its good enough for them. LOL!

While I have no way to validate the information, the last issue of BMW magazine contains an article suggesting that not only do run-flats give better handling performance in the case of a blow out, they yield slightly better gas mileage.

Unless you opt to carry a spare, it seems prudent to use run-flats. If you travel in the car with luggage and like to pack it in the trunk that kinda rules out carrying a spare. (Unless you wanna put your spare in the back seat. haha).

The biggest problem I see with run-flats is if you do get a flat, prospects are lousy for being near someone with an equivalent run-flat replacement.

P.S. 7.5k on the oil change for me!
.

[Bimmerista]

Frankly dahrling - 15k for oil change is good enough for me since I'm ona 3-year lease.

Oh, and you can get a tire fit -type system so you don't have to worry about the local shop not being stocked.

In winter I acually prefer the run flats, their stiffer sidewalls could make the difference between new rim and no new rim....

[CnoteMD]

I recently ordered my winter wheel and tires (Dunlop Winter Sport M3 DSST). They offer regular and run-flat versions of this tire, with the run-flat version costing maybe $15 more per tire. I think it was well worth it to get the run flat version.

I have changed plenty of tires in the past, but having run-flats will make things much easier when the worst happens. I had the misfortune of having 2 tires go flat at the same time on one of NYC's infamous potholes.

I have the sport package 18 inch wheels and have had no problem with my Bridgestone run-flats. In this size even regular tires are expensive, its just one of those things I will have to get used to.

Michael

[Wolf359]

Run-flats give better mileage for the simple reason that the car doesn't have the burden of this extra wheel and tire in the trunk...!

[icedragon]

Ditch the runflat tires, buy the performance tires u want, and buy some SLIME tire sealant to store in your trunk for emergencies. They even have a handy kit with the SLIME and an air compressor, similar to BMWs M-mobility kit. And it's cheap too, I got mine at Wal-Mart for $20.

[cto702]

Don't use that Fix-a-Flat crap. It doesn't work and it just pisses that guy fixing your tire off even more when they demount the tire and have that crap spill all over their pants. (Speaking from experience as a techie from back in the day)

[tima]

Originally Posted by Bimmerista

Oh, and you can get a tire fit -type system so you don't have to worry about the local shop not being stocked.

I'm not familiar with this. What is a 'tire fit -type system'?
.

[NaTuReB0Y]

Runflats

When I got rid of my 162's......I think the front ones weighed 55 lbs. each!

[ward]

Originally Posted by Wolf359

Run-flats give better mileage for the simple reason that the car doesn't have the burden of this extra wheel and tire in the trunk...!

or they give you worse mileage and performance as each wheel/tire weighs MORE than non runflats, plus all the extra weight is unsprung weight, another bad bad thing

[wongmb]

Originally Posted by ward

or they give you worse mileage and performance as each wheel/tire weighs MORE than non runflats, plus all the extra weight is unsprung weight, another bad bad thing

I totally agree with the quoted.

They weigh "WAY MORE" and the added weight on all 4 corners would equate/more than the weight of a full size spare. So thats total nonsense about better gas mileage. The only thing it saves is the manufacturer's cost. Imagine the cost saving of not providing a full size spare.

And BMW admits they have to rejig the E90 suspension to handle the added weight of the runflat.

For someone who praise the benefit of RFT, just lift one up and compare the weight to a non-RFT, you will be SURPRISED how much more it weighs.

[StewtheBassman]

I checked my spare setup in the X5 this morning.
Sigh, it is so comforting to have:
OEM Jack
OEM Blocks
NEW full size spare on stock alloy wheel.
Bolt remover
Bolt lock key in little compartment.

It just made me feel warm and fuzzy all over, know what I mean?

And really, I could give a rat's ass about extra weight and mileage and all that crap. I live in nowhere. The nearest dealership is 50 miles away. I need the vehicle NOW if I have a flat, not Monday morning or whatever.

[ACZakka325i]

So i guess i got totally screwed by ordering the Blizzaks in a non-run flat form. I would have imagined that the guy at the tire rack would have advised me otherwise rather than just selling me the tires.

Its increadibly frustrating to hear others have ordered run flats from the tire rack while i will be running without any kind of backup plan for the winter. i guess i will just have to pray for a short winter even though i just dropped 700 bucks on those tires!