BMW 5 series wheels

Winny

Can anyone tell me if i can take off the standard run flat tyres and fit normal tyres which can be repaired in the event of a puncture? i've just had to replace the same tyre twice because the run flats cannot be repaired and it's costing me a fortune.

thanks

worried_jim

Yes you can.

harveybobbles

Runflats can be repaired.

However, yes you can fit normal tyres.

redped

Quite a few BMW (and other) drivers have replaced their run-flats with regular tyres, me included. I changed my Z4's a couple of years ago, and within half a mile I noticed a much better ride (plus normal tyres were only 2/3 the cost of run-flats). I now carry a compressor in the boot (in case of slow leaks) as well as a can of Tyreweld (in case of bigger punctures). If I ever have a blow-out, then I'll use my AA membership and ask them to send a flat-bed truck to recover me!

Make sure you tell your insurance company, although thankfully they normally don't charge extra for the change.

harveybobbles

I can see an insurance company wriggling out of a claim with something along the lines of "the car has been modified" or "isnt to OE spec" bollox.

darich

harveybobbles wrote: »

I can see an insurance company wriggling out of a claim with something along the lines of "the car has been modified" or "isnt to OE spec" bollox.

Only if not declared.

I changed the runflats on my Z4 for normal tyres. I carried a couple of cans of tyreweld and a 12v compressor. Turns out I never needed it but I did notice almost immediately that the ride was smoother and less harsh.

I told my insurance company and they noted that the tyres had been "downgraded". No charge for it and the term although slightly disconcerting, was at least a record of the change.

One thing for the OP to note.....it is illegal to have a mix of normal tyres and runflats on the car so they all need changed at the same time.

darich

redped wrote: »

normal tyres were only 2/3 the cost of run-flats

My normal tyres were around half price for the rear and just over half price for the front.
I had a 3.0SE with rear size of 255x35x18 and front of 225x40x18.
I replaced the rfts with Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta. Good tyres and pretty reasonably priced.

harveybobbles

darich wrote: »

One thing for the OP to note.....it is illegal to have a mix of normal tyres and runflats on the car so they all need changed at the same time.

Not as far as I know?

I have runflats on the front of my car and normal tyres on the back.

I checked this with the MOT station and they said that as long as they are the correct size and they match per axle then its ok.

darich

harveybobbles wrote: »

Not as far as I know?

I have runflats on the front of my car and normal tyres on the back.

I checked this with the MOT station and they said that as long as they are the correct size and they match per axle then its ok.

Ok...maybe not illegal but definitely not advised

http://www.bridgestone.com.au/tyres/technologies/rft/faq.aspx#11
http://www.the-pitstop.co.uk/id18.html
http://www.tyresafe.org/news-and-events/detail/run-flat-tyres---further-advice-from-the-tic/ (last paragraph)
http://www.bmwland.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=60844
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=421159 - good explanation by highland pete on this thread

Every place/thread/site I can find advises against having a mix of rft tyres and normal tyres....and all make a point of stating they should never be mixed across the axle.

EDIT : As one thread put it - "it could turn a "oh !!!!!! that was close" moment into a "oh !!!!!!, I'm dead" moment. Perhaps a bit dramatic but I think you get the point.

harveybobbles

I'd never mix tyres on an axle. But my fronts are RFT's and they are fine and have passed an MOT. Twice.

All of them sites you posted are retail tyre related and will use the same scare tactics that places like Kwik Fit use...

darich

harveybobbles wrote: »

I'd never mix tyres on an axle. But my fronts are RFT's and they are fine and have passed an MOT. Twice.

All of them sites you posted are retail tyre related and will use the same scare tactics that places like Kwik Fit use...

Tyresafe.org isn't a retail site
neither are the two forums
And the bridgestone site doesn't sell anything - it's a manufacturer site

And you might well find that the MOT station checks the tread depth without checking whether a tyre is rft or not.

If you're happy to mix them that's fine....personally I wouldn't - didn't like the tramlining on the Z4 on the rfts....and would prefer not to have such drastically different tyres on the car. Different tread I could live with but not mixed RFTs.

Each to their own.:beer: