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I'm sure this has been dicussed a million times over. Can the OE run flats be replaced by a standard tire? Will it effect handeling and performance? What are good tires on either end.
So far I'm looking at Potenza RE050 in RF and Hankook Ventus V12 in the standard tire. Any other opinions or suggestions welcome.
Last edited by Jerseybird97; 09-05-2010 at 04:59 PM.
I've not had experience with the non-runflats, so I can't tell you what tires to get. On the other hand, many of my friends in TarHeel MINIs have gone with the standard tires, and say it does affect handling slightly, but that small sacrifice is greatly out-weighed by the ride comfort and price (or so I'm told). Wish I could be of more help but that's all I know.
I, along with many here have done just that, replaced the runflats with standard tires. First it was for my winter set, I ordered the same non-runflats I've used in the past on a new set of rims and noticed a much more compliant ride. Handling was tough to judge as winter tires are inherently less precise handling due to their construction and purpose, but they handled very well when the weather was decent and were outstanding even in the blizzard NY got last winter. I was going to keep the summer runflats until next spring, but one of them developed a sidewall bubble and I decided to ditch them and get standard tires for marginally more than 1 replacement Dunlop RF. Wow am I glad I did. With Conti Extreme COntact DW max performance non-runflats the car rides better, had better braking and accelerating grip, and seems much less susceptible to bump steer in corners. I highly recommend this tire. I've been reading up on tires for quite a while and although this tire is relatively new, all the tire rack, magazine and customer reviews have been very positive. If you have 17s, I recommend going to a 215/45/17 as that's what I did. It's got slightly more tread, a tiny bit more sidewall and has no fitment issues. One reason I went with the Conti DW is that its a lightweight tire and I have the heavy JCW Challenge wheels, so saving a couple lbs of rotating mass seemed like a good idea. Of course I don't think you'll be disappointed in either of the two tires you're looking at, they were also in my final 5 choices that I had narrowed it down to.
You can find literally hundreds of folks here who have decided to ditch run-flats. Its perhaps the most common "upgrade" done to the little car.
You haven't said which type of Mini you have. If you have a "non-S" model, you have litttle to worry about, you have a spare tire under the back of your car. If you have an "S" model, you may want to invest in a flat repair solution in addition to buying new tires.
Most who post or read here will invest in performance type tires and you can find almost endless discussions about Michelin A/S+, Continental DWSs, and Yokohoma Avid Envigors among the current threads here. Most will eventually pick a favorite based on cost, availability, and cosmetics. The tires you mention in your original posting are among those selected by many, and many seem to be very satisfied with their choices.
Standard tires will affect handling and performance. Most of those effects will be positive. Most think the run-flats ride hard, wear poorly, generate a lot of noise, and their stiffness seems to adversley impact the thresholds at which they lose grip. Many feel that run-flats do not corner well and that they let go abruptly when they reach their limits. Most feel that their cost is too high.
You will find non R/Fs that grip well in the corners and yet ride well over rough pavement. You will find a significant decrease in noise with non-RFs.
About all that remains to recommend run-flats is the warm and fuzzy feeling that you will not have to change a flat tire on the side of the road in the middle of the night. For many, that is enough to recommend them.
I would put run-flats on my daughter's car in a heart-beat.
