Hey all. I am taking delivery on my CM A4 on Monday and we went to the dealer today to test drive the car again since we are getting itchy.

I currently have a 2011 Clubman (which I LOVE). My wife will drive the CM A4. I have changed out the RFs on the Clubbie with Hankook PErformance Tires and they are Night and Day better than the RFs.

I want to do the same for the CM....

I read some threads about how the BMW X3 spare will work with the CM but the caveat is that there is no where to put the spare in the car.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to get rid of RFs without a spare?

Thanks in advance.

 

Plug kit, pump, and AAA.

 

Ok.... I came up with an idea....

Slime 48pc Spare Kit. Comes with Slime stuff and a mini compressor....

Anyone use this before on any car.... does it work?

 

Congrats on the new All4! We love ours. If you have the 17" tires, http://new.minimania.com/web/Item/G2.../InvDetail.cfm might work as well. There's probably other MINI specific folks with equivalent spares in an air-tight bag. I'm waiting till I wear out the initial RFs (12k miles so far) before going the summer performance / winter tires on separate rims / donut spare route.

 

Also get the plug kit and try to use that first on a flat before thinking about the slime.
http://www.amazon.com/Dynaplug-1007-.../dp/B000EXSER4
If you use the slime, you will be forced to take it to a shop to clean it out and then plug it for you. Although I've heard of people leaving the tire plugged with slime for years...

FYI some members are having issues calling MINI for towing with non run-flats... So make sure you have AAA/CAA or coverage on your credit card and call them instead when needed.

 

I blew my run flat, rip a big chunk from the side. Had to get it towed. I got a roof rack, thinking of somehow mounting a spare on it.

 

Jack is rigged with run flats and I have to agree they are a bit harsh. I ran over a pothole a few days ago and the car's reaction felt like the right front wheel was going to be obliterated. From my research, the run flats cost more, get less overall mileage and don't handle as well as a conventional tire.

I sent an email to our MA to confirm that when a R60 is returned to the dealer upon lease termination, "the car has to have run flats." That being said, one needs to make a decision to swap out for conventional tires with this potentially costly penalty hanging over their heads. The lowest price for replacement that I found was $303 per tire for what came from the factory.

 

Continental makes a tire repair kit called a ContiComfort Kit. It is an air compressor with a built in tire sealant. It's $75 at Tire Rack. Also BMW and Hyundai have kits that could probably be bought through dealers.
If you do use a tire sealant to fix a flat the TPMS can supposedly be rinsed out with water to make it servicable when you get the tire repaired.
I also plan on changing out the RF's for conventional tires if and when my CM comes in (supposedly at the end of this month).

 

If you lease, just store the ones you remove to give back.

I have plugged the run flats with plugs from AutoZone. Looks like a short worm, put some rubber cement on it and when it is inserted it folds in half and seals the tire. Since you push it all the way through the tire it seals right on the inside so should not be a problem. If you hear or feel thumps you may not have a good seal and air between the plys. Use good judgement.

Bill