North American Motoring - Well it happened.... Flat tire.. THANK GOD I DON'T HAVE RFs!!!!!

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- - Well it happened.... Flat tire.. THANK GOD I DON'T HAVE RFs!!!!! (https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/countryman-wheels-tires-and-brakes/246007-well-it-happened-flat-tire-thank-god-i-dont-have-rfs.html)

Well it happened.... Flat tire.. THANK GOD I DON'T HAVE RFs!!!!!

After work, in a parking lot, 14 degrees and 30 mph winds....

And luckily I had my slime kit Air Compressor... screwed it to the valve stem, 2 minutes later....was able to drive.. Went directly to the tire shop on the way home... 8 minutes later, fixed and back on the road.

SOOOOOOOOO glad these weren't RUN FLATS!
First, they didn't have them,,would have to order them,

Secondly, they wouldn't had fixed this tire. Liability reasons...

And lastly, this would had been as bit over $300 for RF tire when it arrived, PLUS mount, balance and ....

It cost me $20 and 8 minutes.

Yeah Mini, RFs are a SCAM! YOUR Scam!

I still got to the tire shop with a little compressor and it didn't cost me a ton....

So all of you asking about RFs... Here's real life.. You decide :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by fused (Post 3683212)

I was just looking into getting a spare tire to have to......but this sounds like a better option what exactly did you use can you post a pic? how much and where did you get it...also this "SLIME" stuff didnt hurt or damage your tire inside? lots of questions but hey sounds like this worked out great so I want some info ! hahah thanx in advance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayzmini (Post 3683231)

was it this?

My Porsche has compressor and 'slime'. Had three punctures. Never worked...had to be towed each time.

Especially an issue with low profile tires as the sidewall can get damaged hitting potholes.

I've had a runflat repaired too...

I know this forum (and the MINI community in general) hate runflats. I hate them too, but they do have their PROs vs CONs.

http://www.ehow.com/list_6766665_pro...lat-tires.html

Quote:

Safety
- The primary advantage of run-flat tires is their superior safety performance over conventional tires. Run-flat tires are resistant to the blowouts that can cause sudden loss of control and put drivers at risk of an accident. In addition, run-flat tires use their reinforced sidewalls to support the weight of the vehicle even without any air pressure inside the tire. This means that drivers can continue driving after a loss of tire pressure from a puncture. This prevents the need to stop on a potentially dangerous road to remove a flat tire and attach a spare.
Convenience
- Run-flat tires also offer a convenient alternative to carrying a spare tire. Drivers don't need to stop to change a tire, reducing lateness or time spent outdoors in bad weather. Run-flat tires will still require repair or replacement following a puncture, but not immediately. Most run-flat tires can support the vehicle at speeds up to 50 miles per hour for around 100 miles, giving drivers a chance to get home or drive to an auto shop for service.
Reduced Weight
- Using run-flat tires removes the need to carry a heavy, bulky spare tire. This reduced weight aids in improving fuel economy and also helps vehicles accelerate more quickly and stop in a shorter distance. It also allows car designers to add additional storage space (in the case of vehicles that would otherwise have spare tires in the trunk) or larger gas tanks (when the spare would be mounted below the vehicle).
Cost
- The biggest disadvantage of run-flat tires is their cost. Only a few manufacturers produce run flat-tires, which may cost more than twice as much than conventional tires for some vehicles. Some of this cost may be offset by the need to buy only four tires instead of five for a vehicle equipped with a full-size spare tire, or long-term fuel savings due to reduced weight.
Ride Quality
- The rigid sidewalls that allow run-flat tires to operate without air pressure also result in a stiffer, more bumpy ride. This may be more of an issue on some vehicles, including those without adjustable suspensions to soften the ride. On sports cars with rigid suspensions, the additional rough feel of run-flat tires may be negligible.

I once made it from Chicago to Vermont after a Grateful Dead concert in a hippy chick's van that had a flat tire. We kept adding slime every few hours, and made it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayzmini (Post 3683231)

was it this?

Yes...thats it.. $80 if I remember correctly...

And I just used the air compressor to get to my tire guy.
Just needed air .... the nail wasn't letting a lot out...

I use a full spare, same rim as on the car so I had a spare had I chosen to change it. But it was brutal cold... Two minutes with the compressor and I had enough to get there.

I also have non-rf's and that is why I bought a Conti Comfort Kit from the Tire Rack to carry around. There is the Slime kit mentioned above. Also a lot of car manufaturuers offer their own versions with Mini & BMW being one of the most expensive (shocking!).

And yes it might not repair every puncture but at least you've got something that can help out in a pinch.

When I bought my non-rf's the guy at America's Tire asked me how I'd handle a flat and I just told him that it was Mini road side assistance or Michelin road side assistance job to figure out.:lol:

Quote:

Originally Posted by fused (Post 3683343)

More like $20 or so at KMart or Wal-Mart

Quote:

Originally Posted by welshmenwillnotyield (Post 3683659)

More like $20 or so at KMart or Wal-Mart

For the delux kit?
This one has the reamer, worms, value cores etc...
And the slime....
And the better compressor ... supposed to completely inflate a tire in like 3 minutes? Did this one in 2....

If thats the one you got for $20... Awesome deal! Congrats :)

The "reduced weight" advantage is a mixed benefit, at best.

Yes, there isn't the weight of a spare tire.

However, RFTs weigh much more than conventional tires...having just moved sets of both around my garage, and unsprung weight at that.

I'll have my non-RFTs mounted soon, and get a sense how they behave compared to the RFTs that came on it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljmattox (Post 3683885)

However, RFTs weigh much more than conventional tires...having just moved sets of both around my garage, and unsprung weight at that.

I suspect that is more in your mind. At least, if the specs are accurate as listed on sites like Tire Rack.

E.g. the Goodyear RFTs that came on my MINI weigh 22 lbs. The Conti DWS I have right now weight 21 lbs. A difference of a 1 or 2 lbs is consistent with past research I've done comparing the weight of RFT vs non-RFT.

Maybe. 23 lbs for the Conti all-seasons that came on it, and 19 lbs for the Conti DW tires that are replacing them. The LM-60s RFT snows that are on there now are 25 lbs each. Heavier, but not "a lot", perhaps.

Better off getting aftermarket rims to save weight

I had a nail in a RF on my Clubman would drop below 32lbs every 3 or 4 days and I would pump back up with my little compressor. Went to 2 shops they wouldn't even look just told me new tire. 3rd shop didn't bat an eye just plugged it. First two shops also said they couldn't sell me a non-RF that it would not be safe on a car designed for runflats. They had totally drank the coolaid, or were on the money train.