Time to swap out tires and I will not be putting run flats back on. At the tire store, everything was fine until the guy saw my car and said they can't put standard tires on run flat rims. Is this correct?

 

Depends on the store.

Some are concerned with liability, so have a standing edict to never replace run-flats with non. The concern being that someone, clueless, would suffer a flat down the road and assert that the tire store was negligent for mounting non-run-flats in the place of factory equipment, thus leaving them stranded.

I've never eyeballed it, but it's claimed there are rim lip design differences in wheels designed for runflats, and not. Dozens/hundreds on this forum have made this switch, however (and on the Corvette forum, some (all?) C6 current models were factory runflats).

We live (USA) in a litigious society.

 

I changed the RFT on my black star bullet wheels for non-RFT for a while now. No problems. Many others MINI owners have swapped their RFT for non-RFT, too. Haven't heard of any fitment problems.

JUST DO IT!

 

Has nothing to do with the wheels/rims. The tire is lipped the same exact way on run flats versus regular. It is only a liability issue and some stores are not willing to put them on. Many people have been running regular tires for years now.

 

Given that so many have made this switch (including me, but not on a MINI), it should be a no-brainer.

Still, if you hear of the "but the rims are different" discussion, you could trace the source to web content like this, from BMW's site:

"Keep performing even when the pressure drops: run-flat tyres keep you mobile even if all tyre pressure is lost. Instead of an unpleasant and unsafe roadside tyre change, you can reach home safely or drive to the next workshop for assistance.

Run-flat tyres are their own spares: thanks to specially reinforced side walls and additional lateral strengthening, they continue to perform their function even if all air pressure is lost. The heat-resistant rubber compound is able to withstand additional heat build-up. With run-flat tyres fitted, you can continue driving for up to 150 km at a speed of up to 80 km/h without any significant loss in vehicle stability. You not only save time and stress, you are also free of the need to carry a spare tyre, saving stowage space.

All driver assistants remain fully functional when driving with a loss of tyre pressure. The optional Adaptive Drive system redistributes the load to the other tyres, reducing the burden on the low-pressure tyre as much as possible. The wheel rims of run-flat tyres have special design that ensures the tyre will not detach from the rim, even on tight bends."

http://www.bmw.com/com/en/insights/t...lat_tyres.html

Of course, based on the above, if there was a concern it would be more about putting run-flats on rims that didn't come with them, since there'd be no "special design" on that rim. Apparently the "special design" doesn't bother non-run-flats, given the many folks on here who've made the switch without trouble.

 

I have done it twice. R55 and R57@. It is just harder to dismount the RFs, the sidewall is so hard. The rims have nothing to do with type of tire. Well maybe the old wire wheels, some required tubes.

 

I have non-runflats on Black Star Bullets - no problems.

 

Carry one of these in the boot and never have a worry about getting stranded. I've had it for a couple of years and ...well, I'll not awaken the gremlins on this issue. No comment beyond that except to say that I am on my third set of NON-runflats.

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/...ortby=ourPicks

 

For about $200 i installed the factory hardware and a sparetire. Fit perfect, it should as most MINIs dont come with RFs