Run Flat Tires or Reg? What's the difference, if any?
 

When I bought my used 2002 LY MINI Cooper, it didn't have the run flat tires on it. A couple of friends who own minis have repeated OVER and OVER...for God's sake....that it is a MUST to own the run flat tires. I've heard that they're more expensive and I'm not so sure about replacing perfectly good tires for some that I have no info on. Are they a must or a must not?:confused:

Either way, if you have a flat tire that can't be repaired, you are going to need a new tire ASAP.

With the runflats, you can drive a short distance to a tire store to find out that they don't stock your unusual runflat tire and it will take a couple days to get it. With no spare tire, you are without your MINI until you can get a tire.

With regular tires, you'll have a spare tire that can get you to the tire store. When you get to the tire store, chances are much better that they will have your tire and will get you back on the road in a jiffy.

Not to mention the much better ride and performance of reguar performance tires.

Thank You! You made a very good point concerning going without my MINI. That alone makes me very glad to have kept the reg. tires.:thumbsup:

Doesn't the regular Cooper come with a spare? (well, unless you get runflats). It's just the S that doesn't right?

Runflat tires are not a MUST item for most drivers-
They do offer some advantages:
In case of any damage to the tires you can drive off the busy road and find a safer area to access the damage and repair or replace the tire if needed- especially important in less lighted areas at night, in bad weather, on the freeway in the dark at night or in heavy traffic, or if you are not inclined to change a tire in a busy area by yourself. For women this can be a very good safety feature.

Since the runflat comes standard on the MCS there is no spare tire so changing to non runflats requires some sort of back up plan that can be a can of fix a flat, to a cell phone to call friends, family or AAA for help.

The MC comes with a spare tire under the boot area and it can come with standard 15" tires or optional 16" runflats.

Ride quality, smoothness and quietness, long life, larger selection of tires, lower prices, and good wet and dry handling can be better with some non runflats. In my area there are few places that sell runflats besides the dealership and also few that have the MINI sizes for runflats and non runflats alike. Many of us have to mailorder for tires so there can be some downtime. Some of us keep multiple sets of wheels as back up- check out your local MINI club so you know who are the nuts with the extra wheels.

For more info try talking to Alex@tirerack.com

Non run-flats offer a more compliant ride. They handle better, are quieter and provide a smoother ride. The run flats have a very stiff sidewall which make the ride harsh and dont allow the contact patch to expand on hard corners.

You can always buy a small 12v compressor and a can of tire-fix. This will get you to a tire repair shop for a fix. The run-flats offer an edge in convenience and safety in the rare case you have a flat.

Why give up a better ride, comfort and performance just to have the convenience of run-flats? I would rather take my chances and enjoy the performance edge of conventional tires..

I think runflats get a bad rap. Some of them handle very well.

I looked up tire weight on The Tire Rack website and non-runflats aren't much lighter.

I've also seen several instances of people complaining about losing the "go-kart" feel of their MINI after changing to non-runflats, probably due to no longer having the very still sidewall of the runflats, which doesn't flex much while cornering. The stiff sidewalls do make runflats typically ride a little rougher than non-runflats.

The cost of runflats and reluctance of some tire repair shops to work on them are the big negatives.

I was pleasantly surprised that my 03 MC with 16" runflats also came with a spare tire.

I think non-runflats are better. You have your choice of a softer sidewall (most all season radials) that will give a smooth ride. But check the TireRack before you buy because some tires are quieter than others.

If you want to keep the "go-kart" feel, get one of the maximum performance summer tires. Most of them have stiff sidewalls for a firmer ride and amazing cornering grip. They will be a HUGE step up in performance than the run flats. But it's too bad that the Tire Rack doesn't sell one of the best brands.....Falken. The Falken RT-615 is an amazing tire for a great price. (just don't drive them in the snow)

Another thing to consider is that if you do get a flat with run-flats, while you can drive it 50 miles or so to get you home etc., they are considered to be non-repairable. This is because after running on it without air pressure the sidewall strength is considered to be compromised and possibly unsafe. So as I understand it, tire shops will not repair run-flats, you have to buy a new tire. I think a replacement 16" run-flat tire costs about $285?
So if you pick up a nail on the road it could cost you $285 on a run-flat vs. about $10 to repair a non-run-flat.

MC with 16" runflats and spare tire is best of both worlds.

Runflats handle OK, not the best but not horrible.

Non runflats can be geared for best performance (to an extreme) or for best comfort, durability, or for all season use including some light snow (not so good for runflats).

Tire weights vary alot. For the lightest tires check out those from Toyo like the T1S or T1R in sizes that fit the MINI. Tirerack.com doesn't carry Toyos but some MINI owners are very happy with them. Runflats no matter which brand are not light.

If you use max performance summer tires or better you will have excellent performance handling in any MINI and clearly it surpasses runflats. They can be expensive and not wear as long.

Switching to non runflats gives you options on tire sizes not available with runflats. You can go wider than stock or with various sized sidewalls for more stiffness or more comfort. Depending on the rim you use you can pick tires with 35 series sidewalls (18" rims) all the way up to 65 series tires with stock 15x5" rims. Most of us use 40 or 45 series with 17" rims or 45, 50 or 55 series with 16" rims.

If you live in an area with lots of wet weather some non runflat tires are excellent for wet traction and better than runflats. Some owners don't like to change to winter tires so all season tires in non runflats are a good option if weather is not too severe.

You have a regular MC, you should have a spare. It CAN be concidered a must for a MCS owner or a woman who couldn't change a tire.....

But with that said, how many flats have you had in your life? I have had one flat tire in my life! and for the cost of runflats over std tires you can more than pay for a tow to a service station, so on balance you are wagering the possibility of a greater inconvience by getting a tow rather than having a spare ready to go....and given the frequency of flats I think that is an acceptable risk to save several hundred dollars.....its not like everybody and thier brother doesnt have cell phones these days to get help. 30 years ago the equation was diffrent....you didn't want to be stranded with no way to call in help, so you carried tires hoses, extra belts all kinds of crap just incase you needed to make a repair

Where do you hide the spare in the Mini?

Not true I had a runflat repaired (plugged) on my wife's MINI. It probably has 2K on it now with no issues. The same rules apply to runflat repair as to regular tires - if the puncture is too close to the edge, it isn't repairable. Also, I think your price for a runflat (at least the 16" DSSP 5000 from TireRack) is very high. That said, I am neither advocating runflats or dismissing them - like our MINI's, the choice is up to you.

For the MC it is under the rear of the car in the middle
http://mtbr.com/author/photos/cooper/IMG_5710-1.jpg
In this picture the spare is removed but lies next to the exhaust and in the center behind the backup light.

runflats definitely CAN be repaired. If you drove 50 miles on a tire with no pressure, the sidewall would probably be compromised, yes, but if you just go to the nearest shop to you and get it fixed, you should be fine (the further you drive, the more it is compromised, especially if it has ZERO pressure, but how many punctures REALLY take you down to ZERO pressure. My wife's mini has had a runflat repaired with no problems. And for those who say "how often do you really get a flat tire", my answer is, A LOT. I've had to get tires repair 4 times in the past year between our 3 vehicles (only one on the mini though).

Not to mention, I'm quite happy with the grip from the Pirelli's on her car, I have a max performance tire on my Mazda, and both cars have very similar grip levels. If you ask me, there are two real downsides to runflats, ride comfort suffers (but not much more than with a max performance summer tire) and more importantly, COST.

Aha! Thanks for that.

I'd rather have a spare than the center outlet exhaust though. Looks like it would be an expensive and involved mod to add the spare back.

I love my run flats. I picked up a nasty nail and got a flat. Took it to a tire shop, and they patched my baby right up. Tires are still going strong :thumbsup:

Boo RF's! They are expensive, harsh ride, and less-performance. When your tires wear out, get some nice Falken Azenis RT-615's or something....WAY better performance! :nod:

-Cody

The funny thing about this thread is that when I was picking up my Mini and the sleezeball was trying to sell me extended warranties, etc, he was pushing the tire protection REALLY hard. In fact, he actually added it to the contract after I said I didn't want it (major props to my buddy for catching it).

One of the selling points was telling me that "Mini has done extensive tests and the stock RF tires are absolutely the best performing tires on the Mini. Use anything else and your performance will drop WAY off, so you really want to protect them!"

Of course I knew that this was rubbish, and it was confirmed when I hopped on NAM to check what tires people were using. I hate when sleezeball warranty salesman treat you like you don't know anything about cars. :roll:

The difference in ride harshness between the runflat and non-runflat tires is amazing. If you have had a whiplash injury, runflats are pretty much not an option. For me, just driving out of the garage (there is about a 1/2" height difference between the garage floor and the driveway) would start my neck spasming with the OEM Goodyear RSAs.

high performance tires vs runflats and spares and fix-a-flat
 

I have heard people talk about carrying a compressor and a can of fix a flat. Please be advised that if you are running a high performance tire like a Z rated Toyo that the fix a flat fluid will disintegrate the compouind in the high performance tire ( I did it knowingly once because I was getting a new tire anyway). So if you want fix-a-flat protection "choose your type of tire wisely". Daz

Or, if you have lost the rear seat, you could carry a real spare....

I've never used fix-a-flat before, but I'd be concerned that it would create a real mess for the tire store to clean up when you replace your tire. True or false?

It creates a real MESS. Some tire stores charge extra to repair a tire that has had fix-a-flat added.

The only thing that got me off my Pirelli RF's was the problem finding a tire shop with any employees competent enough to work with them. It's really easy to slice part of the bead edge off if someone doesn't exercise a little caution.