i was looking for a little smoother ride (and to save some money) and i didnt go with the run flats. i didnt think that i would lose that much performance.. i was wrong. i am really disapointed in my new performance. i can tell even when i pass someone on the highway, when i turn back into the right lane the back end feels extremely light. swaying back and forth. taking corners quickly is even worse, i cant really return the tires and i dont have enough money to buy 4 new runflats.. any suggestions. has this happened to anyone else?

 

I am having NO problems with my non runflats. The ride is WAY better and I am very confident that the MINI will handle anything I trow at it. Sorry that you do not like your purchase. Perhaps you can trade them for a set of runflats in the marketplace. I am sure that there will always be folks who can't handle the harsh ride.

 

it handles the same? maybe its just the tire that i had purchased, as of right now, they only have 30 miles on them, its something to think about. well, i have to do something, i cant stand it.

 

What tires did you buy?

 

What tires and what size did you get? What pressures are you running them at? Runflats have a stiffer sidewall compared to non-runflats, and there is a lot of variance in sidewall stiffness between different tires....

 

That is really strange. The non-runflats should be much smoother and quieter. What tires did you get and in what size. What wheels are they on and what did you inflate them too. And were did you buy them as their may be some sort of warranty.

There is clearly something wrong. It could simply be a bad choice of tire but it may be something else too as your experience is definitely not the norm.

Rich

 

I've seen quite a few complaints about losing the "go-kart" feel after changing runflats for non-runflats.

I personally don't think runflats are nearly as bad as some folks do, the only real drawback is the initial cost. Runflat technology is also improving, so perhaps the complaints of a stiff ride will be fewer.

 

Welcome to the minority. I am a member too . I miss my runflats. I bought good regular tires (Goodyear F1 GS-D3) I remember for the first week after I ditched the runflats I felt like I was going to lose control in corners & it really sucked. My go-kart like feel was gone . The runflats have stiffer sidewalls & IMHO handle much better in the twisties. Regular tires feels spongy in the corners. When I ditched my runflats I too was very disappointed in the handling on the twisties. Sure the ride is a bit smoother but I didn't buy my Mini to feel like some big caddy. My runflats made me "feel" the road when I drove it. My non-runflats make me feel like I am gliding over it in some sedan

I will tell you that the longer you drive on the regular tires the more you will get used to the sponginess in the corners. I'm not saying that's a good thing but you will get used to it. Give it a few more weeks before you do anything & you may find that you can stand the tires until they wear out & you can replace them with runflats!!

One plus of being in the runflat-loving minority is that everyone around here convinces people to ditch their runflats so we can usually find almost-new ones on E-Bay for cheap.

 

i found a set of 4 brand new Falken Ziex ZE-512, (all season performance (ny winter). treadwear.360, traction, temperature..A.- 205-45-17 ) on ebay for 375 with free shipping. thought i couldnt go wrong.. well, i did. i know that i will get used to it, im just worried that i will forget about them and take my normal corners at normal speeds and end up..well, not normal. i will probably end up keeping these and going run flats for the rest of my life. even my bald run flats were better than these POS's

 

I'm probably going to put reguler ties on my stock slites and put my runflats on my new wheels (when i get them in a few months) so for meets and summer spirited driving I'll have my new wheels with the runflats but when I go on trips in the car I can put the more forgiving wheel/tires combo on.

 

part of your problem is that those tires are junk. There are some good non-runflats that have very stiff sidewalls, the Falken Azenis RT-615's are about as stiff as they come an give CRAZY grip, but have pretty sketchy wet traction. For the slightly tamer, I'm running BGF G-Force sports on my mazda3 right now and they have quite stiff sidewalls. My previous tires though, Dunlop FM901's were pretty floppy and needed lots of pressure to prevent rollover. Have you tried more air pressure in them? This has its own negative side effects, but can sometimes help increase rollover resistance, which is primarily what you are feeling.

btw, another of the runflat minority here (for the mini, since it has no spare, I run non-runflats on my mazda since it has a spare)

 

Wow....after reading some other posts, I was getting ready to pull the runflats but now I'm not sure. I guess I will have to study up the sidewall stiffness of various tires.

 

I am currently running run flats, but I am probably going to replace these in the next few months. I love the handling, but the ride is just too stiff for my old ****

I've had alot of luck with Avon 550's on my previous car (Infiniti G35). That's probably the route I'll go.

So is anyone aware of a good review thread on NAM that discusses NAMers experiences with various tires?

 

I have put Yokohama ES100s on my Mini and never looked back. I also have a $12 electric pump which I have used to reinflate my tires when I have picked up screws or nails so I can go and get 'em patched. Don't forget to get your tires rotated (front to back) or you will end up with the rear tires having 75% good tread but having to be changed as its 100% bald on the inner edges.

 

I took my falken 512's to the track (summit point, main track) the day after I bought them and thought they handled great for an all-season tire. I was using the same size as you. It was a mixed weather day so I got to try them in both a wet and dry situatons. I would definitly purchase them again.

 

Read my thread from yesterday https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=79435 .
I acknowledge that the runflats are not that bad, but as soon as I have the time, I'm going back to non-runflats. Handling is dependent on many factors, sidewall stiffness is just one, and the Toyo T1R's I just burned off my car had plenty. Lack of choice in tire compounds is my biggest complaint against runflats. With the exception of the special ones made for Corvettes, I don't know of any that even try to meet the specs of a plethora of readily available conventional performance tires. You went from "performance" runflats to all seasons that are inherently less sporty. I believe runflats are more part of MINI's marketing strategy than their engineering program. There are plenty of high performance cars today (i.e. Porsche Cayman and BMW M-cars) that come with regular tires and no spares. For better or worse, the spare tire is going the way of the dodo.

 

Definitely check the pressure - higher pressure = less flex.
Also, you note that you've only had the tires on for 30 miles - it's often said that it takes 100+ miles to wear off the 'release compound' that helps them remove the tire from the mold.

Aside from those factors, the performance of the tire is not necessarily linked to runflat or no - realize that (assuming you're replacing the Goodyear all-seasons) you're trading a $200+ tire for an $80 tire. Some of the delta is due to the runflat technology, but the Goodyears are also a higher quality tire.

 

I agree. Drive on them a few hundred miles to get the mold release off them, and make sure you have the proper air in them. They're an inexpensive all-season tire so they're not going to have the same handling, obviously. And some of the movement you may be feeling is the roughly 10 lb loss of unsprung weight per corner. That sould make your MINI feel much less sluggish.

Also, MINI S owners can go for a 215/40 r17 tire instead of the cushier 205/45 r17s. That should help make it stiffer!

Hope they help you thru some winter weather.

 

I have the Eagle F1-DS3 on my Z3 and I am planning on replacing my runflats with the same tire as soon as the tread wears (can't afford to just swap out right now but by summer.. perhaps) I LOVE the Eagles and if not for the quick wear (got about 15mos/12kmiles on the Z3) I'd have them now. That tire is just awesome, handles rain/wet roads, sticks like crazy!! I have never felt more confident with anyother tire. I am banking that I will have the same ride with the MINI. I replaced the Eagles with the ES100s which are nice but a bit slippy the firt 300miles...

 

You sure about 10 pounds per tire? The tires I checked were about, at the most, 3 lbs heavier in runflat than the non-runflats were.

 

I have the same tires you do and think they are great! I don't agree with the comment that they are junk, they are definitely stickier than my old all season run flats by a long shot. I do notice what seems to be a "lighter" back end with these tires due to more compliance in the sidewalls, but once you get used to the slightly different feel, I think you'll come to like it. I definitely feel a greater sense of control with the car. I liked the feel of the runflats, personally - didn't mind the stiff ride - but am very happy with my tires.

Give it some time, let them break in a bit, and you might feel differently.

 

Ziex512's shoulds stick better than what you described.

As mentioned above, check your tirepressure... set it at 34psi cold
and drive on them more to break them in.

 

205/45/17
Goodyear all-season RSA EMT are 30.37lbs -$200
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ead.php?t=3500

205/45/17
Falken Ziex 512 are 18.7lbs -$81
http://www.edgeracing.com/tire/768/

 

I'm sorry! I have always heard "S" owners complaining about the Runflats weight. After researching the weight (I never bothered to pay attention!) I found that the original equipment 205/45 runflats from Dunlop and Pirelli are 21.9 and 22.0 lbs each, respectively.






What's the matter with you "S" owners!?!?!?!?!?!
That's not that heavy.


The Yokohama AVS ES100 is 21.5 lbs per tire. That's a VERY popular tire and it's not even a runflat!

The Falken Zeix 512 205/45 r17 is 18.7 lbs per tire. Light comparably, but not amazing.

I think the biggest change you can make is getting rid of the SLites, but you may as well keep the runflats!

Didn't intent to mislead!
-Steve

 

I have not gotten to weigh the wheels and tires separately, but my Flik Wasps with 215/45/17 Toyo T1R's are 7 lbs lighter each than my Slites with Dunlop performance runflats.