My wife and I would like to take a trip from San Francisco to Vancouver. Our '06 MCSa is the only car we have and want (except for the '08 Clubman on order!). We like the run flats as they would probably help us avoid a car ditching blowout. They would also allow us to keep driving if we had a flat when it was dangerous to stop. (Bad traffic, terrain, weather, neighborhood).
I do carry an air compressor and plug kit so could deal with simple nail hole.
I would like to avoid carrying a spare - doughnut or otherwise.

However the big question for me is what do you do if we wreck a run flat by driving on it for a few miles and end up in a small town.

Solutions that come to mind are:

1. Have Tire Rack rush ship a replacement tire to be installed locally. Be prepared to spend the night in a local motel.
However you would have to check first to see if any local shop could deal with the run flat removal and installation. Chances are probably pretty slim that there will be a shop with the proper tire changer (certain Hunter models).

2. Have Tire Rack rush ship a replacement tire mounted on a new (cheap?!) rim. Be prepared to spend the night (or more?) in a local motel.
Install the new wheel and tire yourself if you carry a jack (I have not been). Or get it installed locally. Be prepared to carry your old wheel tire home with you. Expensive.

I called AAA and asked them if I called and asked for a tow to the closest Run Flat shop, could they help me. Answer was no, they did not have that information. However the person I talked to said it was a problem they were working on!

What are people doing in these situations? Do we stop taking long trips in BMWs or MINIs with run flats?

Thanks for any ideas on this.

 

3. buy a non run flat tire in same size and keep motoring

 

also any BMW dealer should have a machine that can change runflats

 

SPDinNY,

Good idea to use a non run flat as an emergency replacement. But I wonder if the shop would be able to take off the bad run flat without the specialized tire changer?

I looked up the BMW dealers in Org. and Wash. They might be the answer if you weren't too far away. (over 100 miles?) A tow would always be possible.

Thanks.

 

if they dont want to save the tire I am sure they could cut it, a tire shop did mine without the right machine but it was a hard time.

 

Like SPD said, not only a local bimmer shop could do it, but a Goodyear tire place who has worked on 'vettes as well. 'vettes come standard with Goodyear runflats.

 

4. Buy a space saver spare and toss it in your trunk for those long trips where you think you'll be far from good tire companies. It would be premounted on the wheel so you wouldn't have to worry about finding someone to remove the flat runflat till you got home.

 

I too have a compressor and plug kit w/ me, but that does nothing for a blow out. Although I drive alot most of it is local, and I really don't need to drag around a donut. Longer trips - someday I might buy one. Read this, it'll make you think twice.


Nik

 

The Corvette guys go through this all the time...Printout a list of authorized Goodyear Runflat dealers on your route. Runflats can be repaired as long as the puncture is not to close to the sidewall...

 

has anyone checked to see if a standard Civic spare will fit on our cars?

 

Unfortunately, not many tires come in our OEM size. (note that if one compelled to run a non-oem size tire, it should go on the back)


To the OP, it's good to think ahead, but don't over analyze. Unless you're going offroad like Averywo did, you're not likely to get a flat and EXTREMELY unlikely to have a blowout.

I've got a full size 'spare', but after the wife loaded up her 'stuff', I left it in the garage during our CA - MT - WA - CA road trip. Good thing, or we never would have been able to fit in that case of Montana beer.

as for advice, I'll add:
4. Get online and plead for assistance from NAM.

 

FWIW...I have the tire and wheel protection package which already has paid for itself because I have replaced 3 Run Flats in the course of owning my MINI. The program also covers wheels and tires not bought through a MINI dealership. Furthermore, the program also will reimburse costs in a case where the dealer is not reachable. Out of curiosity I checked in my area to see who carried Run Flats. Firestone and Just Tires have them in stock.

 

Word of caution:
I recently had my front (runflat) tires replaced and they butchered my rims.
There is scratches and paint chips on it now.
Here's an option that would work for long trips and has other uses once your back in town.
Of course you would need an extra tire, rim and the rack which might come up to a pretty penny.

 

I could've sworn that one of the guys in our local Vette club told me he had a run-flat replaced on a trip at the local Walmart. Anybody here ever try them?