Insert- While I agree that you'd have more control with a run flat if you had a blow out and can of fix a flat won't work if you get a gaping hole in your tire, I respectfully disagree that run flats perform better than non run flats of the same category ( high performance all seasons, max performance summer, etc.). Most sports cars don't come with run flats from the factory. A high performance tires side wall wouldn't deform to any extreme around a corner. Grip is determined by sticky rubber and tread pattern. Will high performance run flats perform better than all season touring tires? Of course! But you can get rid of a lot of the discomfort and maintain high performance by moving to a non run flat. I will be keeping a can of slime and a membership to AAA though!

 

OK I have the conti tires on my recently used purchased 08 MCS. I do not see anything on the side of the tire indicating that they are run-flats. How do you know if you have run-flats?

 

The current gen of contis that are run flats Have SSR in their name( self supporting run flats). Not sure about old gen tires.

 

Okay. I had an "interesting" talk with a local tire dealership in town yesterday. I'm going to replace the run flats on my 2010 Mini Cooper S. I'm looking for a tire that will give me more than 30K miles as I commute to school 30 miles each way five days a week.

Anyhooo...when I asked about other tires that would be right for my car, the man at the tire store said it was against the law for them to put any other tire on my car. Yep. Against the law. It seems the entire Mini Cooper is engineered and built around the run flat technology. To put another tire on it would incur the wrath of the tire gods in addition to getting a $10,000 fine if they put another tire on my baby. End result...he refused to even talk to me about any other tires for my car.

I told him I thought it was interesting because in the forums I read, many Mini owners opted to put other tires on their cars. He said, yes, there were other tire dealerships who would put other tires on but it was illegal. That's when the fine comment came up. Seriously? I felt like he saw a huge STOOPID tattoo on my forehead. (Which, by the way, I checked in the mirror when I got home and I don't have one.)

So the question is...I personally think he's full of nasty things and I can put any other tire on my car that I darned well please as long as I A. pay for them and B. they fit my car. Or is there some little known law that governs what kind of tire I put on my car? I knew government was getting intrusive, but......really???

 

There's a guy that probably wished he was something other than a tire salesman!
What total and utter B.S.

As long as the tires are a correct fit and road worthy you have nothing to worry about.
I'm pretty sure you can find one person from every state on this board, that's changed their tires out.

Next they'll be telling you to only use BMW tools on it!!

 

Your tire guy is nuts or stupid, probably both. No one ever told me that and I talked with several tire guys about the subject. I currently have Michelin
pilots 215x45x17 and the smoothness and quality of ride was noticed immediately. It changed the total feel of the car for the better. I am one of those guys that hardly ever has to have more than one person in the car with me, thus I carry a patch kit and a jack and spare tire in the car. Good luck any non run flat tire will help you.Csdaman2

 

You should have asked him why they offer regular tires then. He doesn't know what he is talking about. There are currently no laws that would keep them from doing it that I know of. They just like to try and scare you into buying the higher dollar tires.

 

my new 2012 mini countryman s all4 was delivered with pirelli cinturato p7 225/45-18 91v rf tires.

since i am a motocycle rider, i am very **** about tire pressure.

the om says 32psi for all loads at speeds under 100mph and 38psi for all loads at all speeds.

i checked the tire pressures at the dealer before taking my first drive....spot on 32psi.

i found the tires traction excellent, particularly the braking

but the ride was harsh, even tar strips were heard/felt

2 days ago, i upped the pressure to 38psi, out of curiosity, thinking i would be going from bad to worse

what a difference! no more bang bang on the tar strips, the harshness is GONE, don't feel the tar strips anymore!

turn in is shaper, braking and general handling slightly better

but the ride quality is so much better,

is this the secret to rf tires? run them hard?

has anyone else noticed this?

for the price, i do not think i will put run flats on when these wear out, but i will keep these stock tires until they wear out.

thanks

scott

 

I think he got the hint I was less than impressed...and gullible by the time I left. Idiot salesman. It's on to the other tire dealer that did know what he was talking about. Thanks for the validation.

 

Clueless salesman. Even the usually picky America's Tire here in California had no problem installing non-runflats on my JCW. They are picky, though about putting the tires with the most tread on the rear. I just switch them when I get home.

 

I wonder why the would want to put more tread on the rear when the car is front wheel drive? I would switch them too.

 

Less to balding tread on the rear can cause the rear end to slide out.

See the link my sig for the holey grail - a run flat that rides like a conventional tire.

 

As MCS says its for vehicle control, specifically in wet conditions. The least weight over the rear axle means those tires are pressed to the pavement with less force. Hydroplaning can occur easier in the rear from this lack of weight. The tallest tread depth offers the benefit on the best traction in water.

The tread depth differences are also a factor in dry. Think of turning and braking hard at the same time, like and accident avoidance maneuver. All that momentum, and weight transfer shifting forward. There is very little weight over the rear axle, so you equip it with the tallest tread to offer the most grip, and keep it behind you. Oversteer can be tricky to handle, especially in a panic scenario.

We have an article on it as well.

 

Alex, Thanks for the information. It really makes a lot of sense, due to the light rear end. csdaman2

 

I have a 2009 Clubman S it came with run flats as soon as they needed replacing I brought Yokohama Avid Envigors, that was a GREAT improvement !!
When they needed replacement I brought Kuhmo Ecsta 4X and they are even better than the Yokohama's were !!
I have brought a Tire plug kit at Walmart and a compressor many years ago, I had to use it in the past on another car. Plires to remove the object in the tire, and use the kit to plug the tire, and compressor to inflate the tire total time about 30 mins and you were on your way.

To sum it up I love my non run flats and don't regret getting rid of them.
Take a good look at the type of driving and the conditions that you drive in, then choose the tire that you want.
The All Season Kuhmo Ecsta 4X was the best choice for me.
If you are going to race there are better tires for racing.

 

The idea is to minimize the occurance of the rear end sliding out in wet weather. However, when travelling in a straight line, the front tires move much of the water out of the way so the rears have less water to displace. And if the average driver thinks having the rear end swing out is scary and hard to control, wait until the experience the front loosing grip.

Frankly, it's just lawyers getting involved where they shouldn't. Some customer bought two tires instead of buying four and had them put on the front and spun out and sued is the likely case. Just as America's Tires and others make a case for putting the better tread on the rear for certain driving situations, a case can be made just as valid for putting them on the front. For me, in California where there's not a huge amount of rain (and I know how to handle a car), I prefer the better tread on the front. And in the case of the Mini, we all know it's not going to stay that way for long anyway.

 

I replaced my run flats with Michelins. Huge difference in tire noise and ride. Would not have run flats again. I have a spare tire, though; might feel different if I did not.

 

Thanks to this thread I recently upgraded my 2005 Cooper S to NON-Run Flat Bridgestone RE-11s.. Wow! What a difference! I only wish I had done it sooner.

 

For those of you in states where Gateway Tire and Service does business, they have just adopted a policy of not fitting non-runflats on cars that are sold with runflats. They've been installing my non-runflats bought from Tire Rack for 8 years and just turned me down when I showed up with a new set.
Their policy makes no sense and could have been better handled with a liability waiver to sign if they seriously thought there was any risk.
I've been operating with sealant and a compressor for 8 years and have never used the sealant and have always gotten plenty of warning from the low pressure warning system to allow me to get to a tire shop for a patch.
I believe a list of companies that won't install non-runflats on cars sold with runflats should be started so all owners who have upgraded their tires can avoid them.

 

Costco may be like this also.
When I got tires for my XRS,the guy told me they can only mount spec tires.Not sure if "spec" is just the size?

 

That's bull. People have been and will continue to upgrade their wheels and tires.
Companies may adopt that policy to ward off crazy people who want to try to install 24in wheels and tires on their MINIs, but there is no law forbidding it as long as the owner accepts responsibility for his actions. All Automotive repair orders have some form of liability disclaimer on them addressing this kind of issue.

 

My Costco in Houston won't put non-runflats on unless you have a spare.

Dave

 

Just swapped my original Dunlap RF for non-RF Michelin Pilot Sport AS. Huge improvement in ride. I will run with a mini compressor/sealant kit. Discount Tire had no concern with me going from RF to non-RF. They also did a great job mounting and match balancing them with no damage to the rims. I have had them swap from RF to non-RF on other cars previously as well.

 

Yep. Discount Tire in Houston will do it too.

Dave

 

I recently replaced my OEM Continental runflats (205-45-17) with a set of Continental Extreme Contact DSWs (215-45-17) and the difference is staggering. Road noise and harshness are so much less than the OEM tire that it's like driving a different MINI. I don't have enough miles on the new tires yet to fully evaluate the handling characteristics, but so far they seem great, particularly in the wet. I bought a compact spare from Detroit Tuned and store it under the flat load bed in my Clubman S, so no worries there. Overall, a switch well worth making, especially given the high price of the OEM run flats.