I picked up a bolt in my right front passenger tire. Since my dealer is 60 miles away i called the local Pep Boys and learned that they do not sell nor service run flat tires.

The MINI Service Manager told me that most places don't sell / service run flats. I did not know this.

So i had my car flat-bedded to the dealer where i will swap out all 4 tires for Michelin Pilot Sports. Thank goodness for MINI Roadside Assistance.

We are leaving for Vermont and Canada next Saturday so luckily this happened now. I would not want to be on the road somewhere and have this happen.

At least with non run flats i can get the tire fixed or replaced most places.

Other downsides to the run flats are a harsher ride, degraded handling and higher price.

I will be glad to be rid of them.

 

I swapped mine out for regular tires - much happier.

 

Dear signcarver,
I respect your right to buy whatever tires you like for your car. But I would like to let you and others know that the dealer gave you bad information on the availability of runflats. I use Discount Tires, which is a nationwide chain, and they had a very good selection of run flats for me to choose from when I was replacing my original tires.
I would not consider Pep Boys in the same category as the major tire chains when it comes to selection, so it does not surprise me to hear they said they couldn't get run flats for you.
In anticipation of whatever flames come back complaining about the crappy ride from runflats, to each their own. I have a new set of all season Bridgestone Potenza Pole Position runflats and I have been impressed with how much they have improved the ride since 2009. Are nonrunflats going to give a better ride? Probably, but I think there is a value in knowing that you can get home without dumping a can of slime or plugging and pumping the tire on the side of the road. I understand that many of the members on this list have strong feelings about runflats, but I just wanted to point out that they are widely available at most serious national tire chain stores (not to mention the on-line vendors like Tire Rack).

 

Discount Tire is a great place to buy tires. That's where I bought my most recent set of non-runflat tires.

Living in wide open Utah, I put a lot of miles on my cars. But I think the last time I actually had to fix a tire on the side of the road was...maybe 15 years ago? I can't even remember. I get the occasional slow-leaky tire and drive to the tire store to get it fixed.

I have carried a small pump and a bottle of Slime (no spare) in my car for the past 7 years. I've never had a completely flat tire while out driving on the highway and have never used the slime. Runflats are a good option - just not something I plan on ever using again.

**having said that, I will probably get a blow-out tire on the interstate today!

 

A few days after buying my mini, I picked up a nail. Was somewhat surprised to learn no one would patch the tire. Bought new RF tire at Discount Tire. Purchased road hazard warranty for all the tires, think it was about $15 per tire. Since then I've used it twice, got my money back pretty quick..

 

Get a Dynaplug kit for nails in the tread. If you find a nail in the tread, and it's not too big and
not too close to the sidewall and you haven't run on a totally flat tire (pressure above
15-20 when you find the nail), it's pretty easy and reliable to just plug it yourself with
a Dynaplug or even the cheaper more readily available plug kits from Pep Boys and the like.
I have plugged dozens of tires over the last few decades and very rarely have had one that
needed to be re-done or failed.

^ This applies to non-runflat tires as well.

The tire retailers don't want to plug and patch a tire when they can sell one, and they
don't want to wrestle the stiff sidewalls of a runflat tire off and on to a rim if they can
avoid it, and they don't want to be saddled with any potential liability for fixing a tire
that may have been run at 0-10 psi pressure and therefore may have damaged its sidewalls.

 

The only runflat tire advantage is that you can run some miles with the flat tire. But disadvantages are too. It is not a good cost-benefit equation.

I'm happy for you that you have been able to be assisted by your MINI Roadside Assistance and I hope you can enjoy your new tires.
I'm running Bridgestone Potenza right now and Michelin Pilot will be my next tires.

Enjoy!

PS: Once I had to use my spare tire. That was very unpleasant to my eyes but less expensive and more practical to solve the problem in my non runflat tire (10 minutes in a gas station)

 

FWIW, Pep Boys recommends and sells runflats for MINI Coopers:

http://www.pepboys.com/tires/sby/195...WD/3?pageNum=1

Most tire stores don't stock runflats. Big difference.

 

I've plugged a runflat before. It's not really useful as a runflat anymore and should be replaced, but it works fine. Regardless, I always carry a tire repair kit. Amazon sells them for ~$50 and they include a punch of plugs, patch tools, a 12v air pump (crazy handy for adjusting air pressure on the go), fuses, slime, and a pressure gauge. It's a huge lifesaver.

 

Why is a plugged runflat no longer useful as a runflat, unless you've driven it on zero pressure and hurt the sidewalls?

 

Bought my Bridgestone Runflats at a local tire shop, small town and out of the way tire place.

 

That's the concern; originally manufacturers were completely against it because there is a possibility of damage inside of the tire that makes it difficult to guarantee the sidewall integrity of the tire after another puncture. They've come a long way, but a lot of shops still take a conservative approach to it. It's a limit of liability more than anything.

Here's some good information on the subject from Tire Rack:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=226

 

I was once told that the reason most tire shops do not service runflats is because of a liability issue. Run flats are built with stiffened sidewalls which allows the tire to carry a load temporarily while uninflated. The tire is built to "run while flat" only as an emergency so that it can get you to the nearest tire shop. The tire shop does not know how long the tire was "really" driven while "flat". If it was driven for an extensive amount of time the sidewalls could be compromised due to the stresses of sidewall flexing and heat build up. If they repair the tire and state it is serviceable and it blows soon after they may be liable for any damages. I believe this is why you here of all the issues where owners are force to purchase a new run flat after getting the first puncture.

 

You're going to love the Michelin PSS on your GP. Enjoy the road trip. We'll be up that way for MINIs on Top next month.

 

Good luck finding your brand , model and size run flats anywhere but a dealership were they will rape your wallet for it. I switched to non run flats at 5k miles , and since I have a clubman I bought a spare kit and so far never needed it. I did have one nail but it was a very slow leak and just drove to discount tire and got it repaired. Had it been a run flat I would have been buying a new tire.

 

I will replace my current run flats when they are done. My previous R53 changed personality once I dumped my run flats and put on some Yokohamas. When I change my current run flats I'm going for the Michelin Pilot AS3.

Minis On Top .... I'm going to be there too. My first ever MINI event and I can't wait.

Matt

 

Can you temporarily replace a runflat with a non-runflat, and say continue your vacation? I've seen plenty of cars with mixed brands of tires.

Bobby D.

 

Sure, it's a lot better than running on 3 matched tires and a space-saving spare!
I've even used a winter tire as a spare in the summer while waiting for a replacement.
You have to realize that handling can be uneven at the limits of braking, cornering,
or with sudden manoeuvres with 1 tire different than the others.

 

No, most tire shops will refuse to mix runflats with any non runflats.

Tires must match or predictable handling will be affected, the tire shop will not want to be responsible for any problems.

One way around it is-

Remove the damaged or flat tire and bring it in alone to a tire shop requesting a replacement tire of the same size. It's possible they might do it.

And if at all possible don't buy any tires from the dealership, you are much better off going to a tire shop or buy online.