So the tread on my original tires is just about gone now and I'm thinking about moving away from the run flats... I don't want to carry a spare, but also don't want to end up stranded if I get a flat Anyone else face this dillema and what was your solution

 

Take a look at the Conticomfort Tire Repair Kit at Tire Rack. Its a good alternative to the run flats. There are others that are less expensive as well. I would have probably gone the less expensive route but I got the conti kit as a gift. Try using the search function for some other opinions.

http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/...tkit/index.jsp

 

I just made this move a few weeks ago, and all I can say is WOW! Defintely do it, what a difference it makes. I have a small compressor on order and some tire slime stuff.

 

The questions to ask:

1. How many times have you been left stranded with a totally blown tire? I.E. wouldn't hold any air / sidewall blown / etc.

Generally I end up with slow leaks, and in 15+ years of driving I've only had one full on sidewall blowout, and it wasn't even my car. The only other "major" tire failure I've had was when I smacked a curb in the snow and bent a rim, and even then I was close enough to home to change the tire at home.

So usually I either find out at home that my tire is flat, where I can keep a spare, or I can use my airpump in a parking lot and at least get home. I could also call road service if needed if I was to far from home.

2. Do you have roadside coverage? Yes the can take a while. But is the hassle of a once every few year occurence worth hauling a spare around all the time?

3. Do you do more around town driving, or long distance driving? A fix a flat may still cover 95% of the leaky tires that you'll have, unless you have some major blowout.

I was really worried about this when I got my MCS, and then put non-runflat snow tires on it. Since then I decided that I'm much more likely to have some other mechanical failure then a full tire blowout.

Ofcourse, it all depends on where you drive and how far from home. Maybe I've just had better luck with tires then others. I'm still planning on getting a mini spare at some point to take with me on long road trips.

I wouldn't be suprised if "they" are slowly moving people to not having a spare tire. Most of the time people don't bother checking it anyway, which means that on the odd chance they need it, it's flat. Plus, think about all the extra weight that cars and trucks are hauling around? Wasted cargo space, MPG etc?

 

I'm in the same situation and I know how the OP feels. I've only had two comprehensive blowouts in my 30 years of driving, yet I'm still apprehensive about travelling without a spare. Especially the upcoming Dragon trip where you're about an hour from nowhere. I hope to obtain a suitable mini-spare when I get my non-RFs this Spring.

Any leads would be appreciated.

 

These are all good points but a lot of it has to do with "WHO" is driving and where. Here is what happens with a blowout. No amount of goop is going to fix that. This happened miles outside of Laughlin. NO cell service and a LONG walk to Searchlight. After getting to searchlight and calling AAA, it took FIVE hours of aggravation in the desert sun for them to arrive. Not fun at all

Bottom line, if your driving in the boonies, be prepared. Blowouts do occur ... there maybe ancedotal stories of where ppl never had one, but somebody else had two to make up for that one.

My solution would be carry the spare in the boonies, depend upon the goop close to home. just my opinion because experience makes a great teacher.

 

When my runflats need to be replaced I plan on ditching them. I figure the money I save buying non-runflat tires will cover about 3-4 tow trucks . I have a convertible so no place for a spare but i do plan on investing in a small compressor & a can of fix-a-flat. From all the positive I have read it sounds like the better ride I will get will be worth the risk (albeit a rare one) of being stranded on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck. (also I don't really drive in the boonies)

I wonder if my MINI roadside assistance will still be good or if they will cry non-OEM foul when I replace my tires w/non-runflats

 

Dont laugh, you may void your warranty There are other threads where service was denied because they were not OEM tires.

 

I wouldn't be surprised either. I always maintained this was the real reason the industry started moving so many cars to solid rubber "space saver" donut spares. Even though they were marketed as being compact to allow more cargo space, I think the real issue was that no one ever checks the spare pressure anymore, so a little solid temporary tire was a more foolproof solution.

 

Oh I know but you gotta admit that it is so silly you just gotta chuckle

 

I bought an MC doughnut spare and a nice looking bag (choice of colors) with handles from Jerseygirl, the 'bag lady'. It fits perfectly for me behind the driver's seat. Since I rarely have anyone in the back, it doesn't get in my way and can be easily moved when needed. It's a perfect solution for me.

 

I think I'll go for the goop in town and spare for the road trips... I've had too many times where I'm that unlucky shmoe (might not be a word but it sounds fitting ) sitting on the side of the road stranded... Last time it was just outside Beaver Utah... Great area if you're looking for pristine parklands NOT so great when you're trying to get back to the west coast

Thanks for all your input!

 

Where'd you get the doughnut dpare from?

 

I got the spare from my Mini dealer. It's the one that comes standard with an MC. If they don't have one in stock, they can order it for you.

 

Like many, I'd driven years with nary a tyre issue. Until I put regular tyres on my MCS, over maybe 25 years of driving, I'd had only 1 totally flat tyre. Big huge nail, almost a railroad spike of a thing. And a couple of regular nails and screws that I found because I noticed the tyre was slowly losing pressure.

I put new wheels and non-runflat tyres on the MINI shortly after getting it. Since then (22 months) I've had 2 sidewall puctures that required new rubber, (even runflats would have to be replaced) and 3 or 4 regular puctures that could be repaired (these were all slow leaks, I could drive to a shop or home). Three or 4 times the tyres suffered total pressure loss due to valve stem leaks, something I'd never had happen before. No goop will fix that, and the air won't stay in very long so even carrying a compressor isn't much help. Most recently I curbed (bad girl!), and split the tyre sidewall - that required a tow home. Thank goodness for AAA.

I don't think I'd go back to runflats, but I'm really considering carrying a spare for extended trips.

Shelly

 

Solid rubber? I've never seen such a thing. Who has those?

 

Solid rubber tires would ride even firmer than runflats, and I'd guess would have heat build up issues. I sell the temp spare tires for $8/0m + shipping - and last I checked Classic Mini was giving quite the price on the compact wheel.

Call me if you need a temp spare.

Alex

 

I went to KDW2's from my Pirelli RF tires when they got worn after 20k miles. Talk about a night and day difference. The car handles so much better and the wheel does not feel like it is going to be jerked out of my hand at times.

I'm going with a compressor and goop (I might order on e of the Conticomfort or similar kits though) abnd I also plan on getting a sapre for long trips.

I have a short commute and AAA, plus my wife can pick me up if needed.

 

OK, I'm still nervous about running w/o a spare, but IF I were to consider ditching my 17" runflats, what tires would people reccommend?

My driving is a mix of city/highway. A longer road trip every other month or so.

 

I'm with you there. My one full on, sidewall blowout, was on a trip back from NC to NoVA. It was a weekend, on an interstate, but in the middle of nowhere. If I hadn't had a spare, I would have had to leave the car and walk. It was back in the mid-90's when most people (including myself) didn't yet own a cell phone. BTW, Miata's don't have a lot of room in the trunk once you put the full size tire in there

All that being said. A spare tire is insurance, insurance against one particular failure. For long trips, it makes sense to have one, for around town it's probably such a rare occurance that I wouldn't worry to much about it unless you drive in places where there is no help.

What's so worrysome about tire failures is that they are so random. You could be the most careful person (check your oil, tire pressure, lights, every week) and still one random box of nails falls off a truck and you've got a flat.

 

My '05 MCS has 17" S-Lite wheels. Driving on the all-season RFs that came with the car was like driving on a block. The tire felt stiff, and on certain corners I could feel the tire reach its rigid sidewall then change handling (a discontinuity) when the tire rolled past that point even before it lost grip.

A few months ago, I replaced the RFs with Goodyear F1 GS-D3s, and the car rides and handles much better. With the Goodyear tires, the ride is softer, the tires grip better and longer, and in hard corners the tires always feel the same right up to when they lose grip.

I don't carry a spare tire. I carry a can of fix-a-flat. I drive on paved roads only. In 20-30 years of driving other cars with non-RF performance tires, I've never, ever, used the spare tires that I carried. So far, I'm not worried about no spare.