Run Flat Tires

I am expecting a new BMW 335i xDrive and was wondering if I should
change the run flat tires over to normal tires after the run flats are
worn down? Mite this have an advese affect on the performance?
Thank you in advance.

"Jim" > wrote
>I am expecting a new BMW 335i xDrive and was wondering if I should
> change the run flat tires over to normal tires after the run flats are
> worn down? Mite this have an advese affect on the performance?

Many people are doing that - they claim significantly better ride, and
somewhat improved performance due to the lower un-sprung weight.
However, you have to buy either a flat repair kit or a spare (most are
buying a temp spare). Carrying a spare takes significant room, as
there is no well to use so it takes up trunk space.

You *MUST* keep the TPMS senders, unless you want the car
dinging at you all the time.

My son's run-flats (on a 2007 335i) lasted around 25K miles, perhaps a
bit more. He currently has brand new Michelin PS/2 run-flats and
says they're much better than the Bridgestone's. The current run-flats
(I have a 2010 335d with Bridgestone RE050s) seem like they're
quieter and better riding than earlier ones. I'll probably just stay with
the run-flats. YMMV.

FloydR

"Jim" > wrote in message
...
>I am expecting a new BMW 335i xDrive and was wondering if I should
> change the run flat tires over to normal tires after the run flats are
> worn down? Mite this have an advese affect on the performance?
> Thank you in advance.

Mite?

No, it will not have an effect on performance. Well, the added weight of an
spare could change thing a bit, but I doubt you would notice.

I was thinking of carrying a flat repair kit and possibly an electric
pump but I very seldom have a nail in my tire and when I do the leek
is so slow that I have time to repair the tire be for it goes
completely flat.
If I were to carry a spare tire I would also have to carry a floor
jack in the trunk which would add a lot of extra weight and take up a
lot of space.

On Thu, 6 May 2010 18:31:00 -0700, "Jeff Strickland"
> wrote:

>
>"Jim" > wrote in message
.. .
>>I am expecting a new BMW 335i xDrive and was wondering if I should
>> change the run flat tires over to normal tires after the run flats are
>> worn down? Mite this have an advese affect on the performance?
>> Thank you in advance.
>
>Mite?
>
>No, it will not have an effect on performance. Well, the added weight of an
>spare could change thing a bit, but I doubt you would notice.
>
>
>
>
>

On Fri, 07 May 2010 00:30:56 GMT, Jim > wrote:

>I am expecting a new BMW 335i xDrive and was wondering if I should
>change the run flat tires over to normal tires after the run flats are
>worn down? Mite this have an advese affect on the performance?
>Thank you in advance.

We recently obtained an ex-demo, 5000 mile 320D SE fitted with
Bridgestone RFTs. The ride was so hard that within a week they were
replaced by Continental Sport Contact 3s and a compressor/sealant kit.

Tramlining was eliminated, the bangs and crashes generated by the
RFTs were replaced by muffled thuds and the vehicle can now be
relied on to go where it's pointed without constant corrections. All in
all, it was a successful solution.

If our experience is typical, and looking at a number of forums it may
well be, don't wait for the RFTs to wear down - replace them straight
away.

It would be interesting to hear what you think after you've driven the
new car.

--
Alan White
Mozilla Firefox and Forte Agent.
Twenty-eight miles NW of Glasgow, overlooking Lochs Long and Goil in Argyll, Scotland.
Webcam and weather:- http://windycroft.co.uk/weather

Jim > wrote:
>I was thinking of carrying a flat repair kit and possibly an electric
>pump but I very seldom have a nail in my tire and when I do the leek
>is so slow that I have time to repair the tire be for it goes
>completely flat.
>If I were to carry a spare tire I would also have to carry a floor
>jack in the trunk which would add a lot of extra weight and take up a
>lot of space.

Every tire failure I have had was of the sort that run-flats or a flat
repair kit wouldn't have helped with anyway. So you pays your money and
you takes your chance.

I think you'll be amazed at how much better decent tires feel than the
run-flats.

Incidentally, on a totally different tire issue, I have the e.22 rims on
my E28, and they take 195/70R-14 which appears to be becoming a bit hard
to find now. This time around, Tire Rack gave me only ten different tires
in that size, not counting snow tires, and not much in the way of higher
performance tires. Michelin HydroEdges are gone in that size too. What
are other people doing? I got the Sumitomo HTR200 and they seem decent but
I haven't had the chance to try them in rain yet.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

It only takes one.

I had a Jeep with a brand spanking new spare tire hanging on the rack for
more than 5 years. Several years ago, I upgraded the tires on my E36 from
15s to 17s, including the spare. The spare tire has never seen the light of
day. So, I can safely say that I have gone for at least a decade without
exercising my jack and lug wrench. That's not entirely true, one of those
15s that I upgraded to 17s blew out a few weeks before the upgrade was done.
It is the event that prompted the upgrade.

I honestly cannot recall ever changing a flat tire on the side of hte road,
save that one instance.

And, I said earlier that changing away from the runflats would not impact
performance. That's not entirely correct either, performance should improve
a little.

I'm not certain what the space is in the bottom of the trunk of your E90,
but if it's anything like its cousins of earlier times, the E36 and E46,
there is a well below the floor that is specifically intended to hold the
spare tire and the jack. I'm not certain that I would characterize the
weight of a spare tire as, "alot." What does a tire and rim weigh, 25, 30
poiunds? Hardly a burden for the likes of a twin-turbo with what might be
considered one of the best suspension systems available.

If you want to move away from runflats, then buy yourself another rim and
five tires.



"Jim" > wrote in message
...
>I was thinking of carrying a flat repair kit and possibly an electric
> pump but I very seldom have a nail in my tire and when I do the leek
> is so slow that I have time to repair the tire be for it goes
> completely flat.
> If I were to carry a spare tire I would also have to carry a floor
> jack in the trunk which would add a lot of extra weight and take up a
> lot of space.
>
> On Thu, 6 May 2010 18:31:00 -0700, "Jeff Strickland"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>"Jim" > wrote in message
. ..
>>>I am expecting a new BMW 335i xDrive and was wondering if I should
>>> change the run flat tires over to normal tires after the run flats are
>>> worn down? Mite this have an advese affect on the performance?
>>> Thank you in advance.
>>
>>Mite?
>>
>>No, it will not have an effect on performance. Well, the added weight of
>>an
>>spare could change thing a bit, but I doubt you would notice.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>

"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
...
>
> Incidentally, on a totally different tire issue, I have the e.22 rims on
> my E28, and they take 195/70R-14 which appears to be becoming a bit hard
> to find now. This time around, Tire Rack gave me only ten different tires
> in that size, not counting snow tires, and not much in the way of higher
> performance tires. Michelin HydroEdges are gone in that size too. What
> are other people doing? I got the Sumitomo HTR200 and they seem decent
> but
> I haven't had the chance to try them in rain yet.
> --scott
> --
> "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

My first E36 took 225/55x15s because it came with the Sports Package. That
tire size has pretty much gone away, leaving the only source being Michelin.
The last set of 4 that I bought was just a tad over $1000, out the door.
$250 each for a tire was more than I cared to spend.

I bought a set of M3 rims on eBay that carry a 225/45x17, and these tires
run about $100. I bought 5 rims and 5 tires, wore out the first four tires
and bought replacements, and all 9 tires + 5 rims was less than the cost of
8 of the 15-inch tires. Now that I have recovered the cost of the upgraded
rims through the cheaper tires, any new tires that I buy represent
significant savings compared to keeping the original tires and wheels. Get
it?

You can make the move from yoru 195/70x14s to a 225/45x17, and your overall
diameter will be only one-quarter inch larger. I see no reason why this
would not fit your car. Another tire option is the 225/50x16. Again, a
functionally identical tire size. So, your challenge is to find either a 16
or 17 inch rim that fits your car -- backspacing and hole placement being
the main considerations, and you can go to a 7.5JJ width, which is a common
size. I don't know what sort of fender space you have, but yoiucould perhaps
go to an 8.5JJ width and get even wider tires, but you would be required to
trim some of the sidewall height if you wanted to do that. For example, you
could go to a 255/35x17 if you got the wider rims, but I think your cost
basis would actually go up on a combination like that, and you would be
spending more for tires instead of less.

The 225/50x16 and the 225/45x17 are sizes that you can get at Costco for
about $110. America's Tire (Discoount Tire) has a wide selection of these
sizes also.

"Jeff Strickland" > wrote
> I'm not certain what the space is in the bottom of the trunk of your E90,
> but if it's anything like its cousins of earlier times, the E36 and E46,
> there is a well below the floor that is specifically intended to hold the
> spare tire and the jack.

E90s do not have a tire well. There is a small tray area that you can
place small things in, like a briefcase. The diesel cars do not have
even that, as the urea tank is there.

FloydR

"Floyd Rogers" > wrote in message
acquisition...
> "Jeff Strickland" > wrote
>> I'm not certain what the space is in the bottom of the trunk of your E90,
>> but if it's anything like its cousins of earlier times, the E36 and E46,
>> there is a well below the floor that is specifically intended to hold the
>> spare tire and the jack.
>
> E90s do not have a tire well. There is a small tray area that you can
> place small things in, like a briefcase. The diesel cars do not have
> even that, as the urea tank is there.
>
> FloydR
>

So, ALL E90s come with runflats?