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[GreenThree]

Considering swapping RFT's after about 10,000 miles. Its a lease, so I will need to put them back on at the end of the lease. I have read too many horror stories about hundreds spent to replace RFT's. Its almost getting to the point where I dont want to drive too hard at the risk of busting a tire or two.

For those who have done this - when is a good time to swap RFT's for regular tires, and still have enough tread left to turn it in for the lease? 10,000 miles, 15,000 miles, etc? I know alot of this will have to do with driving styles and AWD, etc.

I am thinking that the overall cost will be much lower if I replace with non RFT's. All thoughts welcome. Thanks

[Dipdidi]

Really, are RFT's THAT bad?

[Firefly6]

The ones back in '06 were bad. The current ones don't have as many problems. I had an '06 and my '08 has the exact tires - the ride/noise issues have been corrected.

[GreenThree]

Originally Posted by Dipdidi

Really, are RFT's THAT bad?

RFT's are not THAT bad, the cost to replace them is!

[wrickem]

I don't regret replacing my RFTs one bit. The ride and the grip on the road in corners was worth it for me.

If you have to turn in the car with RFTs with decent tread on them, and you're going to have to buy tires at some point, you might as well buy non-RFT's now and enjoy it.

I am not a RFT hater, they just aren't for me.

[Kerosene Hat]

Originally Posted by GreenThree

RFT's are not THAT bad, the cost to replace them is!

+10

I can't wait to kill my RFTs...had to replace one due to nail in interior sidewall...I have had whole sets of tires for the cost of the one...damn...my butthole still hurts thinking about that experience.

[jared5494]

Originally Posted by GreenThree

RFT's are not THAT bad, the cost to replace them is!

I will be getting my new e92 335i in a few weeks (it just left port) and have done a ton of research on this topic. I concluded that I am going to ride the run flats until winter and then swap them out with Goodyear Eagle F1s All-Seasons (non rft) and use those until I turn in my lease.

I figured that the RFTs give you ~50 miles on a flat and so does all the fix-a-flat cans. however, non-RFT can be repaired, unlike the RFTs. If your tire is seriously damaged, then chances are your RFT would be unable to continue and thats why there is the BMW On-Star variant. So, in my opinion, you are only paying for the convenience of not pulling over with RFT, which I do not think is worth the extra $$, harsher ride, and horrible winter traction.

Another benefit is the tread wear. If you read the reviews on TireRack, the Bridgestone RFTs will get you ~15,000 miles and the Goodyear Eagle F1s will get you ~30,000 (based on customer reviews) and they cost significantly less.

Hope this helps.

[Moderato]

Is it true that if you get a nail in the tire you can't fix it at all? Does one nail mean that you need to buy another brand new tire everytime? Plus you can't just put one new tire on, so what do you need to buy 2 tires everytime you pick up a nail, which does happen occasionally?

I just got a 335i and I'm new to RFT's.

[Dipdidi]

Originally Posted by Moderato

Is it true that if you get a nail in the tire you can't fix it at all? Does one nail mean that you need to buy another brand new tire everytime? Plus you can't just put one new tire on, so what do you need to buy 2 tires everytime you pick up a nail, which does happen occasionally?

I just got a 335i and I'm new to RFT's.

Depends where the nail is located in the tire. Someone correct me if im wrong but i think f the nail hits the sides of the tire then you would have to completely change the tire. If the nail hits the center of the tire (the part with the threads) then its fixable.

[Tag]

Poll: Run-Flat vs. Non-Run-Flat

[Greeney]

I was going to replace them with standard tires, until I found out how helpful they are... Im driving around with a nail in my tire, with no issues for now... Im trying to locate PS2 ZPs, but its a pain in the ass.

[Moderato]

Originally Posted by Dipdidi

Depends where the nail is located in the tire. Someone correct me if im wrong but i think f the nail hits the sides of the tire then you would have to completely change the tire. If the nail hits the center of the tire (the part with the threads) then its fixable.

If that's the case then it's not that bad because the same holds true for regular tires.

[jared5494]

if you get a nail in a RFT and it loses air pressure and rides on the side-wall, you are permanently damaging your tire as you ride (thus the 50 miles they claim it will last). therefore, it cannot be repaired if you decide to continue driving

[Moderato]

Originally Posted by jared5494

if you get a nail in a RFT and it loses air pressure and rides on the side-wall, you are permanently damaging your tire as you ride (thus the 50 miles they claim it will last). therefore, it cannot be repaired if you decide to continue driving

How low can the pressure go and not damage the sidewalls? The reason I'm asking is because this is also similar to a regular tire, if the pressure is too low you can't drive on it either, however if it's just a slow leak and you notice early then at least you have to option of repairing it. I was under the impression that any nail in a RFT tire was not repairable but I'm happy to find out that it doesn't work that way.

[GreenThree]

I should clarify by saying that I have Continental RFT's. Not Bridgestones. From the research I have done, it seems like it costs $300-400 to replace a RFT.

From tire rack.com -

Continental ContiProContact SSR (Grand Touring All-Season)
Size: 225/45HR17
Blackwall
BMW RunFlat
HR Speed Rated
Price: $145.00 (each)

Am I missing something? Shouldnt they be more expensive???

[jared5494]

Originally Posted by Moderato

How low can the pressure go and not damage the sidewalls? The reason I'm asking is because this is also similar to a regular tire, if the pressure is too low you can't drive on it either, however if it's just a slow leak and you notice early then at least you have to option of repairing it. I was under the impression that any nail in a RFT tire was not repairable but I'm happy to find out that it doesn't work that way.

Well... if you take your flat back to the dealer (even if its a slow leak), from everything I have read, they will NOT repair it. Others have had luck being able to repair at tire shops.

[stressdoc]

RFTs are not much more expensive than the equivalent non-rft. I swapped for ride and handling reasons. Very happy that I did.

[Taittinger]

Originally Posted by GreenThree

I should clarify by saying that I have Continental RFT's. Not Bridgestones. From the research I have done, it seems like it costs $300-400 to replace a RFT.

From tire rack.com -

Continental ContiProContact SSR (Grand Touring All-Season)
Size: 225/45HR17
Blackwall
BMW RunFlat
HR Speed Rated
Price: $145.00 (each)

Am I missing something? Shouldnt they be more expensive???

Those are all-season 17" Continentals. Check out the 18" summer Bridgestones and then include the labor costs and stuff.

[Kerosene Hat]

Originally Posted by GreenThree

I should clarify by saying that I have Continental RFT's. Not Bridgestones. From the research I have done, it seems like it costs $300-400 to replace a RFT.

From tire rack.com -

Continental ContiProContact SSR (Grand Touring All-Season)
Size: 225/45HR17
Blackwall
BMW RunFlat
HR Speed Rated
Price: $145.00 (each)

Am I missing something? Shouldnt they be more expensive???

Well, for one thing, you're looking at H-rated, grand touring all season tires. factory rubber for my E92 335i w/ sport pkg is z-rated summer tires - believe they are UHP, but too lazy to go outside and check. So, yeah, you can get RFTs for less - but they are lower performance tires.

Personally, I am going back to the General Exclaim UHP summer tire - somewhat soft sidewall, but crazy grip and a very low price that you can't beat...

[SanDiegoBuff]

Originally Posted by jared5494

Well... if you take your flat back to the dealer (even if its a slow leak), from everything I have read, they will NOT repair it. Others have had luck being able to repair at tire shops.

I got a nail in the center of the tire and took it to Firestone because the dealer bends you over, hoping that Firestone would be willing to repair it. They won't repair RFTs either, but the tire is about 200 instead of the 400-600 the dealer will charge you. I talked to the guy fixing it, he said technically it COULD be repaired, but most shops won't take the liability risk anymore.

There's nothing saying you cant pull the nail and do the repair yourself though...

[rambalu80]

I had a nail on my Right Front tire and the TPM would warn me every couple of weeks that my right front was low on air. I took it in to the dealership because I didn't know exactly why I was losing air at the time and they fixed it for me. They were gonna charge me 30 bucks but then they did not b/c I had the wheel and tire maintenance package. I has been about 4 months and no warnings since.

[Firefly6]

Originally Posted by GreenThree

I should clarify by saying that I have Continental RFT's. Not Bridgestones. From the research I have done, it seems like it costs $300-400 to replace a RFT.

From tire rack.com -

Continental ContiProContact SSR (Grand Touring All-Season)
Size: 225/45HR17
Blackwall
BMW RunFlat
HR Speed Rated
Price: $145.00 (each)

Am I missing something? Shouldnt they be more expensive???

Yes - if you go to the dealer. The smart thing is to buy the replacement yourself ( like from Tire Rack) and go to a trustworthy mechanic to mount it.