[creepy coupe]

I've just had a lengthy chat with a long term acquaintance who runs a tyre fitting depot, he's been in the business for many years and is a straight talking decent bloke. I asked him on his opinion for swapping run flats for normal tyres.

He advised against it on the basis that of the 6/7 BMW's he’s swapped over 4of the owners have commented on a wafty ride afterwards.


So I wondering if we could have a sticky, where members who have swapped over could give their impression and list what tyres they went for and sizes, then we might be able to get an idea of what works and what doesn't

[MEGA]

The RFTs are good tyres - if not a little bit on the hard side, and obviously - very expensive.

Swapping over some potenzas for a set of say, nankang specials - is obviously not going to have a positive affect. There is more to it than just RFT vs. non-RFT.

But it would be an interesting topic to build up. I'm not against it in principal..

[creepy coupe]

Originally Posted by MEGA

The RFTs are good tyres - if not a little bit on the hard side, and obviously - very expensive.

Swapping over some potenzas for a set of say, nankang specials - is obviously not going to have a positive affect. There is more to it than just RFT vs. non-RFT.

But it would be an interesting topic to build up. I'm not against it in principal..

That's my point, real first hand experiences, not guess work.

[I335]

I swapped over to Goodyear DSG3 F1s - "wafty" never entered my mind. While they do ride a bit smoother than the RFTs, they are by no means wafty, not even one little iota. Not only would the brand and quality of the tire have an impact on this, but I'm sure the size does as well. A taller, skinnier tire will feel more wafty than a shorter, wider tire. Mine are 19's, 265/30 in back, 235/35 in front. The sidewalls on these tires are very short, and I'm sure that has a lot to do with it.

[Geoffo]

Originally Posted by MEGA

It would be an interesting topic to build up. I'm not against it in principal..

Me either,be interesting to see which tyre brands work & which don't..

[onejohnsheridan]

What on earth is a wafty ride?

Wafty is not a word I am familiar with but I assume is either slang or a colloquialism. My Non-RFT are absolutely fine.

[Steve A]

when i had the 335d i changed the tyres for dunlop sp9000 and the difference in ride quality was massive. even with H&R race springs the ride was much better.

[Silver Shadow]

I will NEVER EVER buy another BMW fitted with run flats. They are horrendous in ride quality terms with little or no advantage over non-RFT's.

[MOB]

I went from 19" RFT Potenzas to non-RFT PS2's - much much better ride, much better grip, slightly less precise turn-in is the only downside

I had a courtesy car on RFT's recently and the ride was appalling - I would never go back

[Sir_Pigley]

I changed my previous 120d from RFTs to non-RFT. Ride improved but there was a reduction in the sharpness of turn-in. I figured it was a compromise worth making. However I also thought I noticed a significant reduction in fuel economy. When on RFTs I saw 48mpg on a run around the M25. After RFT I never saw better than 44mpg on a similar run. However I could never be totally sure that it wasn't a case of becoming more familiar with the car and driving it a bit harder. I may move to non-RFT on the E90 and try to be a bit more scientific about comparing the fuel economy. I did a little spreadsheet - sad isn't it - to see if the potential reduction in fuel economy would dwarf the cost of the difference in tyre cost. I concluded the cost difference was not significant enough a factor to put me off buying the non-RFTs.

[NFS]

Originally Posted by creepy coupe

So I wondering if we could have a sticky, where members who have swapped over could give their impression and list what tyres they went for and sizes, then we might be able to get an idea of what works and what doesn't

I have 18 inch Vredestein Ultrac Sessantas on my car.

I can sort of understand the 'wafty' comment as when I first had them fitted there was a vagueness to the handing that just was not there with the RFT's (Bridgestones).

This was largely dealt with by upping the pressures to to just over midway between the part and full load levels.

Having had the tyres for a few months I can say:

1. They are nice and grippy
2. Ride quality is massively improved, especially over speedbumps and potholes etc.
3. There is noticeably more rebound at times and slight body roll when cornering. No enough to cause a problem, but I would definitely not say that the handling was any better than with RFT's

[E92 LeMans]

I prefer the run flats but then I do have falkens 452 I might try increasing the presure like NFS did! Thanks for the tip :-)

[F104]

Bridgestone is clearly not giving F1 and DTM the same confidential information we get on RFT advantages.. No more swafty cornering, can have a blow out past the pit lanes and still continue one more lap at about full power.. shhht before prices go up ...

& I've set of nearly slick RFT's on sale

[Finnie]

I bought the car with the original tyres (cant remember now) on the 19 inch wheels. First chage i did was change the suspension to H&Rs which transformed the ride so much so that i stopped and got out to check the tyres were inflated! (bear with me getting to the tyres). Two days later then changed the wheels for BBS LMs with Eagle F1s It honestly felt like I was riding in a limo and I felt much more secure with the handling as I felt the tyres were riding the surface rather than bouncing over the top. Last week I changed back to the original wheels and i couldn't believe how bad they felt on the road. I wouldn't go back to runflats ever again!