Changed my opinion on RFT's

[Flying Scotsman]

My car has the above tyres fitted and i DON'T like them, harsh ride and skittish in the wet. Well cabin fever was setting in, so decided to get out and about with the car. Wife and myself decide on a wee drive along Jones Beach right along into Queens. Road condition getting worse along the way, bone jarring at times. My wife is from Brooklyn and has stayed in Queens and she passed comment that we ain't in a good area. I agree with the amount of police about and joked wouldn't want a puncture around here. Within minutes alarm and warning light comes on, yep a FLAT TYRE. So continue for a good place to stop, checks it, no sign of anything. Continue driving to a Gas station, puts air in and it stays up. Drives home and rechecks it, up by 0.5 psi. So no puncture, my guess with the state of the roads i drove over, must have popped a bead, air rushed out. Reinflated and sealed again.
SOOOO i'm glad i had RFT's fitted this time or i couldn't have continued driving.

[Hawkeye]

?? you realize that a RFT is not good to drive on after it has been punctured. I think it is recommended under 60mph and 50 miles range. If you seriously think it was punctured you should replace it ASAP.

[Huz-Z]

Perhaps get it checked at a reputable shop. Be careful that they don't try to get you to buy a new tyre for no reason.

If you lost air from the tyre due to hitting something - but did not puncture it, the tyre may still be okay.

Cheers!!

[BlackSapphireZ]

my opinion...
RFT can be patched and can be driven after air loss..... been there done that. no abnormality after airloss and re-seal

[rps]

It may not be popular but I agree with you about RFT's. When it came time to replace my tires, I went with Continental RTF's and found the tramlining to be better and the ride to be softer. The security of being able to drive for 50 miles with a "flat" definitely influenced my decision to stick with them. I also have the BMW Mobility Kit in the trunk just in case.

[Flying Scotsman]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

?? you realize that a RFT is not good to drive on after it has been punctured. I think it is recommended under 60mph and 50 miles range. If you seriously think it was punctured you should replace it ASAP.

Because of where i was driving the max speed limit i seen was 35mph (30mph max for me after the warning light) and i drove no more than 5 miles till i stopped to check and a further 3 miles until i found a gas station to reinflate it, i was well within BMW's limits.
I rechecked it this morning, haven't even lost 1 psi, so no puncture and must have been just the condition of the roads to break the wheel/ tyre bead seal.
My original point was, even though my own personal dislike of these tyres if i had conventional tyres fitted (which i had planned to) i would have been stuck there instead of continuing my journey.
Ok i know if i do fit conventional tyres i will need either a space saver or mobility kit, but that would require it changed there and then. I was taking my wife's advice " this ain't a good area" and would rather continue to a better one to check and change if need be.
So at least THIS time, i'm happy i did have RFT's fitted.

[Huz-Z]

RPS did mention above that he replaced his stock RFT's with Continental RFTs, and apparently, they ride better than the stock RFTs. Although it seems that they are not as good as a conventional tyre.

However, they may strike a good compromise for those who like the security of the stock RFTs but dislike their ride characteristics. I'l bet there's a thread here somewhere that discuses this in detail!

RPS - what are the particulars of your tyres - size, model name etc?

Cheers!!

[reRESERVEDMD]

If I were you, I would replace the tire ONLY if you're gonna be doing some track days with your car. Other than that, sealed tire should be fine to drive around but if you really want a peace of mind, get a new one.

[chickdr]

I wonder if the design of the RFT had something to do with your issue. They have much stiffer sidewalls than conventional tires and with very rough roads, maybe they are more prone to breaking the bead? A conventional tire may have had more flexibility and not acted the same way(or it may have ruptured- who knows?)

[Huz-Z]

If in doubt, I'd consult with the manufacturer's local representative. They should be able to examine the tire and advise if its okay to continue using the tire. I'd hate for anyone to just toss it if its still good; they are expensive after all.

On the other hand, I'd hate to hear that Craig here had an accident due to tyre failure at speed.

Cheers!

[Hawkeye]

I thought he was implying there was a puncture and I was rambling off manufacturer recommendations.

I run without RFTs because the roads are not too bad here that I cannot avoid potholes. I just have to watch out for debris on the highway and stuff really. Perhaps I'll pick up a mobility kit sometime before summer...

[Flying Scotsman]

Hawkeye, my apologies about the confusion.

When the alarm and light came on i thought i had a puncture, but after reinflating the tyre and checking the tyre for a few days after, i'm 100% convinced i don't. I lost air and can only assume the seal between tyre and wheel parted company because of the potholes.
I was only saying from my personal experience and stress in my "humble opinion" this time RFT= 1 conventional tyre= 0

Craig

[scottyD]

Did you check the pressure when you stopped at the gas station to fill it up?

I've had the TPMS light come on and tell me I've got a flat, and the tire is fine. Shut car off, turn car back on and normal again. Some kind of sensor error.

[Flying Scotsman]

yeah scottyD, when i first stopped checked the tyre (getting warm) and a kick in the tread (soft). Then when i stopped at the gas station, put my tyre gauge on and got a reading of only 4.5 psi, so without a doubt had lost air. Everything ok now though, check it every morning and haven't even lost 1 psi.