Tramiling, thank god for this site

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by Huz-Z

I need to drive your car to check out these tires!

HEY - finally an excuse for an Atlantic Canada road trip and photo essay!!!

Huz-Z,

Hey, sounds good to me!

I do, in fact, like the third-gen Bridgestone run flats a lot. They've softened the sidewalls significantly, to get better ride and less tramlining, and they use a special sidewall "fan" that is designed to help cool the sidewalls when running flat. I would guess that these tires are not as robust as earlier ones when flat, but they should be more than good enough.

And you're very welcome to give mine a try whenever we figure out the halfway point!

Rick

[unluky]

Originally Posted by Rick F.

unluky,

If you'd like to stay with run flats but avoid their harsh ride and tendency to tramline, then consider a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position RFT tires. They're designed to have ride and tracking characteristics like regular tires but still have the run flat capability.

I put a set on my Z4 roadster about a year ago and have been very pleased with them. The corner entry "turn in" isn't quite as responsive as with my prior Bridgestone run flats, but it's fine for my purposes. In addition, they incorporate silica in the tread material, which is a great advantage in the rain.

With my older tires, I had the same problems you described. It took a lot of concentration (not to mention courage!) to stay on your intended course through a construction zone or bumpy section of road. The difference with Bridgestone's third-generation run flats was like night and day--and you still have the benefits of a run flat.

Just my two cents...

Rick F.

These are actually what are on it now that I want to replace! Lol

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by unluky

These are actually what are on it now that I want to replace! Lol

unluky,

Seriously? I'm astonished!

Do the sidewalls look like this, with the vertical "fans" around the edge? I'm wondering if you might have an earlier, second-generation version of these tires.


My older Bridgestones had exactly the problems you described, and they all went away when I put on the third-gen run flats. So I'm puzzled.

It might be worth checking your alignment. Problems with either front or rear toe settings can cause similar instability problems.

Good luck, and let us know how things work out.

Rick F.

[unluky]

I went with the DWS as my GF has them on her Acura TL and they ride great and are nice and quiet on hers. They seem to have tamed 90% of what I was feeling. Now for a alignment and we will see where we get from there. Thanks for the advice!

[unluky]

Originally Posted by Rick F.

unluky,

Seriously? I'm astonished!

Do the sidewalls look like this, with the vertical "fans" around the edge? I'm wondering if you might have an earlier, second-generation version of these tires.


My older Bridgestones had exactly the problems you described, and they all went away when I put on the third-gen run flats. So I'm puzzled.

It might be worth checking your alignment. Problems with either front or rear toe settings can cause similar instability problems.

Good luck, and let us know how things work out.

Rick F.

Mine did not have the fans on them so they must have been an earlier version. Not too worried about flats though. I have has my 300 for 12 years now and never had a flat on it. I am sure I will survive! Thanks for the pic.