Riding on a 'flat' run-flat tire cause wheel damage?
01-28-2012 | 06:22 AM
#4
Members
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
From: Salisbury, Wiltshire England
My Ride: F07 GT 535D M Sport & E60 530D M Sport
Yes it can, run flats are designed to get you to a garage or tyre place at slow speed and although they go down slowly once flat your running on rubber that will split due to the weight of the car, so any bumps, pot holes, might cause damage to the wheel.
Get a spare wheel kit, and put it in the spare wheel well
01-28-2012 | 07:12 AM
#5
Contributors
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,261
Likes: 0
From: Chippenham, Wiltshire UK
My Ride: F11 535i M-Sport,, Silver, Black Leather, LED Adaptive headlights
Model Year: 2015
Engine: N55
It certainly can, with no air in the tyre there is less shock absorption, so it goes straight to the rim.
01-28-2012 | 09:04 AM
#6
Contributors
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 11,084
Likes: 0
From: Thousand Oaks, California
My Ride: 2008 550i Jet Black on Black Leather, SAT with Paddles, Logic 7, Comfort Seats, NAV, Sport Package, PDC, Xenons, Sirius, Trinity 12W LED Angel Eyes, RPi GT Exhaust, M rear spoiler, ACS Roof Spoiler, Tinted Tail Lights, Bimmian Carbon Fiber Pillar Trim, Bimmian Shadow 550i emblem, RPi Scoop, E60 Forum Cling, Mtec bulbs in fog lights, Mtec 2W LED for License Plate Light Bulbs, K&N Filter, Bimmian LED Smoked Side Markers, Blackout roundels, Carbon Fiber Kidney Grills.
Retired Rides - 1989 325i convertible, 1995 M3, 2002 X5, 2005 545i, 2008 X5 (Lemon)
Well as you can damage a wheel with the tire fully inflated, the answer would HAVE to be yes, you CAN cause wheel damage riding on a deflated RFT! 
01-29-2012 | 09:24 AM
#8
Members
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
From: London
My Ride: 2008 E60 525i
If your wheel has cracked then I would definitely replace rather then repair.
As for run flats cracking alloy wheels it has been a big problem here in the UK (with our third world maintained roads) and BMW have had a shed load of criticism and bad publicity from a BBC consumer programme over the issue. The very hard and stiff run flat tyre wall means the wheel will take the full hard impact of any pot hole or bump. Result a cracked or broken wheel.
As for run flats cracking alloy wheels it has been a big problem here in the UK (with our third world maintained roads) and BMW have had a shed load of criticism and bad publicity from a BBC consumer programme over the issue. The very hard and stiff run flat tyre wall means the wheel will take the full hard impact of any pot hole or bump. Result a cracked or broken wheel.
01-29-2012 | 09:53 AM
#9
Thread Starter
Senior Members
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 412
Likes: 1
From: DC
If your wheel has cracked then I would definitely replace rather then repair.
As for run flats cracking alloy wheels it has been a big problem here in the UK (with our third world maintained roads) and BMW have had a shed load of criticism and bad publicity from a BBC consumer programme over the issue. The very hard and stiff run flat tyre wall means the wheel will take the full hard impact of any pot hole or bump. Result a cracked or broken wheel.
As for run flats cracking alloy wheels it has been a big problem here in the UK (with our third world maintained roads) and BMW have had a shed load of criticism and bad publicity from a BBC consumer programme over the issue. The very hard and stiff run flat tyre wall means the wheel will take the full hard impact of any pot hole or bump. Result a cracked or broken wheel.
01-29-2012 | 11:46 AM
#10
Members
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: Toronto ON Canada
According to my dealer here in Toronto, cracks in rims are a fairly common problem . I just have stock 17" rims without runflats and had to have a wheel replaced recently. Personally I think this is pretty pathetic for a $50K car.