For all the trash talk run flats get...
08-27-2012, 04:56 PM
#11
Senior Members
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 309
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I too was going to switch them out to regulars once they were done, considering I have a spare, to save $, better handling, more tire choices, and the good old reason "how often have you really had a flat?"
For a decade I never had a flat.
Then this past year, I've had two already. The first time, the car was fully loaded with stuff, two kids and a dog in it, and I was luckily only 10 miles from home, so drove home, put on the spare winter tire in half an hour (it was the fall, so not too hot) as I have a jack for swapping my winters,and dropped off the tire to be fixed at the tire shop the next day. Since I'd barely driven on it, and the air pressure wasn't super low, they fixed it no problem. Didn't have to unload the car or anything, and pull out the crappy little jack in the trunk, which is a pain to get to by itself.
Then the other week, my wife comes home and said there was the low tire pressure sign on, and I see this huge screw in the middle of the tire. The tire pressure was down to 20 PSI, so I pumped it up to 40, drove 5 miles to the nearest tire shop, and the guy fixed it for me within an hour and I drove off.
I have to say, I'm thinking my next set for this car will probably now still be run flats. Especially since this is the family car, we go on occasional long trips with it in the summer, and are planning on going to the mountains every weekend this winter. So I think I'll pay for the extra insurance by running run flats still.
Thoughts?
For a decade I never had a flat.
Then this past year, I've had two already. The first time, the car was fully loaded with stuff, two kids and a dog in it, and I was luckily only 10 miles from home, so drove home, put on the spare winter tire in half an hour (it was the fall, so not too hot) as I have a jack for swapping my winters,and dropped off the tire to be fixed at the tire shop the next day. Since I'd barely driven on it, and the air pressure wasn't super low, they fixed it no problem. Didn't have to unload the car or anything, and pull out the crappy little jack in the trunk, which is a pain to get to by itself.
Then the other week, my wife comes home and said there was the low tire pressure sign on, and I see this huge screw in the middle of the tire. The tire pressure was down to 20 PSI, so I pumped it up to 40, drove 5 miles to the nearest tire shop, and the guy fixed it for me within an hour and I drove off.
I have to say, I'm thinking my next set for this car will probably now still be run flats. Especially since this is the family car, we go on occasional long trips with it in the summer, and are planning on going to the mountains every weekend this winter. So I think I'll pay for the extra insurance by running run flats still.
Thoughts?
About the only reason for run flats is possibly some additional stability / control in high speed blow-outs. I've had a high speed blow out on a standard front tyre resulting in loss of control and several roll-overs resulting in three months in hospital, I'll spare you the details of that.
I have three cars with only one on run flats, I don't feel any less safe in the two cars on standard tyres over run flats - and I would consider myself hyper-vigilant on tyres since my accident (ie; i don't repair punctured tyres, just replace for new & always check pressures). I believe the vast majority of cars (performance or standard), vans, trucks are on standard tyres.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post