Are Run Flats worth It?
 

I have been watching this forum for 6 years and learned a lot from everyone here. So I thought that I might post my first time. Was out this weekend in the Sierra Nevada Mts near Yosemite Park on a great corvette road. Was having a great drive when I came around a corner and was not able to miss a huge chuck hole in the road. Hit it really hard and then started to worry. Checked the tire pressures on the DIC and looked ok. Only lasted a mile and then the right front tire started going down. Got to my destination shortly after that and started to check the tire. Found a hole in the side wall about the size of a screw driver blade. Tried the fix a flat and added air but it came out as fast as it went in. Headed for home late Friday night, (The owner manual says you can drive on a flat tire) I was 90 miles from home. 45 miles was on the mountain road with twists and turns the whole way. Just stayed at 25 or 30 mile per hour and the second 45 was on the highway and drove at 50 mph. Got home and checked the tire and it still looked as good as when I started. My faith in the Run Flats from Firestone sure was tested but they came thru for me. Now to the tire store and replace the tire and have some more driving time. (of course it was the new tire I replace last year because a big screw in the sidewall)
Just thought that some would like to know that the run flats perform like the should!!!!:yesnod:

They are to me. Approximately 5K to 6K of my 8K miles a year in my C6 are driven on the interstate at 70-75 MPH. I've had 2 flats on the interstate in 6 years.

Never had to use them on any of my Corvettes but I did have a flat on my BMW 6 Series convertible. The only indication was the warning light. Drove home with no problems. Peace of mind is great.

Oh no.............!!:trainwreck:

Thanks for sharing. I have Firestone rft's, and your story confirms why I have them...you never know where you may be when you get a flat - out in the middle of nowhere at night, in a downpoar...who knows. I would hate to think of my wife being out on some lone highway late at night, and getting out of the car to mess around with "fix a flat" cans etc. I would feel much better knowing that she can continue to drive on, at least to somewhere where she could get some help.

I hate stories like this, makes me second guess switching away from run flats......thanks for sharing though.

Definitely worth it to me. I've had 4 flats in the last 6 years. The fact that the tire is just much stronger overall doesn't hurt either. One time, I made a 3 hour drive between TX and LA heading back for the weekend to see family. While there, I realized I had a large nail stuck in my tire. It was actually there for a while as I was loosing about 1 PSI or so every 3- 4 days for weeks before. I made the drive back to TX and had it repaired during the week with no problems.

Worth it to me, a great piece of mind when traveling.

Worth it here! With this type of car and wheels,
I wouldn't want to increase the risk of damage and
possibly being stranded if I can avoid it. :thumbs:

I've got five cars, two horse trailers, a boat trailer and a race trailer. In the past 5 years, I've had two flats and a busted wheel bearing. None of them have run-flats on them. The only issues I've had on my cars have been slow leaks so far (probably jinxing myself, knocking on wood now...). I carry a tire repair kit in my 'Vette. I'll take the risk of a flat vs the better ride of the non-run flat tire myself, not to mention that I can buy another tire for the savings going non-run flat. I will mention though, I live and travel on the east coast and am rarely more than a few miles from civilization. If I lived in the middle of TX where you may go hours without seeing another car, I may have a different opinion, but here in the mid-atlantic, it's pretty much impossible to go anywhere that you don't run into a human on a regular basis.

I just made my decision and went with Michelin Run Flats. Non RF's were on the car when I bought it. I was about to make a trip to Kentucky and kept picturing myself stuck on the interstate waiting for a flatbed truck for hours. I think if I knew I would be only driving local I would get non RF's. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks, I really appreciated hearing about your experience.

I purchased a new '13 GS a few months ago. It came stock with Goodyear F1 Run-Flats. Since I never owned a car without a spare before, I wondered if these tires would really get me to safety, and avoid an expensive flat bed tow. Apparently they do work, and work well. I now have a lot more confidence.

http://i40.tinypic.com/2m5z2v9.jpg

Thanks for sharing. I have RF on my car and I do feel more comfortable having them. Being a woman and the fact that I like to travel alone sometimes makes it better for me and my hatband. At least it is one less thing that could leave me on the side of the road by myself.


Lisa

I have run flats, but this thread got me thinking when I last had a flat tire. The best I can remember it was over 30 years ago. I guess I am lucky?

I agree, flats are much less frequent today, than they were many years ago. However, the thought of a flat tire, here in south Florida, on I-95, on a 94 degree July day, and waiting for a flat bed, is any driver's nightmare.

I'll stay with the RF tires, ..nice feeling of confidence.

My feelings exactly. There are enough other things that can go wrong (like a gas pedal sensor near Albany) that will severely limit a trip, and eliminating one such as tires is a good thing. To me.

I take the other side...I never have flat tires and consider run flats to be far too expensive, do not last, make a lot of noise and after 50% tread is gone, really poor traction. I have been running Hankooks for over 2 years and could not be happier. I do carry a small compressor and a can of gook but I also have the best AAA program, and like, I said, I am not flat prone....I also do not wear a tin foil hat!

Run flats are the only thing I would use on the Vette. I have no desire to be caught out in the middle of nowhere at 3AM.

If everything you are saying about RF's is true, you must have had VERY POOR quality rft's on your car. I have rft's, and they are quiet and smooth. As for not lasting, I have read a lot of posts on CF about owners getting 25,000 to 30,000 miles out of them (brands other than GY's)

Firstly, I drive my car...it is not a garage queen. The poor quality is correct, OEM Goodyears! Enough said. As far as 25k to 30k, we all drive differently. I am not a kid driver nor am I a granny type...I just drive, do not lay rubber, etc. Each to his her own but you have my experience. Another note: Corvette puts crap Goodyear run flats on and Cadillac [on a less expensive car] puts on Michelin ZP tires.....!

My '13 GS has the Goodyear F1 OEM RF tires, that everyone loves to hate, why?

So far, (only 1,100 miles), they don't seem especially noisy, and they perform well. I guess I'd describe myself as a fairly conservative driver. I don't lite up the rear tires. Stopped that kind of driving years ago.

Is it just the wear characteristics that people are so unhappy with, or is there something else?

What ever it is, I'm certainly not going to throw them away to buy other tires, but I may buy different tires when the OEMs wear out.

Most have issue with the traction at low speed during wot use. That said they are rock solid and steady from 120 to 175 mph. I find my MT's wander above 150 and do not leave you feeling confidant.

Thanks for the explanation. Now I understand, why I've not yet experienced an issue.

I'm a paraplegic so run flats may be more important or convenient for someone in a wheelchair but the ride quality and traction is so inferior that I just couldn't take the run flats anymore. I have had 1 flat in 26 yrs of being in a wheelchair so I've been fortunate thru the years. I've had many flats on my wheelchairs thru the years though.:D I just put nitto drags and nitto extremes in 265 35 18 and 305 35 18 and the ride and traction is soooo much better. I have a full Bolton ls2 and have a circle d stall going in so there was no way any run flat was going to stick with a 32-3400 stall. I have three sets of wheels so I guess I could put the run flat wheels tire setup if going out of state by myself. Otherwise in state I have...

http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/...6A3DADE8F6.jpg

http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/...6A31A56903.jpg

Comes with compressor, sealant and 30 plugs for plugging tires plus light in a nice case.

Are Run Flats worth It?

Yes.

I will not win here. Fella's...a non R/F simply does not equal a RF competitor.

I too like the run flats. Went from Goodyear to Michelin and like them even better now. A couple weeks after getting my Michelins, I got a nail in the tire. Had it fixed and don't give it a second thought.... The roads in the Los Angeles area are a minefield with nails and debris...

To each his own I guess. As with any sport/hobby, the perfectionist will always demand more than the casual user.

For me, as a casual user, the sheer convenience of the RF tires are worth what ever degradation there may be in performance.

I bought my 'vette for the enjoyment of driving it. I don't do the 1/4 mile thing anymore, and haven't for many years. I don't intend to track drive the car. For myself, and probably the vast majority of folks that buy Corvettes, the RF tires are just fine.

:iagree:

Not everyone mods or tracks their car, so for them the factory run flats are perfectly fine and gives peace of mind especially when traveling:cheers:

Of course Michelin rates the Super Sport higher than the PS2 ZP which many can argue is the best run flat out there. So much Chevy asked Michelin to develop a run flat version of it for the C7.

:iagree:

I really like the firestone firehawk wide ovals. As always, each to their own.

I got 44,000+ miles on my fronts which were original 2005 GY runflats. The rears were still good. My tires weren't the ones that wear out fast like on Corvettes at that time with Z-51 suspension.

Just replaced mine with non-RF tires. No qualms. I have slime and a mini compressor. Road noise is much improved.

I can tell you - wife had an '01 Z06 - not run-flats. She hit something on the I-5 in San Diego, and there was literally no tire left when she got to the shoulder.

:iagree: I ended up doing the exact same thing.:cheers:

:iagree: Here in the Republik of KA we have to be more concerned of dodging road debris like plywood, sheet rock, refrigerators, couches, all kinds of building materials and furniture on freeway. It's real BAD here.
Didn't used to be like this. Maybe moving to Texas may solve this?:bigears
It was mentioned in here that certain areas of Texas there are no people around.:lurk:

Slime and a compressor ain't gonna help if there's no tire carcass left on the wheel. You need to decide - do I need this car to get me from point "A" to point "B" in a timely manner? Then the answer to the run-flat question is pretty obvious. For example, I once sold a Z06 to a surgeon; he called me complaining -- he had a flat, and missed a surgical appointment because he didn't have a spare tire. Duh?

I get this. However, mine is a weekend cruiser. Which means I put fewer miles on it as well as the fact that my drives are more leisurely. If I get a flat I can't patch? Sucks, but I can wait for AAA (thanks mom for the lifetime membership). Inconvenient? Yeah, but I'm also a gambler, so I'll take my chances. Shi##y GY RF's or non RF's, smoother ride, better traction, better treadwear, much less road noise. Might not be for everyone, but this has, so far, been a great decision. As they say. Your mileage may vary. YMMV.

:iagree:

I also know I am not going to take the time to want to do the roadside repair especially in some parts of L.A. or on the freeway no matter how much minimal time some people say it will take to do. It's a personal preference regarding the risk vs. cost.

Within the last year, I've started two threads about runflats.

The first one was about "How far can you drive on a flat runflat?". IIRC the winner went over 700 miles on a flat and only stopped because he got home. Keep the speed down, stop occasionally to inspect the tire and let it cool a bit.

The second one was about "Tail of the Dragon on a flat tire." We too hit a rock but the tire deflated overnight, and we too couldn't get the tire to hold any air with the compressor (cut in sidewall). Runflats saved us about a day of time, several hundred dollars, and a ton of frustration.

A couple of years ago, the regional autocross champs in our area (man and woman) switched from PS2 non-runflats, to PS2 runflats. They said the ride was the same, handling slightly better, and they won their trophy on the runflats. Runflats do cost a bit more, but when amortized over the life of the tires, I consider that to be very cheap insurance.

Enlighten me please....I'm not familiar with the left coast, except for it's politics.

I can understand building materials coming off a truck, but couches? Refrigerators? On the roadway???

How does that happen, and what's being done about it?

Good story; glad it went well for you. I wouldn't leave home without them.:thumbs::flag:

As well as beds, can be seen on I-10 or I-45... :( If a driver is not keeping an active lookout then you may hit some of these items. The thing that I see the most are tire treads from big rigs. About 6 years ago I almost got hit from a lader that fell off a truck.

Just incredible....glad I don't have to drive there.

So, a refrigerator lays in the road, because the police are afraid of being accused of appliance brutality if they remove it.

It happens because some nit-wit doesn't tie down the stuff he is carrying and he drives away and hopes nobody gets his license plate. It's because he is either lazy, doesn't care and/or doesn't want to pay for the clean-up. When it does happen it can tie up traffic for hours while the CHP waits for a crew to pick up the items since a CHP car obviously cannot carry something the size of a refrigerator.

That is a good point, I am not sure who moves all of the junk to the side of the road. I do see a clean up crew every now and then that picks up trash on the side of the road.