jiggaman

Are run flat tires any good? And would they work on the TSX? Cuz it'd be nice to use the space where the spare tire is for more amps.

Dan Martin

Yep they'll work fine. You'll want to get a tire pressure monitoring system to be safe.

jiggaman

what's a good brand to look at and what price should i expect to pay?

gracias.

biker

Be ready for a stiffer ride.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

Run-flats are good, but like Dan said, get a tire pressure monitoring system because otherwise, you won't know when you have a blowout.

zazen721

AH HA! i was going to ask how one knew when they had a flat... i guess thats the answer!

biker

I would think a check of the pressure at every gas fill up would be enough.
I would also think that if you had a blow out you might not need a monitoring system to tell you something is amiss. :captobvious:

iTimmy

In my opinion I would stay clear of run-flats unless you have NO other option(i.e. if you have a BMW, Lexus, et al... and they come OE). I could go into more details however IMO its not worth the cost and problems that are associated with them.

If you HAVE to have them go with Bridgestones, they seem to be in the "lead" when it comes to the run-flat wars. With the Goodyear and Michelin systems you need different wheels. Also be prepared to pay $50+ to have a tire mounted and balanced(that's each) and depending where you live it may be hard to find someone capable of servicing them. Oh and one more thing when the tire is punctured- say with a nail for example- you need to purchase a new tire because runflats can not be repaired.

jiggaman

thanks for the input. i'll probably stick with the spare set up..

al8818

Cars not designed for runflat tyres should not fit them. Runflat tyres have severely stiff, reinforced sidewalls that appear pumped up even when they have lost all pressure. It can support the weight of that corner of your car without any air, man thats stiff. It also feels the same, punctured or not, which may fool you into driving on until it fails unknowingly...real trouble then. (hence the need for pressure sensors)

Compromises have been made in RFT tyres to enable them to run for maybe 50 miles at a moderate speed before needing to be swapped. One of them is comfort. Curiously with such stiff sidewalls, steering and handling isn't that great. The carcass is just so stiff it cannot allow the entire tyre to work as a system which is what the latest tyres are doing now.

While it(RFT) is a good idea and who would not like to have the advantage of RFT, it is filled with compromises, not in the least is cost. Here many whose car comes with RFT like Mini Cooper S and BMWs have swapped out to normal street tyres and now have wide grins on their faces. Both ride and handling/grip go up. To counter not having the protection of RFT they carry a couple of foam canisters and an electric pump(as the manufacturer has removed the spare wheel well!!). IMO it is an immature technology but getting rid of the spare wheel gives manufacturers the ability to offer more boot space and make the car lighter for lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

So we have owners of RFT tyres wanting to swap them out and you want to put them on. Well the ride will no doubt be harsh, worse if you already upsized the wheels.

Glad you decided against them because your only interest was to have a bit more space in the trunk. For the manufacturers like BMW, they were sold on the fact that the car could do an entire slalom course with one punctured tyre and it would stay on the rim keeping occupants safe throughout. Also the chances of a high speed blowout on the autobahn is a real life threathening situation. RFT provides an extra meaasure of safety that these Germans appreciate. It is not just about convenience or utility but a real important safety item for them when they can be travelling at 250km/h for most of the journey.

Selling it to the rest of the world however is a different matter especially when traffic is restricted to 90-100 km/h or less.

For tyre manufacturers it is a chicken or egg situation. If they don't sell in volume they will fail to make the required profits to fund development of this technology and make them more affordable. No doubt with research and development they can possibly make it more palatable as they did Ultra Low Profile tyres. Used to be that 50 series had a terrible ride some 20 years ago. Now they can provide nearly as good comfort as their 60 or 65 series counterparts.