[Fell at the last]

Might be a bit randonm this but I thought I would share it with you anyway.

I have got an '09 335D Touring as a daily driver and since new it has had those dreadful Michelin runflats.

They are absolutely shite. They tramline even when crossing white lines, the ride is very crashy and and any mid-corner bumps unsettles the car to the point where the traction control kicks in. Dry grip is average but any damp or loose surface has the car wheel spinning on even moderate throttles.

Anyway, I picked up a bolt through one of the rears last weekend and as it was fairly low tread and can't be repaired I though I would take the opportunity to change both rears. Turns out you can't mix runflats on one axle and non runflats on another so a 4 tyre swap was on.

4 x runflats = ?830 from Blackcircles

4 x Contis Sport Contact 3s = ?600 (I had trawled around and these seemed to be one of the best replacements for runflats on my car)

I changed the tyres yesterday and the car is transformed. The ride is much, much softer, almost as if the car has been setup very soft.

The road noise has quitened.

The handling is incredible now and best of all the bump on the corner out of my village has no effect whatsoever on the handling nor does the car'skip' across it.

Grip under acceleration is faultless. My car has the DMS MAP settings so it puts out 350BHP and 770NM of torque and this is the first time I have been able to put it down on the road without wondering how long before the traction control kicks in.

Short version: If you don't like your runflats, and can afford to do it, ditch them. The transformation is astonishing

 

[wheels-inmotion]

Good for you...... I agree run flats are utterly shite.

 

[bl4desman]

Exactly what I told my Dad just before he bought 2 more bloody runflats

 

[Drew.]

Funnily enough we changed all four Dunlop runflats on the Cooper S today for four Falken's, the fronts were shot the rear almost brand new but I didn't fancy running non RFTS on the front and RFTS on the rear, I'm yet to drive it but the missus has commented it now feels far more stable, doen't tramline and is a lot quieter.

Another runflat hater

 

[guitarjon]

Is there anything electronic in the runflats which needs seeing too when replacing to a 'normal' tyre? I learnt to drive in a mini cooper and the instructor said that there was a message come up on the dash if they were punctured.Obviously they repared.

 

[Drew.]

Nothing on the rim if that's what you mean, the BMW system for detecting a punctured tyre is by using the wheels speed senor, if a car gets a puncher the radius will change the system then detects it rotating at a different speed the the other wheels and brings up a light on the dash which can be reset by pressing a button near the hand brake.