Any upgraded their wheels and switched to run flats?
 

Debating putting some 17" front and 18" rears on my C3 (74). It currently has the 15" rally wheels on it. Has anyone done this with run flat tires and ditched the spare completely?

Thanks!

I got 18 19s with run flats drove like 2 days w/o noticing my tire was flat only felt a slight pull to the left.

I had run flats on my 99 and got rid of them because they rode like crap.

With run flats, you need a tire pressure monitoring system.
:thumbs:

There's a reason almost everyone ditches the runflats on new vehicles that are sold with them.

My BMW came with run flats... One of the first things I ditched. They were awful.

On my Mini Cooper and Corvette I ditched the run flats. They are heavy and ride like crap.

Cell phone and Roadside service is needed.

That's what cell phones and AAA are for. Let someone else mess with the tires.... :toetap:

Funny you say that, my fiancee' is a Mini enthusiast and she and her friends tend to drop the run flats first chance they get. :cheers:

I was just debating the need for a spare tire, and what it would look like if that carrier is removed. Does anyone have any pics of what that looks like? I couldn't find anything in my search (but then half the photos are blocked thanks to photobucket on forums....)

Don't do that to yourself. Runflats are worthless.
Got rid of them on my BMW - best move ever.

I have been driving my newer Vettes with runflats since 2002. Since we mainly do road trips in our late model Vettes, I have found it it better to have them than to get stranded on the road. I tried the non-run flat experiment on my old C5, the results were bad. The new Michelin Pilots are better than the old Goodyears that C5s and C6s came with.

The subjects of runflats always brings out the haters, but there are a lot of people using them succesfully as well. Some people jsut don't want to spend money for replacement runflats, I get that. I guess it depends on the individual.

I have not had a spare tire for years. I carry a small air compressor and a tire plug kit just in case, but have never had to use them. Tires are much more reliable nowadays than they were several years ago and besides, most new performance cars do not come with a spare tire anyway. As to what the car would look like without the spare tire carrier, I got rid of mine and never looked back. If you don't like the large open area between the exhaust pipes that is exposed when you remove the carrier, there is a solution that I came up with. Keep the plastic carrier lid mounted on the car but drop it six inches in the front with six inch long bolts. This will give you the impression of having the spare tire carrier intact when viewed from the rear of the car, but in reality it will be gone, along with about 60 pounds of unwanted weight.

This is also extra storage space.

Another problem with run flats is that they're not repairable. If one gets punctured you're buying a new one.

This is not correct. I have had them patched before with good results. I would not plug any radial tire, run flats or not.

I run the sport comp 2 from BF Goodrich about 120 a tire, good grip, nice design and smooth riding. Run flats are typically real noisy.
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Repairing Runflats
 

The issue with repairing run flats is that you don't know how long they were driven low on air. Driving with low tire pressure seriously degrades the sidewall. That is why the manufacturers do not recommend repairs, and why most shops won't do it. Your life isn't worth saving the price on a tire.

nver owned runflats but whats the real downside, how come they cant be patched or plugged?
Done em on regular tires, gone 20k with no leaks.

Does road noise really matter on an old car like the idea of not worrying about a flat. Have to keep a compressor and plug kit in ea car

Run flats are only rated at zero pressure for around 50 miles. The sidewalls are degrading while your driving. To patch one, inflate it, and drive on it, is taking your life in your hands. I hit a bad pothole with one, pinching the sidewall and blowing the tire. It got 40 miles home, but the tire was in bad shape. I would never risk it myself.

When was the last time you had a flat tire? My wife's Volvo used to get flats. Turned out to be bad wheels. Replaced the wheels and hasn't had a flat in 6 years. I think I'll risk running with no spare.