It's time to replace the run flat Dunlop tires. Would you recommend I replace these tires with run flats? Or not? This is my third BMW but my first set of run flats, and like most people, I don't like them too much. Thanks for the advice
if you don't like them I'd say get rid of them, if you don't need that much trunk space you can stick a spare in the trunk or carry a can of fix-a-flat
That's a tough question... About like asking someone else to pick out your underwear, IMO. RFT's have both negative and positive traits. A RFT will most likely never give you as smooth a ride as a GFT, and they will be more expensive. Availability of replacements may or may not be an issue, depending on when and where you need a replacement (Atlanta .vs. middle of ND, on a Sunday morning...as an example...). And, the tire will most likely have a shorter tread-life than a GFT. On the other hand, they can come in quite handy if you (or a family member) get a flat in a high-traffic (or high-crime) area. And, if you want a spare .vs. tire inflator kit, you lose a good bit of trunk space. Also, the newer RFT's do seem (to me, at least) to have a more "tolerable" ride characteristic...but, that's only my opinion. So, I would say.... Of the above, what's the most important factor to YOU?
You've made a good point with the run flat being a life saver when a tire dies in the middle of rush hour traffic. Thank you for your input.
I've posted this picture before but here's the RFT from our 535i. No amount of RFT technology was going to keep that tire working. It just failed without warning at about 10K miles. Since the E60 has a spare tire in the trunk, if I still had the car, I would ditch the loud, harsh riding RFTs for some really nice performance tires and see the car really come alive. That's just my .02.
Your point is well taken.... Any tire can fail catastrophically, be it RFT or GFT. Of course, on the other side of the coin, if you happen to hit some road debris and get 2 flats (front and rear... it happened to me on I285 in Atlanta several years ago during rush hour traffic) a single spare isn't going to get you anywhere. Lose a RFT in the middle of Wyoming, and your probably going to have some time to kill waiting on a new tire...so, might as well take in the scenery... There will always be a case where, even with the best laid plans, crap still happens...
Since the E60 does come with a spare, some of this is moot. There has also been a lot of improvement in RFT technology since even 2007. You might want to try another brand. One point about RFT that many forget is that even with a flat tire (or four) you don't lose the traction-control, ABS, or stability control systems in a modern BMW where rotational-speed differential is enough to defeat those systems. Get a flat and you can still stop like a BMW and your stability control will still help you avoid an accident like a BMW. They're not perfect but they really do provide an extra margin of safety even beyond not having to stop in an unsafe spot to change your wheel and tire.
