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What's Your Plan for When You Get a Flat With No Spare?

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runflat tires
3K views 31 replies 20 participants last post by  469439 
#1 · (Edited)
I gave up the run flats. Thanks to input from several folks on here I got rid of my rather poorly performing Bridgestone DriveGuards (horrible tires--sidewalls blew out on two and one kept having a slow leak). I have replaced them with non-runflat Michelin A/S 3s which so far feel great. My question, to those of you who have replaced your runflats with non-runflats, what is your contingency plan for when you get a flat?

In my case, I've got the AAA plan that has the 100 mile tow but even that won't be much help if I'm on highway 5 between San Francisco and LA at 3AM. I kept one of the old run-flats and I'm considering getting that installed on a new rim and hauling that around in my trunk but I'd prefer not to spend the money on the rim (and take up precious trunk real-estate) if someone has a better idea.
 
#6 ·
Well, I get the whole "How often do you get a flat" argument, which is why I got out of the runflats to begin with but the law of large numbers says some day it will happen, and the law of Murphy says when it does it's going to be 3AM in the middle of nowhere--so, the whole risk v. reward thing says I should have a plan. So far, AAA and a plug kit sounds like the best one. Just need to find the right plug kit. Any suggestions, anyone?
 
#5 ·
I've been fortunate that in both flats I've had, I found in the garage. Otherwise, AAA.
 
#7 · (Edited)
In my case, I've got the AAA plan that has the 100 mile tow but even that won't be much help if I'm on highway 5 between San Francisco and LA at 3AM.
Actually, it will be.

My daughter found herself with a flat (not repairable) at 11 PM on Highway 5 on a Labor Day weekend. She didn't want to go to LA and then back to SF on just the donut, so she got herself to the handy 24/7 tire place at Lost Hills (Rt 46), where at least 4 other cars were waiting for repairs from nails that mysteriously appeared on I-5 just 3 miles up the road from the shop. She bought a used tire for short money and was on her way.

In any event, the 100 mile towing limit will get you to one of San Jose / Lost Hills / LA from any place along I-5 between those locations. You can't bet on SF, though, as you will end up 20 miles short on your towing limit if you happen to die exactly halfway between SF and Lost Hills.
 
#9 · (Edited)
^^ What he said.

For very long trips, I would carry one of my winter wheels as a spare, along with a jack and wrench.

As an aside, back in the day I blew the water pump in my old E34 525i just north of Kettleman City. AAA got me to the BMW dealer in San Luis Obispo, just under 100 miles away.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I hate runflat ride. But, a year ago, I found myself a half hour (by highway) from my home and runflats saved me from a great loss of time after sudden loss of tire pressure (not a sudden explosive blowout, and not a slow leak that TPMS might warn about). So having runflats saved me when TPMS failed to warn me in advance of a slow leak. The tire would not hold any added air using the compressor, and I could not find the source of the leak to plug it.
 
#10 ·
Does your plug kit also have a compressor? I have both packed into my wife's SUV when we go on longer trips. Normally also have a toolbox packed, but we might have a trailer full of of ATVs being towed as well. That's the ultimate in back up plans! The whole family could ditch the car.
 
#17 ·
Nobody mentioned towing coverage as part of your auto insurance. Maybe not available where you live but for me it's about $20 per year and covers trip insurance too. I think it would kick in if you had AAA and had to go over 100 miles.

Yes, there is a difference in tire plug kits. The tools will bend with the cheap kits. Buy a quality kit.

Slime makes a small repair kit with a compressor and slime leak sealant.

Also, run flats can only be run flat if theres a leak in the tread area that causes loss of air. If the leak is in the sidewall they can't be run flat.

As for regular non-run flats, if you have that same leak in the tread area you can fix it with the tire plug or slime and a compressor. If the leak is in the sidewall then you can't fix it but the run flat would have been unusable with the same damage.

One thing to consider is who's driving it. If it's me, I can plug it and pump it up. If it's my wife I don't want her to have to do that - run flats would still be of value in that situation.

On my wife's X3, we replaced the tires with the run flats. The original set got over 40K miles on them and seem to ride just fine. So why not spring for the same replacement tire and have peace of mind?
 
#19 ·
I have a full size spare tire. I bought an OEM Rim for $20 and I mounted an older but still usable tire from my workplace. It does take my trunk space up and someone suggested I put it on a roof rack like a Land Rover!!! It beats waiting for a tow imo. I put a lot of miles mostly on rural places and the space it takes isn’t bothersome .

Oddly enough I’ve NEVER had a flat tire in my life. Then again I check my tire pressure every week and I even re-seal my beads and replace valve stems periodically.


Sent from my iPhone using Bimmerfest
 
#25 ·
I do long trips, 250 miles at a pop. I want to be able to get home. 50 miles on the run flat, compressor and plug to reinflate it if necessary and then 50-75 miles on a donut.
If you put 50 miles on the runflat, you will have to throw it away instead of getting it repaired. If you put the donut on and do the rest of the trip, you can get the runflat repaired.
 
#29 ·
I don't like or use run flats and here is why:
They are too damned expensive.
It is my understanding is that r/fs don't perform as well.
I am not frail and if I get a flat that the compressor, came with car along with an empty bottle of sealant, can't get me on my way I will get on the phone.
My car is a 328Xi on which a bit of curbside debris ruined a side wall. Because of the X drive all tires have to be the same so I couldn't stick a new tire on there straightaway and would need to be shaved down to work properly. I bought 4 Continentals and saved an old tire for a spare but the problem is getting a wheel cheap.
I drive it 3 or 4 times a week for some driving at the redline and home.
A bit off the topic but still tires. This dude at a garage told me that in winter he inflates tires to 40 pounds psi, I told him that was nuts for several reasons like his 40 psi is 32psi in cold weather. By his logic you should maybe changed pressure everyday dependent on air temperature.
Anyone else ever heard that nonsense?
 
#31 · (Edited)
I don't like or use run flats and here is why:
They are too damned expensive.
It is my understanding is that r/fs don't perform as well.
I am not frail and if I get a flat that the compressor, came with car along with an empty bottle of sealant, can't get me on my way I will get on the phone.
My car is a 328Xi on which a bit of curbside debris ruined a side wall. Because of the X drive all tires have to be the same so I couldn't stick a new tire on there straightaway and would need to be shaved down to work properly. I bought 4 Continentals and saved an old tire for a spare but the problem is getting a wheel cheap.
I drive it 3 or 4 times a week for some driving at the redline and home.
A bit off the topic but still tires. This dude at a garage told me that in winter he inflates tires to 40 pounds psi, I told him that was nuts for several reasons like his 40 psi is 32psi in cold weather. By his logic you should maybe changed pressure everyday dependent on air temperature.
Anyone else ever heard that nonsense?
That's right up there with the guy who told me he uses nitrogen in his tires because it's more springy than just plain air.

Tires leak air. Iin the spring, the ambient temperature rises, so the pressure in the tire rises, sometimes countering the pressure lost due to leakage. In the fall, you have both falling temperatures and leakage causing a loss of pressure. An acquaintance owned a string of quick oil change shops.. He noticed that his tech's didn't have to add as much air to tires in the spring.

Tire pressure goes up or down about one PSI with every ten degrees F. When tire heat up from use, their temperature goes up about 30 degrees F. So, the pressure inside them go up about three PSI.

A friend of mine races cars. He needed the "tire truck" at one of the tracks to add some air to his race car's tires. The truck had a big air tank pressurized to somewhere around 100 PSI. The tires on his race car need maybe five PSI added. So, the tire Bubba started filling the car's first tire, and he wasn't going to stop until the gauge on his tank registered 95 PSI.
 
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