By
Walter Ford
Several
manufacturers are now supplying new cars with run flat tires. The
appeal of a run flat tire is that it can be driven on after it goes
flat and can maintain its structural integrity for up to 50 miles per
hour and travel up to 50 miles. In other words, if a run flat tire
goes flat, it will travel a reasonable distance at a reasonable
speed.
How
are they able to do this? The manufacturer builds up the sidewalls of
the tire with extra rubber. The problem with that is it causes the
tire to ride very poorly as it transmits shock through the car. This
shock can be so extreme that in some cases we have seen broken
wheels. Why does this happen? Because the tire is so stiff, if it
hits a pothole or other obstacle in the road, it will actually take
that shock and transmit it right into the wheel, causing the wheel to
break inside. We have seen this happen in our shop many times and
it’s always on run flat tires.
We
advocate getting rid of these tires because they cost about 1/3 more
than a regular tire and they don’t have any real benefit.
Furthermore, a run flat tire will still need to be replaced after you
have driven on it after it has gone flat. So, if you’re thinking
that a run flat tire will save you money, they don’t. They
actually cost more money number one and number two, when you drive on
them after they’re flat, they will be completely ruined.
The
only advantage of a run flat tire is getting the short term
convenience of not having to change your tire after it has gone flat.
The trade off of temporary convenience versus much higher cost and
poorer ride in my opinion is not worth it. Another disadvantage of
run flat tires is they don’t last as long as most conventional
tires. We have seen them go up to 30,000 miles but you can get a
conventional tire that’s got a guarantee of 60,000 miles. At the
end of the day, I believe you’ll be miles ahead by investing all
the money you will save and getting a superior standard tire.
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