Run Flat Tires

Hi Everyone:

I own a 2004 360 Spider and (like most) it does not have a spare tire. I contemplated buying all of the components to install one...but the cost is downright silly and I am not too fond of adding all the weight and losing the storage space.

Has anyone tried run flat tires on their 360? If so, which ones? I know that they probably would not handle as well as the original tires...but the tires on my car are 11 years old (it has 10k miles)...so I am sure they are hard and dry and probably not as good as they used to be. So I probably wouldn't notice the difference anyway.

Thoughts?

Brian

 

I had them on my 08 f430 spider and hated them. They came with the car. Hard as a rock and poor traction. Changed them

 

Uggggh! I was hoping that I would not get responses like this. Thanks for confirming what I suspected.

 

Sorry it's not the answer you're looking of however run flats are awful.

 

I have run flats on my 2015 BMW and they ride like a brick. I was just hoping that the more expensive summer run flats were better. But it seems that they all stink. I am just dreading a flat followed by the flatbed operator that destroys my car pulling it up onto the flatbed.

 

Hey Brian, runs flats suck but change those tires immediately...dangerous to drive the car at any speeds with those tires that old. I like my Michelin ps3's quite well. HTh

 

If you keep a 12V compressor in your Ferrari, one that uses alligator clips, not the cigarette lighter, you can fill the tire every few miles until you get it to a shop that can fix the wheel.

Trouble with spare tires is there is usually no place to fit the flat after fitting the spare. Plus there is over an inch difference in diameter between the F&R tires. Spare has to be a compromise, so she will be uneven no matter where you fit the spare.

The run-flat Michelins fitted to the Corvettes are good tires, but unfortunately sizes are very limited.

 

My MB SL550 had run flats, after 3 months I took them off, replaced them with some Bridgestone's, world of difference. I'll put the run flats back on when I turn the car in. As for a spare, I bought a kit for $29.99, green goo and a small compressor.

For my 360 and 430, never considered run flats, had a can of "fix-a-flat" and my iPhone to call a flatbed. Same with my Mclaren.

MB

 

Thanks everyone...run flats definitely do not seem like the way to go. I have yet to find anyone that said that they were good (or even tolerable). I will stick for normal summer tires. I know that I need to replace them and will do so as soon as I get her back on the road. Since I live in NH, I have a few more more of freezing , miserable weather before I can enjoy my car. I read a lot of good things about Michelin PS3s...so I will probably go with them. Thanks everyone for the amazing quick replies...much appreciated!

It is funny, I read up on the "no room for the flat tire" thing and it seems that you would need to put it in the passenger's seat. Being that someone is always in the car with me...that doesn't seem to work.

 

My 08 came with them as an option from factory. I think that was the last year Ferrari offered that

 

Terry, why do recommend against using a compressor that is powered car via the cigarette lighter?

 

you will likely blow the fuse on the cig lighter outlet;

 

My 2007 430 spider had run flats when I bought it in 2011. Maybe the worst handling sports car ever. Switched to S04 Pole Positions and it became a great handling car. At first I bought a used front wheel and tire on eBay and that does fit in the trunk, I also found a donut spare for trips with some luggage. Factory jack is junk and expensive but I didn't feel like figuring out which aftermarket jack worked. On 430's front tires only fit on the rear if you have steel brakes. I also purchased 911 plastic tire bags to keep the blown tire in so I don't mess up the seat. In case I have a passenger I put a bicycle cable lock in the trunk so I could lock the blown tire to a tree and leave it behind for later retrieval.

 

Run flats on my BMW. Terrible.

 

Hi…Informative thread. Thanks. Are you folks suggesting something of this type that hooks directly to the battery as opposed to the cig lighter?

Q Industries SuperFlow Hi-Volume Air Compressor — 12 Volt, 120 PSI, Model MV50 | 2 - 9 CFM Air Compressors| Northern Tool + Equipment

Thanks, in advance…T

 

I must be in the minority. I have had run flats on my last three Corvettes with no ill effects. I do a lot of long distance road trips and have considered changing to run flats on the Ferrari. I have not yet found a source for the F430 sizes.

 

Repeat after me:

Just say no to run flat tires.

 

Run flats normally work as a system with the wheel rim as the tyre has to stay in place when it deflates.

I carry a compressor and one of the tubeless repair kits that work well on nails etc. far better that the goo.

I agree on the comments......they feel like they are made of wood on my BMW....

 

I have the factory spare tire and I don't even keep it in the car. It's too heavy and lowers the nose of the car making it harder to drive around town over the smallest speed bumps.

I just have road hazard protection on my auto insurance and if I get a flat I will use it to get a tow truck. Only costs a few dollars a month. Much better protection than run flats because run flats handle terrible and put you at greater risk with their poor handling, in my opinion.

 

I have Michelin run flats on my Corvette in Florida. The tires and the ride are fine, but the issue is that if you do pick up a nail you can't really repair the tire. I had a right rear that had 2 nails in it and nobody and I mean nobody would fix this tire. It only had 7000 miles on it, with plenty of tread left, and I had to wind up buying a pair of rears. The tires probably kept me from getting stranded someplace, but 2 new ones cost big $$.

 

Dave- Tony is correct. The cigarette lighter hook-up was not designed to take that kind of continuous load and it usually results in blown fuses or a burn-out lighter.

 

Interesting. I have a tire that's been slowly losing air and have been topping it off with a compressor connected to the cig lighter. No blown fuses yet, but I won't push my luck.

 

My guess is for the occasional top off you aren't running it that much. But if you are stopping every few miles to fill up a ¾ deflated tire because of a puncture thats a lot.

 

In addition to the 12V portable air compressor, I carry a small kit to repair the tire. I have had one occassion to use the repair kit ... in the tread area ... a small screw punctured the tire and was causing a leak.

The repair kit I carry is called Black Jack. Kt-20S - BlackJack Tire Repair

Works very nicely and the repair is permanent if the area to be repaired is in the tread. If you are concerned about integrity of the tire for really high speed stuff like tracking, then you would want to take the tire to a shop for an evaluation, but in the few times I have used this on my cars, I have found the repair using this kit to be excellent.

At very least, you could repair the tire on the road without removing the wheel from the car. Your repair will last till you get home and you won't have to stop frequently to refill with air.

Steve
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Carry one of these instead of getting run flats.

Stop & Go Tire Repair Kits - Stop & Go Pocket Tire Plugger plus 4 CO2 inflators-16 gram