430 Bridgestone Run Flats

I've had an experience with it. I had a slow leak and could not even detect it. The sidewall looked perfectly normal. I don't have the monitor in my 430 but when I drove the car over 50 it would want to pull to one side. Very unsettling until I figured out what it was.

 

I have Bridgestone Runflats on my Z8 and they have been great. I've had two flats(?) and if it wasn't for the monitor, I wouldn't have known it. Only Goodyear has them for the F430 stock sizes.

 

Well, all modern tires are tubeless; I haven't seen a tube in any automobile tire for many, many years. The only OE run-flats on the 430 are the Goodyears, so unless you have a non-OE tire your Bridgestones are not run-flat.

Gary

 

My opinion on runflats.

Great that you can drive on the tyre till you get to a garage UPTO 50mph but

- Expensive
- Not repairable

Non -Runflat

Techncally you cant drive on it unless its a slow puncture and you might get lucky if your local tyre shop is round the corner but
- Cheap
- Repairable

 

I've had leaks plugged successfully!

 

I WAS AWARE THAT RUNFLATS COULD NOT BE REPAIRE..ILLEGAL MAYBE I WAS INFORMED INCORRECTLY

 

Hello,
do you want my opinion about:

Pirelli tyres, non run-flat

The response, the reaction to driving stress is very different between runflat and standard tyres.

Did you drive the F430 with runflat, near 50% of thickness. Bad idea!!!

And if the manettino is set on race position, you destroy the car.


I've the F430 coupè with standard tyres and my best friend has the F430 with the runflat.

The standard tyres was my choice but my friend bought the 430 already equiped with runflat.

more details, I'll be very happy to give them.

By,

Peppe

 

My F430 spider came with Bridgestone run-flats from the factory. I had a loss of pressure at VIR and the car pulled badly, but no tragedies. My wife's 335(sport) convert (18's) has the same tires and her car's ride quality is much harsher believe it or not. The Bridgestones seem to be holding up better than the Pirelli's on my buddies 430(same car but don't know which Pirelli model). We both run between 35-40 psi at the track and have 4K on our vehicles and 3 track events under our belts. My tires are wearing evenly, but he is experiencing bad feathering and "chunking" on the outside edges of his tires. Honestly we both need to replace our shoes, but the Bridgestone RF's are holding up better and I have always been a big Pirelli and Pilot Sport / PS2 fan.

 

My dear friend,
you're a very lucky man. I don't know where you live (I presume in the US or Canada).
Wonderful roads,!!!! I'm Italian, the situation is very different.

In Italy only few Ferrari owners, use theyr cars for "tourism" or for "fleeting appearance" on tracks (I hope you're not like them).
The tyres of these Gentlemen drivers cars (Michelin, Bridgstone, Pirelli, Khumo, FlicFlok or ZZstone), during the everyday driving are good, very good, particularly when they are in perfect condition, like new!!!

A different situation if someone use his car like a racing-car driver (I think you know very well the difference between to drive and to pilot),
well, the Michelins are good only for one thousand miles, the Bridgestones are good only for ladies driving, and the Pirellis are the "non plus ultra" it means the best. Very good product.
Bridgestone is all smoke, marketing smoke!!!!!!!!!
(I own a F430 coupè, m.y. 2006, no runflat, "allestimento speciale").

In Italy only the 20% of Ferraris have the Bridgestone, we like only the sushi and sashimi from Japan!!!


Ciao bello.


Peppe

 

I knew I made a good decision putting Italian tyres on my Italian car.

 

+1 ;-)

 

My California came with Bridgestone re050 run flats. They are very bumpy and I really dislike them.

But then I had a nail puncture of one of my rears and noticed a only a little pulling- so I think from a safety point of view they are much better than a standard tire.

Over time I also noticed very good tread life and every even wear. Finally I found I could push a litttle harder into the turns due to the stiff sidewalls keeping the tire geometry in place.

I've heard that Michelin makes the best run flats -they them Zero Pressure I think. They are a much better tire than the Bridgestone. In fact, several independent teams are running them at Le Mans including Corvette and Ferrari.

The reason is that the Michelins ZP's have better turn in and corner better than the standard non run flats due to the reinforced sidewall. Add to that the fact that the tread wear is better than standard tires so fewer changes during the race. Finally if you do have a puncture, better chance that the car doesn't crash out and can limp back to the pits to fight on.

Oh and the Michelin ZP isn't as bumpy a ride as the Bridgestone. Too bad they aren't available in more sizes.

 

there are 2 types of run flat tires. one with stiff walls. and one with a rubber structure inside the tire. i wonder if all the high end tires are the ones w stiff walls