Do Run Flat tires require special rims?

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There is a "ring" on a run flat tire wheel that keeps it in place when it loses air. I would think you could switch to normal tires if they could be mounted on the rims. I'm sure others on here can give you a more definitive answer.
 
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Originally Posted By: Trav
AFAIK the only one requiring special rims is the Michelin PAX system horror they foisted on unwitting consumers.

Interesting. Never knew about that... Makes you wonder though, why didn't they learn after TRX?
 
Michelin is one company i despise because of their antics and shenanigans over the years, the PAX system were short lived tires (about 20k) that needed a special machine to change them on the special rims, every Honda dealer was supposed to have a machine, almost none if any ever got one.

So.. What does Honda and Michelin do? No problem wheel and tire exchange $750 ea for new tires and refurbed rims with your old ones. SOB's eh?
I wonder what their next money grabbing con job will be, we will know in 20 yrs when this is all forgotten.

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/automobiles/20TIRES.html

The Pirelli system is great and requires no special rims, machines or installation, just like any other normal tire.

https://www.pirelli.com/tires/en-us/car-light-truck/total-mobility

Edit: In the PAX article Honda was really trying to pull a fast one claiming the suspension was "tuned" for PAX, the strut, sway bar, LCA part# for the van without PAX were the same at that time. In 07 it was not 1600 bucks at every dealer, dealers were scalping 1500 a pair in some places.
I changed quite a few over to alloys and normal tires with Pilot TPM sensors since 07 without issues of any kind. Today Honda says its okay to do and even gives part numbers.
Two companies well suited for each other.
 
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Originally Posted By: Trav
Michelin is one company i despise because of their antics and shenanigans over the years, the PAX system were short lived tires (about 20k) that needed a special machine to change them on the special rims, every Honda dealer was supposed to have a machine, almost none if any ever got one.

So.. What does Honda and Michelin do? No problem wheel and tire exchange $750 ea for new tires and refurbed rims with your old ones. SOB's eh?
I wonder what their next money grabbing con job will be, we will know in 20 yrs when this is all forgotten.

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/automobiles/20TIRES.html

The Pirelli system is great and requires no special rims, machines or installation, just like any other normal tire.

https://www.pirelli.com/tires/en-us/car-light-truck/total-mobility

Edit: In the PAX article Honda was really trying to pull a fast one claiming the suspension was "tuned" for PAX, the strut, sway bar, LCA part# for the van without PAX were the same at that time. In 07 it was not 1600 bucks at every dealer, dealers were scalping 1500 a pair in some places.
I changed quite a few over to alloys and normal tires with Pilot TPM sensors since 07 without issues of any kind. Today Honda says its okay to do and even gives part numbers.
Two companies well suited for each other.


I'll never buy their tires again either. Not for the reasons you listed, for cord separation years ago on more than one occasion, and their lousy CS at the time.
 
Bad companies both add Ford to that list too. Its not they make a mistake or have a problem that can and does happen to any company, its how you take care of it that matters.
Michelin dummied up and Honda stuck the blame squarely on them and then lied to the customer and tried to con them out of a lot of money. Honda VCM, same deal, it takes law suits to get anything from them,

Ford and Toyota frames,Ford blames it on operation conditions (road salt) and didn't warranty the frames on truck broken in half.
Toyota to their credit owned up to it and took care of the replacement or very generous buy back or trade in money, Toyota sludge, generous warranty extension and engine replacement programs = a good company!

Would I buy a Toyota? Yes, any day, if something does go wrong I feel confident they will take care of it! A Honda, Ford or Michelin tires? I wont go near any one of them with a 10ft pole, if something goes wrong I strongly suspect from past experiece I can go scratch my backside with a broken bottle.
 
Off the rails...the first reply by Trav answered the question.

Bridgestone is marketing their Driveguard tire to owners of vehicles that didn’t come with runflats.

Now I suppose everyone is going to jump on bashing Bridgestone!
 
Originally Posted By: CKN
There is a "ring" on a run flat tire wheel that keeps it in place when it loses air. I would think you could switch to normal tires if they could be mounted on the rims. I'm sure others on here can give you a more definitive answer.

Nope. Just a reinforced tire. BMW has a different shape safety hump on their wheels that help in retaining a deflated runflat but normal tires can be mounted, just with more difficulty.
 
OK, I have never had purpose built runflats,I also think they are a result of running lo profile( anything less than 65 for aspect ratio). I see mini gators from trashed low profiles a lot but I never see 70 or bigger. Lo pros are way more likely to perish from road hazards. I've runflat several regular ones. My wife once drove a '66 bug 30 miles on a flat rear tire. I personally have run 20 miles. Sure everything is trashed, wheel wise. Big whooping deal. There is no reason whatsoever to put yourself at risk to change a tire. Just drive on the thing to a place of safety. The gas station off the next exit is a good place.
 
Many people with OE run-flat tires switch over to regular aftermarket aluminum wheels all the time. But you MUST have tire pressure sensors for run-flat tires, or you will destroy them if drive over 50 miles with an unknown flat tire. Nobody ever heard of TPMS until the 1997 Corvette came out with the Goodyear run-flat tire, which is why they had sensors. It was the only way to tell that you even had a flat.
 
Originally Posted By: Traction
Many people with OE run-flat tires switch over to regular aftermarket aluminum wheels all the time. But you MUST have tire pressure sensors for run-flat tires, or you will destroy them if drive over 50 miles with an unknown flat tire. Nobody ever heard of TPMS until the 1997 Corvette came out with the Goodyear run-flat tire, which is why they had sensors. It was the only way to tell that you even had a flat.


My BMW came with runflats and no sensors.
 
Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
Originally Posted By: Traction
Many people with OE run-flat tires switch over to regular aftermarket aluminum wheels all the time. But you MUST have tire pressure sensors for run-flat tires, or you will destroy them if drive over 50 miles with an unknown flat tire. Nobody ever heard of TPMS until the 1997 Corvette came out with the Goodyear run-flat tire, which is why they had sensors. It was the only way to tell that you even had a flat.


My BMW came with runflats and no sensors.


If its your 2013 BMW it has a TPMS of some sort. Either a sensor that relays actual pressure to the system or it gets rpm of each wheel from the abs sensor and can tell when a tire gets low/flat due to increases revolutions of that wheel.
 
Originally Posted By: 5AcresAndAFool
Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
Originally Posted By: Traction
Many people with OE run-flat tires switch over to regular aftermarket aluminum wheels all the time. But you MUST have tire pressure sensors for run-flat tires, or you will destroy them if drive over 50 miles with an unknown flat tire. Nobody ever heard of TPMS until the 1997 Corvette came out with the Goodyear run-flat tire, which is why they had sensors. It was the only way to tell that you even had a flat.


My BMW came with runflats and no sensors.


If its your 2013 BMW it has a TPMS of some sort. Either a sensor that relays actual pressure to the system or it gets rpm of each wheel from the abs sensor and can tell when a tire gets low/flat due to increases revolutions of that wheel.


Yes, it does have the ABS based system, which can only tell if one tire is going down.
 
Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
Originally Posted By: Traction
Many people with OE run-flat tires switch over to regular aftermarket aluminum wheels all the time. But you MUST have tire pressure sensors for run-flat tires, or you will destroy them if drive over 50 miles with an unknown flat tire. Nobody ever heard of TPMS until the 1997 Corvette came out with the Goodyear run-flat tire, which is why they had sensors. It was the only way to tell that you even had a flat.


My BMW came with runflats and no sensors.

Your BMW might have the ABS system, which is great but other cars with that system might not be sensitive enough to pick up the subtle change in the diameter of a flat run-flat. I love the simple ABS system. But, if a car is required to have sensors, they should all be required to be useful, and display pressures. Not just turn on a stupid horseshoe light that most people don't even knows what in means until after their tire is totally destroyed. Just like before sensors were not a law. They should also all be required to be programmed easily, or self learning. All the complicated ones should be RECALLED, or not required. A sensor it totally useless in a blow-out incident. Even the trusty tire pressure gauge won't get you out that one.
 
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The reason I asked the question is because the 2018/2019 BMW X3 comes with run-flat tires. I just wondered if when they wore out if a normal radial could be installed on the run-flat tire rims. Ed
 
Originally Posted By: Eddie
The reason I asked the question is because the 2018/2019 BMW X3 comes with run-flat tires. I just wondered if when they wore out if a normal radial could be installed on the run-flat tire rims. Ed

I wouldn't even wait. Get some nice tires on it now and post the take-offs on eBay.

You'll come out on top.
 
Originally Posted By: Eddie
The reason I asked the question is because the 2018/2019 BMW X3 comes with run-flat tires. I just wondered if when they wore out if a normal radial could be installed on the run-flat tire rims. Ed

Yes, you can install a normal radial tire if you want, which many people do. The wheels are not run-flat specific.
 
Originally Posted By: Traction
Originally Posted By: Eddie
The reason I asked the question is because the 2018/2019 BMW X3 comes with run-flat tires. I just wondered if when they wore out if a normal radial could be installed on the run-flat tire rims. Ed

Yes, you can install a normal radial tire if you want, which many people do. The wheels are not run-flat specific.


Ah …. not exactly.

If the vehicle came OE with RunFlat tires (except for PAX!), the wheels have an "Enhanced Safety Hump" so the tire is more difficult to dislodge.

What that means is that regular tires will fit on the wheels, but may take more force (pressure) to seat.

That also means that regular wheels will accept RunFlat tires - BUT - you don't get the benefit of the tire being difficult to dislodge if it deflates - AND - you need to have a working TPMS because deflated RunFlat tires are difficult to feel.
 
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