[POLYPOD]

Hi I'm considering buying a 1 year old 440i Gran Coupe. I found the suspension a bit harsh on the run flats on the car. Is it OK/Safe to change the tyres to non-run flats? (I know the car doesn't have a spare wheel so I would have to buy the BMW gunk kit in case of a puncture). Presumably the change won't affect the handling? Thanks for your help guys.

[jmg]

The change will IMPROVE handing. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is probably the best high performance street tire right now. Get the repair kit. Note that the M cars are run non-runflats and only have a repair kit in the trunk. Have AAA and drive stress free!

[RGM330i]

I drove Porsches (5 different Caymans) for > 10 years and they all had no spare tire. I had AAA, GEICO, Porsche Roadside.......I never worried about it. I did have 3 different ocassions with flats but the Roadside was excellent. My wife drives an Audi A3 with the sport suspension and Pirelli PZeros and no spare tire. I fully expect you should drive your car with equal confidence and enjoy the handling. When my RFs get worn a bit more, I fully intend to take my own advice and go to Michelins or Pirellis non-RFs.

[Mbbrewer]

Originally Posted by POLYPOD

Hi I'm considering buying a 1 year old 440i Gran Coupe. I found the suspension a bit harsh on the run flats on the car. Is it OK/Safe to change the tyres to non-run flats? (I know the car doesn't have a spare wheel so I would have to buy the BMW gunk kit in case of a puncture). Presumably the change won't affect the handling? Thanks for your help guys.

I changed mine to non run flats around 5,000 miles. Dramatic change to the ride and handling. I went with firestone Indy 500 tires which are tremendous bang for the buck.

[cfm56d7b]

It's difficult if not impossible to make a mistake with Michelin PS4S tires. In cold weather, these tires will lose grip. Any plans for a dedicated winter wheels / tires set?

[jh_f30]

+1 on the Michelin PS4Ss. Had them put on about a month and a half ago, they're pretty amazing. I've run Conti Extreme Contact DWs, Michelin A/S3+, and PZero Nero GTs. The MP4Ss feel better in almost every category: ride, handling, and noise (haven't had rain yet, but they're supposed to be great in the wet as well). They are pretty pricy, but about on par, if not cheaper, than replacement runflats.

Also, the BMW Mobility Kit is pretty overpriced imo. I carry one of these in my trunk:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003RNWOAQ..._UDvyDb4SRG8AB
More or less, the same thing for about 1/3 the price.

Might pick up a tire plug repair kit as well because I've heard sealants can be a PITA, potentially even ruining the tire and/or TPMS sensor. That said, I've been lucky enough to avoid any flats *knock on wood*. Did get a screw in a tire once, but the screw itself plugged the tire enough to not lose any air before I could take it to the shop for a free patch.

[Gen13 F36]

I have UHP summers... indy 500, gmax rs, ventus s1 evo3.... cost nearly half... them mpss. Just saying. You will never reach those limit on the street.

[simonelwell]

Non run flats will improve your ride and handling

[Machinebuilder]

If you are looking to add a bit of comfort I would recommend you consider going to a slightly larger size. I went from 225/45-18 run-flats to 235/45-18 non run flat all seasons and would recommend it. You can look up using 235/45-18. It is a slight change but it helps a bit and looks completely stock.

[MmmmmM2]

I plan on going to non RFT as soon as I burn up the tires my car was bought with.

[Mobster1983]

Every BMW I get I switch to non run-flats as soon as the first set runs wears out. It always makes a huge difference. I normally get Michelin PSS. Recently looked at other types, and the tire shop kind of screwed me over so I ended up with AS/3s. Not really impressed with them unfortunately. Maybe because I came from the PSS, but these feel almost as bad as run flats.

Bottom line, spend a few extra bucks and get a quality, non run-flat tire. It is worth it.

[Solidjake]

Originally Posted by RGM330i

I had AAA, GEICO, Porsche Roadside.......I never worried about it. I did have 3 different ocassions with flats but the Roadside was excellent. My wife drives an Audi A3 with the sport suspension and Pirelli PZeros and no spare tire. I fully expect you should drive your car with equal confidence and enjoy the handling. When my RFs get worn a bit more, I fully intend to take my own advice and go to Michelins or Pirellis non-RFs.

I'm looking to get AAA since I do have regular tires and do a ton of highway driving. I do have the plug kit and a very good compressor in my car but I wanted to know what kind of service they do roadside when you get a flat. Thanks

[Gen13 F36]

Whatever you can aford and drive accordingly.

Crappy cheap tires.... drive slow
Awesome expensive tires... drive fast.

[MmmmmM2]

Originally Posted by Gen13 F36

Whatever you can aford and drive accordingly.

Crappy cheap tires.... drive slow
Awesome expensive tires... drive fast.

So awesome expensive RFT...drive fast? I really hate my RFT's.

[ZZ-mtl]

Originally Posted by POLYPOD

Hi I'm considering buying a 1 year old 440i Gran Coupe. I found the suspension a bit harsh on the run flats on the car. Is it OK/Safe to change the tyres to non-run flats? (I know the car doesn't have a spare wheel so I would have to buy the BMW gunk kit in case of a puncture). Presumably the change won't affect the handling? Thanks for your help guys.

Yes, I had exact same concern and after I made the switch, I only wish I had switched sooner. Go for it!

[Gen13 F36]

Originally Posted by F30ZHP

So awesome expensive RFT...drive fast? I really hate my RFT's.

Go change it.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by F30ZHP

So awesome expensive RFT...drive fast? I really hate my RFT's.

Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer goflats. Phenomenal in dry and in wet! So much better at soaking up rough roads that the runflats seem like they were old wooden wagon wheels! Do it!

You can also take advantage of moving to a different size without spending big money on new sized wheels. My stock runflats were 225/45-18. Kept my stock BMW 400M (18.0" x 8.0") wheels which I like. Got Michelin's in 245/40-18 which is the best handling size. I also could have gone for handling with some extra comfort with 245/45-18. Slightly more sidewall also takes up more wheel/fender gap, making the car appear to have been dropped some.

Best flat option that I found was the Slime "8-minute" compressor kit for about $45 at Walmart. Unlike others, Slime is supposed to wipe right out and not damage TPMS. I carry a full spare on trips to avoid any trip disruption. Found a perfect scissor jack and breaker bar with 17mm socket that all fit in underfloor trunk storage area. See photos for details.

Hope this helps!

[MmmmmM2]

Originally Posted by Gen13 F36

Go change it.

I'm thinking about it.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by cfm56d7b

It's difficult if not impossible to make a mistake with Michelin PS4S tires. In cold weather, these tires will lose grip. Any plans for a dedicated winter wheels / tires set?

Michelin PS4S rubber compound is not designed for under 40 degrees F. I did a lot of research looking for my first set of real winter designed tires with winter rubber compound. My area has moderate snow with about 25" and 20 days of driving in snow per season. If there was more snow, I would have chosen Bridgestone Blizzak WS90. I did choose Michelin X-Ice i3. They are quieter and handle a bit better on cold icy wet roads which is what my average winter driving day is like. Anxious to mount them next week as it's getting too freakin cold! Winter sucks!

[Juice247]

I just put Eagle Exhilarates on my 17 440ix GC. The change from the stock RF Conti SSRs is AMAZING. I live in Chicago and we recently had a few days with snow on the ground. With X-Drive, the tires were grippy enough, but I could definitely still see the benefit of winter tires. As soon as that snow's gone though, even when it's 20 deg (F) they are very stable and predictable. A great common ground. So happy the run-flats are gone!! I went with the Exhilarates specifically because they do a bit better in the cold.

[Coercion Shaman]

Originally Posted by Juice247

I just put Eagle Exhilarates on my 17 440ix GC. The change from the stock RF Conti SSRs is AMAZING. I live in Chicago and we recently had a few days with snow on the ground. With X-Drive, the tires were grippy enough, but I could definitely still see the benefit of winter tires. As soon as that snow's gone though, even when it's 20 deg (F) they are very stable and predictable. A great common ground. So happy the run-flats are gone!! I went with the Exhilarates specifically because they do a bit better in the cold.

I had those on for a few weeks. Excellent in the rain and better ride than the stock Pirelli. They had a howl when letting off the accelerator over 70MPH, though, and there wasn't a lot of noise difference. We do have a high level of aggregate in Georgia roads.

I had to put on a different set for testing because of vibration and odd noise. I have a post on that. We put on a set of the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady. It isn't a performance tire, but I may just keep them. They aren't all that quiet, either, but the ride is phenomenal (at the expense of some performance, yes). I forgot what a tire that isn't a run-flat or performance tire felt like. Maybe I'm getting old enough to buy a Buick...