In detail: do-it-yourself runflat tire repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.
Run Flat tires differ from conventional tubeless tires with a tighter sidewall, which makes it difficult to mount the tire on the rim. The so-called “helper” or “third hand” is used to assemble the wheel.
Our tire service stations offer quality services installation and repair of RunFlat tires.
Run Flat tires differ from conventional tubeless tires with a tighter sidewall, which makes it difficult to mount the tire on the rim.
To assemble the wheel, the so-called "helper" or "third hand" is used - a device that is attached to the tire changer. This device serves to press down the sidewall of the tire, and also protects the disc from damage during work.It should be borne in mind that such devices are included only in professional tire changers, which are not installed in all tire changers because of their cost.
That is why it is worth contacting the professionals, who are the specialists of our station.
Professional tire fitting equipment, especially for tires of Runflat technology, with an automatic mounting system that does not damage the rim and reduces the running time;Professional balancing equipment with Haweka adapters, which allows you to achieve high-precision balancing;
The repair of the tread part of the tire is carried out with Tech materials in compliance with the repair technology, which ensures the reliability and safety of the repaired tire;
Professional dressing of discs guarantees complete elimination of axial and radial runout;
Proper seasonal storage of tire and wheel assemblies will ensure that your tires last as long as possible.
Puncture repair on tires with Run on Flat technology is 400 rubles, plus the necessary work on the removal / installation of the wheel.
RunFlat translates into Russian as “flat ride"Or riding a flat tire.RunFlat technology is based on the principle of reinforced tire sidewalls. When a regular tire is deflated, it will bend under the weight of the car, the beads move away from the rim, and the tire flattens onto the road. When driving, the weight of the car completely destroys the tire within a few hundred meters. The reinforced sidewalls of RunFlat tires keep the tire on the rim and support the weight of the car after a complete loss of pressure. At the same time, all dynamic vehicle safety systems such as ABS, ESP, DSC, CBC, etc. remain active.
Video (click to play). |
The maximum driving distance on a flat tire depends on the tire manufacturer and operating conditions (50-150 km). The maximum vehicle speed is up to 80 km / h.
In order not to destroy the tire due to loss of pressure, pressure sensors are installed inside the wheel, which will notify the driver of a decrease in pressure.
It is dangerous to use RunFlat tires without a pressure monitoring system and stability control system, as it is possible to lose control over the vehicle's trajectory in the event of a loss of pressure in the wheel.
Tire manufacturers use different designations for Run Flat technology:
Goodyear RunOnFlat, Bridgestone RFT, Michelin ZP, Continental SSR, Pirelli Run flat, Dunlop RunOnFlat, Nokian Flat run, Yokohama ZPS). For all RunFlat tires fitted on BMW vehicles, the designation RunFlat System Component... RunFlat tires used on Mercedes-Benz vehicles use the designation MOExtended
Do you need special rims for RunFlat tires?
- All manufacturers of Runflat tires allow them to be fitted on standard rims.
Should you buy tires with Run flat technology assembled on disks or is it possible to carry out assembly and disassembly every season?
- All manufacturers of tires with Run flat technology allow a seasonal tire change without any negative consequences for the tires or rims themselves.
Do you need special tire changers to mount these tires?
- To carry out tire fitting work, a tire changer of the required qualifications and modern equipment equipped with a "third hand" is enough
- In any case, it is possible to repair exclusively the tread part of the tire. The side cuts of RunFlat tires cannot be repaired.
Repair of punctures in the tread part should be carried out using special patches.
Undoubtedly, progress does not stand still, and in each area of production, more and more new developments and devices appear every day. The industry of production of automobile wheels is not lagging behind this progress. More recently, a new system has appeared that allows the car to move even when the wheel is punctured or deflated.
This development is called Run Flat tires, which means running on flat tires. This development helps the car move even after the wheel has been punctured. This development has become popular and all manufacturers use it for their products. One feature of each manufacturer is the designation of the Run Flat system.
In fact, Run Flat technology means the lateral support of the tire. This is due to the thicker rubber in this place. During a puncture, Run Flat is able to hold the car in the same position as before the tire puncture. It should be noted that all stabilization and stability systems remain operational and continue to help the driver keep the car on the road.
Increasingly, drivers are asking how long a car with a punctured wheel can travel using Run Flat technology. The declared figures are eighty kilometers at a speed of eighty kilometers per hour. In practice, these indicators increase significantly. Some drivers can drive like this for several days.
The main difference between RunFlat tires and others is that more rubber is used for the manufacture of tires, and specifically for the lateral sides of the rubber. The second difference between Run Flat tires is that the driver can drive even more distance with a punctured wheel without replacing it.
In order for the Run Flat technology to work properly, and the driver can monitor the actual condition of the tires of his car, some sensors must be installed on it. The main thing that should be is a tire pressure sensor. During a puncture of the wheel, the sensor will show that the pressure in the wheel has dropped, and the car is now driving using the Run Flat technology. The presence of this system is necessary so that the driver knows when he punctured him, and from what moment he rides on RunFlat. The second system that must be installed for RunFlat to function properly is the Vehicle Stability System.
In addition, drivers are left with the question of whether RunFlat can be installed on regular discs and used all year round. A response has been received from manufacturers that they are taking this fact into account when developing tires. Therefore, drivers have the opportunity to ride RunFlat tires all year round without worrying about having to change a punctured wheel right away.
Despite all these advantages, ranflat tires can be installed by an ordinary tire fitter with conventional equipment. In addition, the safe types of RunFlat tires can be repaired, but there are limitations. Only the tread part of the tire is repaired.
These tires can be installed both in a specialized car service, and in those in which the owner has purchased tires of this technology and sells to his customers. It should be noted that RunFlat is not a brand, but just a development that many well-known wheel manufacturers use in their production.
As stated above, these tires can be repaired.In fact, if after a strong puncture on the tire we drove a dozen kilometers, then it is better to replace it with a new one, this is the decision we recommend to take. As you know, they are more expensive than ordinary tires, so it is not always possible to replace damaged wheels with new ones. In this case, you should resort to repair. In fact, the process of repairing these tires is no different from repairing conventional tubeless tires.
Unfortunately, all developments are imperfect and have their own advantages and disadvantages, this also applies to RunFlat.
Usually the price of RunFlat tires is 15-25% higher than regular tires.
- The second disadvantage is that the car is stiffer on these tires than on conventional tires due to the hard sidewalls.
The advantages of RunFlat have been listed above, but there are a few more, which we will talk about briefly.
- First, safety is created during a puncture of the wheel.
- Secondly, it is a long distance reserve without a spare wheel.
- Third, improved governance is being created.
All people know that progress does not stand still, and everything is constantly evolving. New phones and computers are coming out every day, progress has not spared the automotive sector. This time, new wheels have been developed that are able to hold the car even after a puncture. This technology is called RunFlat, which means running on flat tires.
The essence of the invention is that after the wheel is punctured, it does not deflate like a normal tire, but remains at the same level as with air. Like all car systems and recent inventions, this technology is imperfect and has a number of advantages and disadvantages.
RunFlat tires have been on sale for a long time. In the event of a puncture or damage, these tires allow you to get to the nearest (or not so) tire workshop, and not have to replace the damaged wheel with a spare wheel somewhere on the road. RunFlat is translated into Russian as “riding on a flat tire”. Tire manufacturers use different designations for Run Flat technology (example: Goodyear RunOnFlat, Bridgestone RFT, Michelin ZP, Continental SSR, Nokian Flat Run, Dunlop ROF, Pirelli Run Flat, Yokohama ZPS).
Run Flat technology is based on the concept of reinforced tire sidewalls. When a regular tire is deflated, it simply sags under the weight of the car, the beads move away from the rim and the sidewalls flatten onto the road. The weight completely destroys the tire within a few kilometers. The reinforced sidewalls of the Ranflat tires keep the tire on the rim and successfully support the weight of the car after a puncture and a complete loss of pressure.
The advantages of RunFlat tires are obvious:
1) Safety - when punctured at high speed, the wheel will not explode and the car will not lose contact with the road (many have probably heard unpleasant stories about how the wheels exploded at a speed of 180 km / h while driving on the highway).
2) Saving space in the car: most cars for which the manufacturer recommended RunFlat tires are not equipped with a spare wheel.
3) Convenience - during a puncture, you do not have to stand on the road, raise the car with a jack and install a spare wheel, you just need to drive to the tire service.
All RLD centers are equipped with modern German Hoffman equipment, which makes it easy to install Runflat tires.
At first glance, everything is great: RunFlat tires allow you to continue driving even if the tire is severely damaged. True, not too far (no more than 80 km) and not too fast (no more than 80 km / h). You don't have to think about a spare tire or problems with changing a wheel. It is enough to get to the nearest tire service.
But don't think that RunFlat tires are perfect. They also have disadvantages.
The main disadvantage is their high cost, as a rule, tires with a reinforced sidewall are 1.5-2 times more expensive than conventional tires. The second disadvantage of Runflat tires is that they are not meant for every car. The manufacturer equips the vehicle with RunFlat tires even on the conveyor belt, that is, the suspension of such a machine is designed to use such tires.It is difficult to predict what consequences the shock absorbers of a conventional car will have from constant driving on tires with reinforced sidewalls. In addition, it is not always possible to find a tire fitting within a radius of 80 km on some remote highway.
RunFlat technology, based on the reinforcement of the tire sidewalls, requires the use of special tire changers for mounting and dismounting the tire on the rim. Not every workshop has such equipment. True, if you do not spare the disk, such tires can be mounted using a conventional machine, but only if the tire changer is smart.
Another nuance of RunFlat tires: this is that often you can only learn about a puncture by chance, the behavior of most of these tires in normal and punctured states is practically the same. This means that you can only learn about the breakdown of one or two wheels "de facto". Therefore, a prerequisite for the use of RunFlat tires is to equip the vehicle with a tire pressure monitoring system. Otherwise, such tires may not improve safety, but rather harm. For this reason, runFlat tires should not be used on vehicles that were not originally equipped with them. The opposite rule also applies: the installation on cars designed for the use of RunFlat tires, ordinary tires, even of the same make and model, leads to a sharp deterioration in stability and handling. The obvious reason for this is the difference in stiffness between RunFlat and regular tires, which results in different cornering behavior.
Among other things, in the RLD centers it is possible to repair Run Flat tires, associated with the elimination of their lateral damage. Details on tire repair can be found in the "Tire Repair" section.
What are Run Flat Tires? Translated, this means “riding on a flat tire”.
Run Flat tires differ from conventional tires in that their sidewalls are significantly reinforced, and they allow them to support the weight of the car even when flat.
In the picture below, you can see how this ability is ensured on a Run Flat tire.
In this case, the car on which the run flat tire is installed must be equipped with a tire pressure sensor and ESP.
However, Run Flat tires allow you to drive after a puncture a distance of no more than 50 km with a heavy load and no more than 150 km with a light load at a speed of no more than 80 km / h to the nearest tire changer, in which tire changers must be equipped with a special device - “third hand ”, For example, such as Technoscooter SL https://my.housecope.com/wp-content/uploads/ext/3554/products_a. dovanie / 12687 /
or Technoroller XL https://my.housecope.com/wp-content/uploads/ext/3554/products_a. dovanie / 12688 /,
as well as a special Helper arm for mounting extra stiff tires, since Run Flat tires are stiffer than regular tires https://my.housecope.com/wp-content/uploads/ext/3554/products_a. dovanie / 12689 /.
These Technorollers are installed on the tire changers of the Italian company Sicam.
Now Sicam has developed new versatile NG Technorollers for mounting and dismounting Run Flat tires.
The maintainability of a Run Flat tire is influenced by the speed, distance and how much the vehicle maneuvers when the tire is flat. Traveling a long distance on a run flat tire can damage the carcass seal.
Checking the tire for maintainability is carried out after dismantling the tire from the rim.
The tire should be mounted on a bead expander with good lighting.
It is necessary to carefully check the integrity of the tire beads, its sidewalls from the inside and outside, as well as the tread area.
The photo below shows the damage to the gas-tight rubber liner located on the inner surface of the Run Flat's carcass. In this case, the Run Flat is not repairable.
Also, a Run Flat cannot be repaired under any of the following conditions:
Discoloration, separation, puckering, wrinkling of the inner liner of the tire;
The formation of swelling on the side surface of the tire;
The depth of the tread grooves is less than 1.5 mm;
A naked cord is visible;
Tire bead kinked or torn;
There are cuts or punctures in the sidewall of the tire;
The dimensions of the cuts or punctures in the tread are outside the maintainability range.
Once you are satisfied that the Run Flat is repairable, it can be repaired with Tech International's Uni-Seal Fungus https://my.housecope.com/wp-content/uploads/ext/3554/products_and_prices/gribki/
If the puncture angle is greater than 25 ° from the perpendicular to the tire, a combined repair method is applied using the Uni Seal foot and Centech patch.
https://my.housecope.com/wp-content/uploads/ext/3554/products_and_prices/zaplaty/
Punctures in Run Flat tires may only be repaired within the tread area and must not exceed 6mm in diameter. The TESN company does not limit the number of repairs of small punctures up to 6 mm in the tread area. The main thing is that these punctures do not damage the same cord thread and patches or fungi do not overlap.
Some manufacturers of Run Flat tires set a minimum tire pressure at which the tire can be re-inflated without removing it from the rim for inspection. Review your Run Flat manufacturer's warranty and tire repair policy for that particular manufacturer.
TECN's recommendations for the repair of Run Flat tires do not override the recommendations of the manufacturers of new Run Flat tires. They are based on tests carried out at the TECN factory and in an independent laboratory. TECN is constantly researching and testing new Run Flat tires that appear on the market.
As soon as vehicles with pneumatic tires appeared, along with a number of other problems, the problem of tire repair appeared, which still persists.
All motorists and professional drivers almost always face troubles - punctures, cuts in tires. Unfortunately, on Russian roads, for which there is almost no normal maintenance, this is completely obvious and natural, and no one is immune from the fact that stones, nails, glass fragments, etc. fall under the wheels, and what is especially unpleasant when they are damaged brand new tires.
Tire damage can be different, and depending on this, you can change the wheel yourself by gluing a hole in the tube or putting a patch on the side wall of the tire, or you can try to get to the nearest car service and make a qualified repair or replacement of tires there.
One way or another, but the repair of local damage to tires, carried out by a motorist or special workshops and technical service enterprises, allows a significant number of tires to be returned to operation (up to 70% of damaged ones). Repair costs depend on the amount of damage and amount to 5-10% of the cost of a new tire.
Recently, there have been significant changes in the composition of the car park due to an increase in the number of imported vehicles and, accordingly, tires, the speed and load on tires have increased, their consumer properties have changed, many new materials have been introduced, both for the manufacture of new tires and for them. repair and restoration.
That is why there is a widespread search for how to do without repairs and spare tires and wheels.
It is known, for example, that on a number of car models, the developers did not find a place for a spare wheel, or maybe they just decided to do without it, providing for a repair kit for tires with a small compressor that pumps a special sealant into the tire that seals punctures up to several millimeters in diameter ...
There is no need to change the wheel, but this system will become ineffective in case of more serious damage. Compositions have been invented that are pumped into the tire through the valve spool. Such compounds, contained in a can under pressure, spread over the inner surface of the tire as it rolls, "covering up" the emerging punctures. There are other suggestions - small punctures are covered with a polymer inside the tire.Finally, the legalized "stowaway" - a special wheel, appeared for the sake of reducing weight and space in the trunk.
However, at the moment, there is practically no alternative to spare wheels, except for the RUN-on-FLAT tires, which are equipped with standard or "optional" models such as the 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th series and Z4 BMW, SNEVROLET Corvette; FERRARI 612 Scaglietti; LEXUS SC 430; MERSEDES-BENZ A-class, SLK, CLK, CLS, CL; all MINIs etc.
RUN-on-FLAT tires, in principle, have the following structural difference from conventional tires: they have significantly reinforced sidewalls due to hard rubber. Due to this, when a tire is punctured and the tire pressure drops down to full, the tire, taking on the corresponding part of the car's mass, retains the ability to continue driving at a speed of up to 80 km / h in the range from 80 to 250 km. This is the essence of the so-called "puncture-free" tires.
However, the use of such tires presupposes that the vehicle must be equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system: a sensor is installed on the rim inside the tire (Fig. 2), from which information about the pressure is displayed on the vehicle's instrument panel.
Without such a monitoring system, the driver cannot find out about the drop in tire pressure in the event of a puncture or other damage to the tire, since practically nothing changes significantly when the car is moving.
As a rule, cars with high engine power, sports cars are equipped with RUN-on-FLAT tires. In this case, the tires have a series ranging from 50 and below, for example, 215 / 45R17 87 V ContinentalSportContact 2 SSR.
Such cars, getting into the road conditions of Russia, are inevitably doomed to damage the tires that are unique for today and very expensive. After all, we know what kind of roads we have ...
And then the question arises - what to do? Whether to repair such tires or not. If not, then throw it away? Where can I get a replacement? There is no spare wheel in the car ...
Practice shows: among the tire shops there are those who undertake the repair of RUN-on-FLAT tires, as they say, at their own peril and risk.
The fact is that there is still no consensus among tire manufacturers whether to repair or not. Continental and Pirelli answer this question unequivocally: RUN-ON-FLAT tires cannot be repaired!
Others are more cautious about this issue. Repairing small punctures in the treadmill or shoulder area of the tread will not be difficult, just like with conventional tires: fungus or flagellum. The main thing is that the punctures are no closer than 40 mm to the side zone. This is especially true for damage to the side walls of the tire with a violation of the integrity of the cords of the carcass. In this case, the tire cannot be repaired under any circumstances.
And further. Repair of RUN-on-FLAT tires must be carried out by qualified and certified personnel.
About responsibility. Anyone who repairs Continental RUN-on-FLAT tires also takes on additional responsibility. This company in Russia has not granted a license to anyone to repair its tires.
What are Run Flat Tires? Translated, this means “riding on a flat tire”.
Run Flat tires differ from conventional tires in that their sidewalls are significantly reinforced, and they allow them to support the weight of the car even when flat.
In the picture below, you can see how this ability is ensured on a Run Flat tire.
In this case, the car on which the run flat tire is installed must be equipped with a tire pressure sensor and ESP.
However, Run Flat tires allow you to drive after a puncture a distance of no more than 50 km with a heavy load and no more than 150 km with a light load at a speed of no more than 80 km / h to the nearest tire changer, in which tire changers must be equipped with a special device - “third hand ”, For example, such as Technoscooter SL https://my.housecope.com/wp-content/uploads/ext/3554/products_a. dovanie / 12687 /
or Technoroller XL https://my.housecope.com/wp-content/uploads/ext/3554/products_a. dovanie / 12688 /,
as well as a special Helper arm for mounting extra stiff tires, since Run Flat tires are stiffer than regular tires https://my.housecope.com/wp-content/uploads/ext/3554/products_a. dovanie / 12689 /.
These Technorollers are installed on the tire changers of the Italian company Sicam.
Now Sicam has developed new versatile NG Technorollers for mounting and dismounting Run Flat tires.
The maintainability of a Run Flat tire is influenced by the speed, distance and how much the vehicle maneuvers when the tire is flat. Traveling a long distance on a run flat tire can damage the carcass seal.
Checking the tire for maintainability is carried out after dismantling the tire from the rim.
The tire should be mounted on a bead expander with good lighting.
It is necessary to carefully check the integrity of the tire beads, its sidewalls from the inside and outside, as well as the tread area.
The photo below shows the damage to the gas-tight rubber liner located on the inner surface of the Run Flat's carcass. In this case, the Run Flat is not repairable.
Also, a Run Flat cannot be repaired under any of the following conditions:
Discoloration, separation, puckering, wrinkling of the inner liner of the tire;
The formation of swelling on the side surface of the tire;
The depth of the tread grooves is less than 1.5 mm;
A naked cord is visible;
Tire bead kinked or torn;
There are cuts or punctures in the sidewall of the tire;
The dimensions of the cuts or punctures in the tread are outside the maintainability range.
Once you are satisfied that the Run Flat is repairable, it can be repaired with Tech International's Uni-Seal Fungus https://my.housecope.com/wp-content/uploads/ext/3554/products_and_prices/gribki/
If the puncture angle is greater than 25 ° from the perpendicular to the tire, a combined repair method is applied using the Uni Seal foot and Centech patch.
https://my.housecope.com/wp-content/uploads/ext/3554/products_and_prices/zaplaty/
Punctures in Run Flat tires may only be repaired within the tread area and must not exceed 6mm in diameter. The TESN company does not limit the number of repairs of small punctures up to 6 mm in the tread area. The main thing is that these punctures do not damage the same cord thread and patches or fungi do not overlap.
Some manufacturers of Run Flat tires set a minimum tire pressure at which the tire can be re-inflated without removing it from the rim for inspection. Review your Run Flat manufacturer's warranty and tire repair policy for that particular manufacturer.
TECN's recommendations for the repair of Run Flat tires do not override the recommendations of the manufacturers of new Run Flat tires. They are based on tests carried out at the TECN factory and in an independent laboratory. TECN is constantly researching and testing new Run Flat tires that appear on the market.
To drive several tens of kilometers on a flat tire and without damaging it is not an invented, but a real achievement of technology referred to as RunFlat. Let's talk about the pros and cons of such tires, as well as the principle of operation and device.
The very name RunFlat translates as running on flat tires or flat riding. Many manufacturers have a range of tires with this technology in their arsenal. But the price, of course, will not be small. Like any technology, it has its pros and cons; for some conditions it is ideal, but for others it does not work at all, despite the fact that the technology has declared itself quite positively.
Still, how the RunFlat technology works, which allows you to get to the nearest service station even with a punctured wheel or even wheels. Thanks to this breakthrough, some drivers simply removed the spare wheel from the trunk.
The main differences between tires with RunFlat technology and conventional tires are the presence of special reinforcements or inserts in the side parts of the tire, a modified carcass and a different shape of the bead, as well as a heat-resistant mixture of the base rubber. For the most part, RunFlat tires are low-profile and are used mainly on sports cars.
And so, how does such a tire with RunFlat work. As a rule, a regular tire has a court in its composition, the lower part of the tire is thicker with a reinforced rubber layer. The sides are weaker and, as a rule, a simple side for landing on discs. In the runflat tires, the side part is different, so maybe the whole interior.
The manufacturer reinforces the side parts of the tires with inserts, but some manufacturers can reinforce them with the crescent. Such a crescent moon reinforces not only the side, but also the lower part of the tire.Each manufacturer of such tires keeps the manufacturing technology and material secret and often do not specify the details anywhere. But still they say that such reinforced inserts are made of durable polyurethane.
Any driver knows that having punctured a tire, the car will almost immediately start tossing along the road and pulling in one direction. Then you should not delay and in the very next few minutes it will stop and replace the damaged tire with a spare one. If your car is equipped with tires with RunFlat technology, then a prerequisite is the presence of a vehicle stabilization system and a standard tire pressure monitoring system.
It is these two systems that will monitor the integrity of such car tires, otherwise it is very difficult to understand if there is a breakdown or not. The stabilization system will also help to drive the car, since for bad roads such tires are quite rough and the unevenness of the road is well transmitted to the steering.
The tire pressure monitoring system will show how big the puncture is and which of the tires was damaged. It is enough for the driver to drive into an equipped service station and repair the RunFlat car tire. If there are no such systems on the car, then there is a high probability of getting into an accident. The driver simply will not see a puncture in the tire, thereby not slowing down, and can enter a turn at high speed. As a result, it will lose control and fly off the road.
On the other hand, the moment is alarming, not all service stations, especially outside the cities of millionaires, can restore a punctured RunFlat tire. Therefore, with a planned train for long distances, experienced drivers are advised to take a spare tire. Although, with standard equipment of a premium car, usually a spare wheel is simply not provided. Turning to artisanal tire changers, they will refuse you or simply ruin your tires.
Like any technology, RunFlat tires have their pros and cons. On the plus side, a fairly large resource of use in different conditions can be noted. Having received a breakdown, you can drive more than a dozen kilometers and not worry about disk damage at all. But the pluses were not so many in comparison with the minuses. Although there are not many negative indicators, they are quite serious.
If we talk about repairs, then first of all it is a question of whether it is possible to seal the breakdown. The answer is unambiguous, it is possible, but the manufacturer does not guarantee that with a new breakdown, travel the same distance. Repairs can be as common as for tubeless tires. But if the damage is on the side or deep on the tread, then it cannot be repaired.
Experienced drivers with the disadvantages of these RunFlat tires add unreliability, poor handling and excessive stiffness. The latter is strongly felt with poor suspension or weak shock absorbers. Bumps and bumps in the road surface will be strongly transmitted to the steering wheel and a few kilometers will seem like a hundred to you. Usually this is a low-profile rubber and if you get into a deep hole in the roads of Russia, you can easily damage the disc. Some tires marked V / W / Y are not recommended at all to be repaired, since otherwise they are disposable or at most for one repair.
The shaking in the cabin will be intense, and on an uneven primer it will completely shake out and throw it on the seat. Grip will be poor, as will steering response to turns, and when entering a corner, you need to be careful at all, as the tire will simply crawl out of the side of the disc. As a result, the manufacturer of such rubber with RunFlat technology advises to shoe it on a car with a suspension prepared for this, adapted for bad roads. Without exception, the RunFlat tires are quite loud, although some may like that sound.
Video of how RunFlat tires work:
Nowadays, it is rare to find a car on the road that is not equipped with a spare wheel and a set of tools for self-replacement of a suddenly flat tire.Unfortunately, wheel breakdown on our roads is not such a rare phenomenon, so the desire of the driver to acquire a spare tire is quite understandable - it is impossible to drive on a flat tire.
Replacing a wheel, of course, is not the most time-consuming operation, but it takes a certain amount of time, and if the weather is dirty and damp, you will not be able to stay "clean". Hence, the desire of car owners to install such tires is understandable so that after a puncture it is possible to continue driving. Developments in this direction have been going on for a long time, and of many of them, for example, self-sealing and support tires, the runflat technology is of the greatest interest.
Unlike other developments, such tires do not require special equipment for mounting rubber on disks, and in the event of a breakdown, they will allow the car owner to drive about hundreds of kilometers - for most of this distance is quite enough. To be able to continue driving after a puncture, runflat rubber must not only bear the weight of the vehicle, but also carry all static and dynamic loads. For this, the side walls are made very thick, often multi-layered, which improves the performance of the product.
Standard tires fitted to a vehicle are unable to support the weight of the vehicle in the absence of air pressure. Further movement on such a wheel is impossible, since even a hundred meters of road will make it impossible to repair a punctured tire, and most likely will seriously damage the wheel. Run flat technology is to reinforce the sidewall of the tire to support the vehicle's weight even when the tire pressure is zero.
The runflat rubber includes carcass reinforcements and a thicker, thicker side ring that is more flexible. In addition, the composition from the rubber itself is distinguished by heat resistance. All this makes it possible to continue driving the car after a puncture and loss of pressure in the wheel. It is important that the thick sidewalls of such rubber, not allowing it to fly off the disk, and all active safety systems on the car, remain fully functional.
Despite the fact that the run flat technology is generally the same for all manufacturers, each of them uses their own tricks, so tires can differ in the amount of mileage after puncture. It can range from 50 to 150 km. Of course, the total mileage strongly depends on the vehicle load - if the driver drives alone, it increases, while the presence of passengers or cargo reduces the allowable distance. Accordingly, in order to get the maximum benefit from such rubber, you need to carefully study its characteristics before starting to use it. This technology is described in sufficient detail in the video:
It should start with the fact that such rubber is mounted on the most common modern tire fitting equipment that all car services are equipped with. Therefore, the process of replacing standard tires with runflat tires is not a problem. Since such rubber is produced with disks of various diameters, it will be necessary to take this point into account when purchasing it. It is worth knowing that each manufacturer produces it under its own label, which does not necessarily have the runflat abbreviation.
Quite often, motorists ask themselves the question - what are runflat safe tires, and whether they can be used on ordinary cars. It should be noted right away that there are some restrictions here. Since both summer and winter runflat tires, in the absence of constant air pressure in them, have certain restrictions on the speed and duration of movement, and the moment of puncture can simply remain unnoticed by the driver, it is imperative to provide for a tire pressure monitoring system, with the output of current information in vehicle interior.
In addition, a number of runflat tire manufacturers stipulate the need for vehicle stability control. If the pressure control system can be installed independently, which does not require serious material investments, then with EPS everything is much more complicated. Many drivers, having learned about such requirements, decide to abandon the installation of such rubber. And such a step is much more justified than ignoring these requirements, since maneuvering on a flat tire, even if performed using this technology, at high speed can end very sadly.
Despite some restrictions in terms of the presence of mandatory safety systems in the car, such rubber has obvious advantages:
- Unconditional convenience. A puncture or cut is not scary, and even with a side cut, movement on the car will be possible. The main thing is to observe the speed limit recommended by the manufacturer.
- Serious reinforcement of the sides allows the driver to be sure that when a wheel is punctured at high speed, the rubber will not fly off the disc, while continuing to confidently keep the car on the road. In this case, the pressure sensor signal will promptly inform about the need to reduce the speed.
- Strengthening allows you not to fear damage associated with hitting curbs, in addition, side bumps are never formed on such rubber.
- Installation of rubber is possible on absolutely any type of discs - both on standard stamping and on expensive light-alloy models.
- The need to constantly carry a spare wheel and the necessary tools for its replacement, including a jack, the mass of which can be quite decent, is completely eliminated. This will free up considerable space in the trunk of your car.
The most significant disadvantage of run flat tires for most car owners is their relatively high cost. Standard tires made without the use of runflat technology in tires can cost almost half the price. In addition, it should be noted and such points as:
- the impossibility of self-installation - if many can put simple rubber with their own hands, with reinforced tires this option is completely excluded;
- installing a tire pressure monitoring system can also be not so cheap - it all depends on the specific technologies on which the system will be based;
- the impossibility of combining two types of rubber: either safe tires are placed on all 4 wheels, or none - other options are categorically excluded;
- Many runflat tires cannot be repaired, especially if the damage is on the sidewalls.
Having decided to install safe tires, every car owner should be prepared for the fact that he will have to more meticulously plot the route of movement. The fact is that runflat tires, due to their increased rigidity, can seriously worsen the comfort of movement on roads with poor-quality surfaces. And driving on dirt roads will turn into a difficult test. All this can significantly affect the condition of the chassis of the car, and in some cases, to its unforeseen repair.
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Based on the foregoing, it is rather difficult to say unequivocally which is better - standard tires or runflat tires. Each car owner makes a choice based on their own ideas about comfort and safety. However, it should be noted that an increasing number of premium car manufacturers prefer safe tires.