Runflat Flat

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

Well in case anyone is wondering what the sound of a flat runflat is, I now know. it makes the whole side of the car vibrate. It's not like the thump thump of a regular tire, it's much more extreme then that. It was loud and really rough, I heard it over my loud music even, well probably felt it.

 

I just got my first flat, luckily I was leaving the house and figured it out before I'd gone a block. Of course, I call Craig and tell him the car is making an awful sound.

 

The TPI came on a few days ago, but that happens on and off and it's never meant anything so like an idiot I just push the button, it goes out in a few miles and I forget to check the tire pressure. It never came back on and I drove for several days. After giving this tidbit to Craig he suggests that now would be a good time to check the tire pressure. I had 3 tires at 30 psi and one at 0psi. A HA! He's such a good Best MINI Friend Forever (BMFF)

 

So I limped Tigger home and put air in the tire. So far it's holding. I'm not going to drive him till the morning, see if it's still got air then.

 

The lesson I learned is that sometimes the TPI is right, and every time that thing goes on, check the tire pressure. Hopefully I don't need a new tire, because I've got those Pirelli Snow Sports on and no one has them in stock.

 

Ali

[cmcveay]

Not sure about the 1st gen TPMS system but as I've recently discovered, the 2nd gen TPMS system gives you two different types of lights/warning. When I had a flat last Sunday, I had a red triangle on the speedo instead of the usual yellow when the temps fluctuate.

 

Great point though Ali, the TPMS system is giving a warning that something isn't right and a visual inspection of the tires may not tell the story A tire pressure gauge is an inexpensive tool and it only takes a couple of minutes to check the tire pressure when the system says something is wrong.

[Edge]

Sorry to hear that Ali... yes, it's very important not to ignore your TPMS. Check the pressure of all 4 tires every time it goes off!

 

As for you having a flat, despite some rumors (and dealership policy), most runflat punctures can be patched, just as long as the damage isn't too close to the sidewall. I got a flat tire only a few weeks after I first picked up my MINI (with the stock runflats), so the tires were brand new! The dealership wanted me to replace the whole tire (at a high price). I took the car to the Midas Falls Church (in Merrifield, on the corner of Gallows Road and Gatehouse Rd), had them look at it, and they managed to patch it just fine (without even taking the wheel or tire off the car). Cost me ~$15, and the tire lasted the rest of its natural life.

 

Worth checking out!

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

I figured they could be patched because we noticed a patch in one of Mark's runflats after they changed him out to winter tires. I guess I'll see what they look like in the morning and decide if I need to take them somewhere or if it's holding the air.

 

If they have a leak, they should lose pressure overnight, right?

 

I can probably take it to the gas station near the house if it's just a leak, or maybe Sears can help me. The place that usually handles my tires (one of the only places I could find to do runflats) is on the south side of Springfield, so I don't want to go that far with a leaky tire.

 

Hey Craig - I NOW have an official tire obsession. OY!

[mashadwell]

I am interested in changing from run flats to regular tires. I saw the following picture. Does anyone know where I can get this type of modification done?

 

[cmcveay]

minifini.com They have the one in the picture and a bunch of other racks/mounts that use the base mounting system.

[Edge]

That is the Spare-Link Tire Carrier attachment, made by Mini-Fini. In order to use it (or any of their other attachments), you first have to have the Sport Link installed in your MINI, which is the mounting point for all of their attachments.

 

The Mini-Fini Sport Link and Bicycle Rack attachment were both adopted by MINIUSA as OEM accessories for 1st Gen MINIs, available for purchase, installation and warranty from MINI dealers.

 

I don't believe that MINIUSA continued the relationship for 2nd Gen MINIs, but that's OK because you can still get them directly from Mini-Fini (and also for 2nd Gens). They are extremely solid, well-made pieces. If you want to check out the Bicycle Rack attachment or Tow Link attachment, to see what I'm talking about (or just the Sport Link itself), I'll be happy to show you at one of our meets.

 

Mini-Fini is now owned and run by a father and son team who do excellent work and support the MINI community. They come to MINIs on the Dragon every year and even do installs right on-site at MOTD. I can't recommend them (or their products) highly enough.

[mashadwell]

Thanks alot for the information about minifini. I think the spare tire setup looks great and is much better than trying to carry around a spare inside the car.

[Edge]

 

Thanks alot for the information about minifini. I think the spare tire setup looks great and is much better than trying to carry around a spare inside the car.

Yeah, it's great. And the other nice thing about their products - they are usually designed that you can remove a pin and tilt them away from the boot, so you can still open the boot without actually removing the attachment (or wheel)!

[Scavenger]

The other possibility is to get a roof rack and put the spare up there for a more "rally" look. Aerodynamics and sunroof performance may vary

[JustJAY]

Chad @ Detroittuned.com sells the Cooper spare. I am considering getting one.

[Edge]

 

Chad @ Detroittuned.com sells the Cooper spare. I am considering getting one.

Didn't you get larger rear calipers with your brake upgrade? The Cooper spare might not fit it... unless you already checked that with Chad? :angel: We all know it won't fit your front ones (therefore requiring rotation in the event that a front tire goes flat).

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

Chad @ Detroittuned.com sells the Cooper spare. I am considering getting one.

 

Thanks for posting that Jay, they have a really good price on the spare. I just ordered one.

 

Ali

[maacodale]

Before you spend too much on a spare, I have a spare from a 2005 Chevy Cobalt for both of my MINIs. The four lug Cobalt works fine on the rear, though you wouldn't want to run a space saver spare on the front anyway. I got mine for 45 bucks each at local salvage yards.

[cmcveay]

Where the heck are you going to put that? In the boot of your Cabriot? Oh, Mark has Max now so you can strap it down in the passenger seat!

 

 

Thanks for posting that Jay, they have a really good price on the spare. I just ordered one.

 

Ali

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

I'm not carrying it all the time, just longer trips, club drives. I'll toss it in the backseat like Mike does from HR MINI

[phsrdh]

Before you spend too much on a spare, I have a spare from a 2005 Chevy Cobalt for both of my MINIs. The four lug Cobalt works fine on the rear, though you wouldn't want to run a space saver spare on the front anyway. I got mine for 45 bucks each at local salvage yards.

 

Wouldn't the same hold true for a spare from a previous generation Civic (current 8th generation Civics are 5 lug)? They are also on the 4x100 bolt pattern. The DetroitTuned price is great for a MINI part; but the Civic spares are pretty easy to come by at a reasonable price, like the Cobalt's and could be a viable option. Any input would be appreciated!

[maacodale]

Yep, another HR MINI member picked up a Civic wheel for his. They work equally well.