RvT 9 Report post Posted August 17, 2009 Wife's Allroad needs new feet but has to be Runflats RFT. Size is 225/50/R17. Only 2 choices appear cost effective ... Bridgestone Potenza RE050 RFT $360 each Dunlop SP Sport 01 $381 each Tire Rack US rate the Bridgestone higher in opinions but currently has Dunlops on it. Performance is not critical as she doesn't track the car nor does it go past 110km on open road. Fairly sure the Dunlops are original as the car has 30km on the clock and tyres are due for replacement. Ride and value for money are the decision makers.A lot of tyre dealers are supporting their brand due to "manufactors incentives" so interested in anyones independant thoughts ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
martyyn 2 Report post Posted August 17, 2009 Im not sure how helpful this will be Ron, but I had the 'non' runflat SP Sport 01's on the 740 and although they were quiet and comfortable, the grip compared to the previous Falken FK451's was poor and the rears only lasted a poxy 15k kms. Im pretty sure someone was recommending the RE050's on a thread the other week. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apex 693 Report post Posted August 17, 2009 (edited) The SP Sports are good, I had a set last near 50,000km and I drive enthusiastically, they have a good balance of sportiness and comfort, have since gone on to fit a set to my mum’s E46 and she is really happy with them, much quieter than a full sports type tyre. Those prices seem a bit steep though, we had them for nearly $100 cheaper a corner I would shop around. Buytyresonline.co.nz have a good sale on high quality Pirelli’s Nero’s at the moment, try getting a quote from them, they have just hooked a couple of buddies up with them and they are wrapped. E: Corrected your lousy American spelling (buytyresonline.co.nz) Edited August 17, 2009 by Simon* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Simon* Report post Posted August 17, 2009 +1 for buytyresonline.co.nz they are quick and really reasonable Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apex 693 Report post Posted August 17, 2009 Dude, my spelling is lousier than an Americans!! It was MS words fault! They do have some tasty deals on Pirelli at the moment, I won’t say too much as Im trying to secure two sets myself Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zenetti 0 Report post Posted August 17, 2009 Those prices seem a bit steep though, we had them for nearly $100 cheaper a corner I would shop around. Those prices are actually really cheap if it includes fitting and balancing, gst etc. I can only assume you are comparing normal tyre pricing to the runflats.. Runflats are always a lot more expensive. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apex 693 Report post Posted August 17, 2009 Yes I was sory Zenetti, didn’t read they were run flats, jumped the gun You certainly pay a premium don’t you? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zenetti 0 Report post Posted August 17, 2009 you certainly do, it must be all that extra 'technological stuff' in the tyre It dosn't help that Dunlop have put up all their pricing as well Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DRTDVL 0 Report post Posted August 17, 2009 don't most runflats just have a kevlar insert in the sidewall? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RvT 9 Report post Posted August 18, 2009 Thanks all for the feedback. The car doesn't come with a spare so RFT and a bottle of goo is the best option for us. As I don't get to do "spirited" driving in the wife's car (she is protective over her baby ...), the Dunlops seem a smooth ride. I am tempted to try the Bridgestones only for the sake of change. 30km out of the Dunlops seems a little light in value / km for just shopping basket miles ??? Zenetti, thanks for the validation of price as being "cheap". One question though ... the car was fitted with 225/55/R17 profile ex factory but not available in NZ and only 1 option on Tirerack for that profile. I assume that dropping to a set of 225/50/R17 will be negilible difference to drive ??? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zenetti 0 Report post Posted August 18, 2009 I was actually going to mention that but it did slip my mind. The 225/55 is definitely the way to go, your current tyres are actually 5% smaller than OE so will be racking up the km's quite a bit quicker. Let me check tomorrow and see what is available, cheers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zenetti 0 Report post Posted August 18, 2009 (edited) Ron here is the difference for the tyres that should be on your car compared to what you have on the car Specification Diameter Circumference Revolutions Speedometer Odometer Difference 225/55-432 679mm 2134mm 469/km 100km/h 15000km N/A 225/50-432 657mm 2063mm 485/km 103km/h 15514km -3.3% as you can see it is over 3% difference, so technically you should be failed on your WOF. Personally I think your best option will be to get the correct size tyre and get a couple of cans of mousse. At that least that way you will be able to reinflate the tyre and get to your nearest tyre store. cheers Jono Edited August 18, 2009 by zenetti Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RvT 9 Report post Posted August 19, 2009 (edited) Personally I think your best option will be to get the correct size tyre and get a couple of cans of mousse. At that least that way you will be able to reinflate the tyre and get to your nearest tyre store. cheers Jono Thanks Jono I assume by your comments that we can't buy RFT 225/55/R17 in the marketplace here and I have to have non RFTs ? Had a look at US and the only tyre there is the Bridgestone Turanza EL 42 RFT These tires are hated everywhere due to noise after 15,000km. There seems to be some better options in RFT 235/55/R17 in the US but can't find any in NZ web searches. How do you know if they will fit - can't find any www sites to help me. Edited August 19, 2009 by RvT Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zenetti 0 Report post Posted August 19, 2009 No 235/55/17's available either. It is much closer in size than a 225/50/17 to your OE size. The trouble is NZ is such a small market and most of the major tyre companies only bring in tyres that they know they wil sell plenty of. Just on a side note - I thought that the All-Road had a self inflating spare like Porsche do? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RvT 9 Report post Posted August 20, 2009 Just on a side note - I thought that the All-Road had a self inflating spare like Porsche do? The 2001 - 2004 model has the self inflating spare. The new version with the new front fender doesn't. Looks like I might be importing some again ex US ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zenetti 0 Report post Posted August 20, 2009 Yours would be the first All Road I have come across that uses Run Flat tyres. Was it a factory option? If you decide to go to normal tyres can you order a spare through Audi? Personally I would look at getting a good set of normal tyres with a nice stiff sidewall casing and put a couple of cans of mousse in the boot. Try and find a tyre with the highest load rating you can. With either tyre if you get a puncture, chances are you will have to replace it anyway as the sidewall damage will mean that the tyre is no longer usable. Run Flats especially, can be quite difficult to tell when you do actually have a puncture. The big bonus is of course that normal tyres are substantially cheaper and much more readily available. Have you thought about what will happen if you do stuff a tyre that you have imported yourself? How will you replace it? What about the time it will take to get a tyre from the USA? cheers Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RvT 9 Report post Posted August 20, 2009 Thanks again Jono The Allroad is a Jap import and as they are current model, I am assuming that they are just now starting to look at reshoeing. Ordering a spare thru Audi is possibly an option although they know how to rape you. I am interested in the mousse concept. Have you had positive experiences with the products that you would recommend to others ? Importing is a 8 week leadtime as I found with my M tyres but when no one in NZ stocks your size in PS2s you have little option. I keep an old tyre in the garage for emergencies and was proposing to do the same for the Audi. Given you are in the trade without a bias (hopefully) what brand/model would you recommend for the non RFT in 225/55/R17 ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zenetti 0 Report post Posted August 20, 2009 haha - we are all biased in the trade!! I would look for a tyre with the highest Load Index, as generally speaking the higher the load index the stronger the sidewalls are. For example the Goodyear Eagle F1 in a 225/55/17 has a 101XL load index where as the Bridgestone RE001 has a 97 load index. Another option is to look for an SUV type tyre, obviously not as performance oriented but I would say less likely to get punctures. Something like the Wrangler F1 may be an option for you. There are plenty of good brands in the market and we do not deal with all of them - Yokohama for example. The mousse is a way of allowing you to reinflate the tyre and get to your nearest tyre store, but obviously nothing beats carrying a spare. I would investigate a spare through Audi, over the life of the vehicle you will probably recoup the costs by buying normal tyres. You might be able to find one through a wrecker? As I mentioned earlier your is the first All Road that I have come across with run flats, all others have had a spare and a little compressor. I have just spoken to the guys at Audi up here and the run flats are indeed a factory option. They don't sell then here because of the lack of availability, but they can get a spare for you. I didn't ask for a price tho as I wasn't sitting down cheers Jono Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zenetti 0 Report post Posted August 24, 2009 Ron - I was just trying to keep things as simple as possible for RVT. Not that I am implying that RVT is simple . You are right however casing construction also plays a big part - which I forgot to include. Those Pirellis seem like the biz - I would get them as well!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RvT 9 Report post Posted August 27, 2009 (edited) Cheers Jono and 3 Pedals for the referral to the Pirelli P6s. I might take your advise and look around for a spare wheel from the wreckers or similar and set the wife up with a set of the P6s non RFTs and a spare. Really appreciate you keeping things simple for me and helping me sort out which tire I should get. Now to find a spare rim. The mags are the late model look so may be tricky to find. Saw someone selling the 2004 rim design for $800 on TMe ... edit. Q. What is the difference between the P6 94W and the P6 99H they are showing on Buytyresonline.co.nz (apart from the $150 difference) ? Edited August 27, 2009 by RvT Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zenetti 0 Report post Posted August 27, 2009 The number refers to the load index or how much weight the tyre can carry. Simply put the higher the number the better. The letter after it refers to the speed rating. Simply put again the later the letter in the alphabet the higher the speed rating. Just to confuse you though 'H' is the exception. It is rated to 210km/h. W is rated to 270km/h. The speed rating is based on what the tyre can handle for a constant hour so a 'w' rated tyre can sustain 270km/h for a constant hour before it fails. I would still seriously look at the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3, it is only marginally more expensive than the Pirelli and has a load index of 101 with a W speed rating. cheers jono Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
