What Are Run Flat Tires, and How Do They Work?
When you’re driving and you receive a puncture, your immediate thought is to pull over and assess the damage. On a regular tire, it might mean stopping to make a change to the spare, or if you don’t have one, a call to a roadside assistance service.
But what if there was another option? Run-flat tires do just as they sound; keep running for longer to keep you moving toward the next service station or safe place to stop. They sound good and like every car should come equipped with them, but how do run-flat tires work?
What Are Run-Flat Tires?
The tires on your car are filled with pressurized air. The high pressure enables the tires on your car to support the weight of your vehicle. That said, this pressurized air supporting your car is only protected by a thick layer of rubber that can be pierced. Once pierced, the tires on your car give up instantaneously, releasing all the air they hold into the atmosphere—destabilizing your car.
Therefore, having a flat tire at high velocities can be devastating. Run-flat tires try to solve this problem; here is how.
As the name suggests, run-flat tires are special tires that can run even when punctured. To perform this task, run-flat tires have a reinforced structure that helps support the car when the tire deflates.
In addition to using reinforcements, some run-flat tires also have sealants inside. These sealants prevent the air from escaping when pierced by creating a protective layer inside the tire.
Types of Run-Flat Tires
As explained earlier, run-flat tires have different supporting structures to support your car. When it comes to categories, run-flat tires can be broken down into three major classifications.
Given below is a brief explanation of how these technologies work.
In addition to these reinforcements, most run-flat tires have cooling fins to keep the tires cool when driving in deflated conditions.
Now that we know about the different types of run-flat tires, we can look at the distance you can travel on a run-flat tire once it punctures.
What Distances and Speeds Can You Travel With a Run-Flat Tire?
Although a run-flat tire comes with a reinforced structure, it cannot support your vehicle forever once the air inside them is lost. When it comes to distance, most run-flat tires can cover 50 miles once deflated. In terms of speed, users can drive up to a maximum speed of 50 miles per hour (80 kph) once the tire is punctured.
A run-flat tire’s distance and speed vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Therefore, it’s important to check the specification from the same.
In addition, it’s important to note that to have run-flat tires on your car, your tires need to have a tire pressure monitoring system. Without the same, you would not know that the tires on your vehicle have lost pressure and need to be changed.
Can You Repair a Run-Flat Tire?
A run-flat tire enables you to travel extra distance once it is punctured, but can you patch it up like a traditional tire?
Well, the answer to the question depends on how much damage your run flat has taken. As explained earlier, run-flat tires come with a reinforced side wall. If this sidewall is damaged beyond repair, the run-flat cannot be brought back to life using simple patchwork.
That said, if you have a run flat that uses the support ring system, patching the tire is much easier as it uses a supporting structure that can be removed from the tire and fixed independently.
The Pros and Cons of Using a Run-Flat
Although car services are easy to find, a run-flat tire protects you from the pangs of changing a tire in traffic, but is it worth buying a run-flat tire?
Let’s compare traditional tires to run flats and see if they are worth it.
Comparison metric
Run flat tire
Traditional tire
As run-flat tires come with reinforcements, they are costlier when compared to conventional tires.
When compared to a run-flat, a traditional tire is 25 percent cheaper.
Due to the reinforced sidewalls, the ride quality and comfort offered by a run-flat is lower as more vibration noise can travel to the cabin.
Traditional tires offer better ride quality, and less harsh sounds permeate the cabin while driving using traditional tires.
Convenience
Run flats bring a lot of convenience to the table as you don’t need to replace a run-flat tire instantaneously.
In case of a puncture, conventional tires need to be replaced with a spare or patched to drive further.
Run flats provide users with additional boot space as there is no need for storing spaces, allowing you tostore extra accessories in your car.
Boot space is reduced as spare tires need to be stored.
Run flats offer a lot of safety to the driver as they don’t blow out on getting punctured.
Conventional tires can blow out in cases of extreme punctures destabilizing your car.
Run flats are heavier due to their reinforced design.
Conventional tires are lighter.
Should You Buy Run-Flat Tires?
A run-flat tire enables you to drive the extra mile, allowing you to reach a safe destination to get your tires fixed. However, this safety comes at a price of both cost and comfort.
So, if you dread flat tires and hate the inconveniences of changing a flat tire, run-flats are the best bet to solve all your worries.
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