
Blowouts are still possible: If a driver fails to heed or notice the run-flat warning and drives beyond the zero-pressure range or above the speed limitation, the tire can begin to disintegrate, with the same destabilizing effects. A side effect of the softer compound is a shorter tread life. Opinions differ on why this is, but one theory is that tiremakers put a soft tread compound on a run-flat tire to counter the hard ride. Power found that people were replacing their run-flat tires an average of 6,000 miles sooner than owners using standard tires. Reduced tread wear: A recent study by J.D. In fact, eliminating the spare and reallocating that space to some other purpose (styling, third-row seat, interior room, etc.) is a big reason why carmakers offer run-flats. No spare: Vehicles equipped with run-flat tires carry no spare, which means they don't have the jack or tools either. But it's not as much as you might expect, since run-flat tires weigh more than regular tires, due to the added sidewall reinforcement. Lower vehicle weight: With the spare and tire repair tools eliminated, vehicle weight should theoretically go down. Steering and handling will remain near normal.
Better stability after a blowout: Because this tire can support the vehicle without air, a sudden deflation results in less weight transfer and tread destabilization. The owner's manual will have exact figures for each tire/vehicle application. Drivers will usually have to reduce speed to about 50 mph to get the maximum range. This means that a person doesn't have to get out of the car in the cold, or the rain, or onto a busy highway or on the street in a sketchy part of town. You can drive on a flat tire: The primary benefit of a run-flat tire is that it allows you to keep driving about 100 miles after all the air has gone.
The tire's sidewalls are heavily reinforced to support the vehicle when the air pressure is low or even when the tire has lost all its pressure. The most common type of run-flat tire in use today is the self-supporting tire.