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My C43 with about 11k miles already has very worn front tires. The back seem to be fine. I'm thinking of going with the Michelin PSS's for a replacement set, but still a little hesitant to go to non run flats since there is no spare. I was going to get a slime kit for emergencies however.
i hate the run flats because they are loud, harsh and have worn out way too fast. Are there any other runflats worth a crap? Or should I just go with the Michelin and not worry about the lack of a spare. I had the Michelins on my old C350 and was happy with them
You are going to get loads of different answers here, but I think it very truly depends on your driving style. I have been riding with Continental Pro Contact (I think its GX), and ironically just recently checked my tires. I have well over 4/32" tread with 8000 miles. I anticipate these will go another 8000 if not more (I'm thinking 20,000). I will be giving them a shot in the snow and see how the hold up too. They are on the expensive end, but if they go 2 years then I am satisfied. Also, I split my driving style between comfort and sport, sport+ on the weekends. If you want to cook your tires you will, if not you wont. Good luck!
Porsche 981S Ferrari 328GTS MB AMG C43 Lunar Blue Sedan
I'm not going to bother to replace ours with run flats. From some photos and stories I've seen, with low profile run flat tires you can still have a blow out that makes the car undriveable or its driveable if you don't care about ruining your rims. If I get a flat I'll just call for roadside assistance and have the car flatbedded to a dealer or tire shop. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Porsche 981S Ferrari 328GTS MB AMG C43 Lunar Blue Sedan
Originally Posted by uzona
I have a coupe coming and went with the 18" all weather tires cause heard they were much more comfortable and forgiving on rough pavement.
Anyone else have these and what is your experience with them?
Yes, we chose the 18s with all seasons for the same reason. I think they are a little better in terms of comfort over rough roads than the 19s. Also, at least on one C43 owners group on FB, it seems like I've seen more cars with 19's than 18s, hitting potholes and getting blow outs with their run flats (although it could simply be bad luck for folks with 19s in that group). Anyway, I think there will be a very noticeable improvement with our 18s when going from run flats to non-runflats.
Yes, we chose the 18s with all seasons for the same reason. I think they are a little better in terms of comfort over rough roads than the 19s. Also, at least on one C43 owners group on FB, it seems like I've seen more cars with 19's than 18s, hitting potholes and getting blow outs with their run flats (although it could simply be bad luck for folks with 19s in that group). Anyway, I think there will be a very noticeable improvement with our 18s when going from run flats to non-runflats.
Is there any kit or reasonable way to get a temp spare in the trunk of coupe C43 if decide to swap out for non-runflats?
Porsche 981S Ferrari 328GTS MB AMG C43 Lunar Blue Sedan
Originally Posted by uzona
Is there any kit or reasonable way to get a temp spare in the trunk of coupe C43 if decide to swap out for non-runflats?
I don't know. I've never looked into that. However, having runflats isn't a guarantee the car will still be driveable. I know someone that had a blow out with runflats, they tried to make it to their home about six miles away and the rim was ruined by driving on it due to the damage the runflat had sustained. It would have been better to call AAA for roadside assistance and have the car transported on a flatbed. Good luck with whatever you decide.
... or "on the way _from_ Grandma's house." ;-)
[see the video attached below]
Run-flat tires are essentially non-repairable (and more expensive, often horrible riding, noisy, have a shorter life, etc.). Had I kept the factory-installed run-flat tires, this event would likely have cost about $300 USD and taken at least a couple of hours because run-flats are expensive and it would likely have required a replacement/rebalance at a garage.
However, we don't use run-flat tires. I currently have on my nice new winter tires 'n rims. In preparing for a flat-ture event, I put two types of equipment in both our cars.
A "Slime" kit (paid about $65 USD each via Amazon). It involves injecting a fluid into the tire-stem then inflating the tire. The fluid then forms a temporary hole-plug so you can drive a few hundred miles. To me, this is a "last resort" because it does require that you dismount/clean/repair/remount/balance the tire within a short time/mileage after you've been saved by this. Apparently it's very messy to clean out, afterwards (it lives up to its name).
However, I also put a Dynaplug kit in our cars (paid about $35 USD each via Amazon). If you can find the hole, you can use this tool to insert a soft-rubber "sealing plug" into the hole. Since this puncture left an audibly-loud hissing hole, it was easy to locate and the Dynaplug tool nicely sealed the puncture. The Slime-kit pump re-inflated the tire and all was well. We weren't even very late getting to see the grandkids.
If you look at the Slime-kit picture, you may also notice that it has plugs, but their insertion tool is big and can damage the steel and other belts, especially in high-performance tires. The Dynaplug is much less likely to cause damage.
In my mind, the Slime kit would get used if you're "in a bad way" (pouring rain, stranded, middle of nowhere, etc.) and you're unable to locate the hole to Dynaplug it. Though, if you can't hear it leaking, it's likely the leak is slow enough that you could just stop when the pressure drops 10 psi, over-inflate a bit via the pump, then drive for another 20+ minutes while it deflates, again. Of course there's also the scenario where you get multiple punctures at once and exceed the number of Dynaplugs on-hand.
This event was "bad" in the way any flat-tire experience is not good, but (not having had a flat while travelling in over 20 years) it also served as a test of the equipment and a nice demo for my wife regarding what to do in such instances (of course, she says she knows what to do ... just call me or AMA).
Oh yeah, it was also "good" in that the cost of the flat-tire stuff for both cars ($65+$35 USD = $100 USD) has now "paid for itself" and paid a bonus, given that a run-flat tire replacement would have been a lot more. How's that for a glass/tire half full view!
... or "on the way _from_ Grandma's house." ;-)
[see the video attached below]
Run-flat tires are essentially non-repairable (and more expensive, often horrible riding, noisy, have a shorter life, etc.). Had I kept the factory-installed run-flat tires, this event would likely have cost about $300 USD and taken at least a couple of hours because run-flats are expensive and it would likely have required a replacement/rebalance at a garage.
However, we don't use run-flat tires. I currently have on my nice new winter tires 'n rims. In preparing for a flat-ture event, I put two types of equipment in both our cars.
A "Slime" kit (paid about $65 USD each via Amazon). It involves injecting a fluid into the tire-stem then inflating the tire. The fluid then forms a temporary hole-plug so you can drive a few hundred miles. To me, this is a "last resort" because it does require that you dismount/clean/repair/remount/balance the tire within a short time/mileage after you've been saved by this. Apparently it's very messy to clean out, afterwards (it lives up to its name).
However, I also put a Dynaplug kit in our cars (paid about $35 USD each via Amazon). If you can find the hole, you can use this tool to insert a soft-rubber "sealing plug" into the hole. Since this puncture left an audibly-loud hissing hole, it was easy to locate and the Dynaplug tool nicely sealed the puncture. The Slime-kit pump re-inflated the tire and all was well. We weren't even very late getting to see the grandkids.
If you look at the Slime-kit picture, you may also notice that it has plugs, but their insertion tool is big and can damage the steel and other belts, especially in high-performance tires. The Dynaplug is much less likely to cause damage.
In my mind, the Slime kit would get used if you're "in a bad way" (pouring rain, stranded, middle of nowhere, etc.) and you're unable to locate the hole to Dynaplug it. Though, if you can't hear it leaking, it's likely the leak is slow enough that you could just stop when the pressure drops 10 psi, over-inflate a bit via the pump, then drive for another 20+ minutes while it deflates, again. Of course there's also the scenario where you get multiple punctures at once and exceed the number of Dynaplugs on-hand.
This event was "bad" in the way any flat-tire experience is not good, but (not having had a flat while travelling in over 20 years) it also served as a test of the equipment and a nice demo for my wife regarding what to do in such instances (of course, she says she knows what to do ... just call me or AMA).
Oh yeah, it was also "good" in that the cost of the flat-tire stuff for both cars ($65+$35 USD = $100 USD) has now "paid for itself" and paid a bonus, given that a run-flat tire replacement would have been a lot more. How's that for a glass/tire half full view!
can you provide links to the exact ones you purchased? These work for all tires? I bought Michelin PS4s and wanted to get a slime kit. This one looks like a good one. and that second kit looks nifty as well. When i change my stock tires out ill want this too.
Update - I ended up replacing only the front tires with the same stock conti run flats and leaving the back ones on. I figure I will get another 10 k on the front again and then then all 4 will need to be replaced. By then I can find a new set, possibly a different run flat. I got the new front tires at the dealer since their prices were the same as other places and my SA laughed when I asked about other options for tires. She said yeah - everybody hates those tires. Then she said I don't think Mercedes did proper research on those.
Yes, we chose the 18s with all seasons for the same reason. I think they are a little better in terms of comfort over rough roads than the 19s. Also, at least on one C43 owners group on FB, it seems like I've seen more cars with 19's than 18s, hitting potholes and getting blow outs with their run flats (although it could simply be bad luck for folks with 19s in that group). Anyway, I think there will be a very noticeable improvement with our 18s when going from run flats to non-runflats.
Anyone else tire (I pardon no puns and neither should you) of the horrible ride quality and terrible wear from the stock Pirelli run flats?
I just got my TireRack delivery and not a minute too soon. My fronts are nearly bald and it's cold as a well diggers shovel here in NYC today.
I paid under $900, delivered, for these Michelin Pilot Sport a/s 3+. These seemed like the best all around for my use. I'm not tracking the car, and it will see snow.
TR even include a road hazard replacement for anything you may hit while driving that blows out your tires.
I haven't gotten to mount them just yet, but they are sitting here next to me in my office. Ahh, the smell of freshly vulcanized rubber in the air.
I just added that Dynaplug kit to my Amazon cart, because you never know. I've had the OEM runflats for a year and a half without catching a nail, but I'm certain I will get one as soon as I mount these and take a trip without a repair kit.
You guys do know that the slime kit will destroy the TPMS sensor, right? Says so right on the bottle not for TPMS sensor vehicles...
If you look at the picture I posted, you can clearly see that the top line on the slime bottle's label reads "TIRE SENSOR SAFE!" and the backside of the label has the following information:
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
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