MomsBenz

Sorry for the repeat post, but I can not find the old topics about tire replacement.

I am due for new tires and trying to figure out which ones to get. What does everyone recommend? Right now I have the appearance package with the 20" wheels with run on flats. The run on flats are nice, but only lasted about 15,000 miles. I am commuting up and down the mountain daily for school so I was thinking about putting something cheaper on since I am just going to eat them up.

I need them to perform well in deep snow.
Also, if I have run on flats do I HAVE to replace them with run on flats?

Thanks in advance guys! I have searching all over tire rack and dicount tire and nothing looks great. Also is it ok to go up to a 285/50/20 or do I have to stick to the 275/50/20 because of warranty/lease issues?

vinceching

no you don't have to continually buy run flats . you can switch to regular tires ... lots of BMW owners do it

as for the slightly wider tire I'd skip it since it's going to be a very small difference you probably won't even notice it

MomsBenz

The reason I asked it because the 285's run about $100 per tire cheaper than the 275's. Do you think it would be ok to use them?

vinceching

ah, ic. well that makes sense. not sure on the width of the 20" rims, but if they are wide enough for the 285 then i'd go for it since the 21" x 10" amg's run 295's

i would just double check with tirerack before purchasing to make sure the you won't run into any problems and the rolling diameters are within acceptable range.

i'd email either or both gary@tirerack.com and luke@tirerack.com

MomsBenz

Thanks Vince! I will email them now! I really appreciate your help

rkao

MomsBenz - a question si vous plais:

I noticed in your original post that you need the tire to perform well in deep snow, does that mean you've used the OE tire that came with the Appearance Pkg 20" wheels in deep snow?

If yes, what's your perception on their performance, particularly under braking?

I am due to take delivery of a '10 GL450 with the Appearance Pkg and am wondering if I should consider a separate set of winter tires mounted on dedicated wheels for the winter season as I have with all of our other cars. The only car we've had that didn't have a 2nd set for the winter was my wife's Lexus LX470 which came with basically truck tires and were M&S rated.

I'm not a big fan of the all season concept when it comes to tires but wonder if in an SUV application they will be well suited for the winter months, especially with the cold weather and the occasional deep snow we get here in the NJ/Metro NY area from Nov/Dec through March.

Any comment is appreciated.

MomsBenz

Roy,
Yes the OE Eagle Run on Flats did very well in the snow. I am not sure we get as much as you, but we do get several feet at a time. I did chain up twice when the roads had not been plowed so that I would have the additional grip when braking since where I live has very steep hills. They did fantastic on black ice as well. I am very impressed with these tires and would get them again in a heartbeat if they were not $385 per tire. Right now I need something cheap that will do the job since they are going to get chewed up fast. Like I said in my original post, I only got about 14,000 miles out of the OE tires.
Congrats on the new ride! You will have to post some pics once you get it home

HamMan

This site may help with you size questions:

http://www.paspeedo.com/calculator.htm

MomsBenz

That's cool! Thank you

GLguy

I think you'll have to go with run flats. I doubt any serious shop will install regular tires IF your car is factory equipped with run flats. Double check that. The reason is that it could be a liability and safety issues, your truck does not have a spare tire. If you go with regular tires and you have a tire problem - you are stuck.

lkchris

If you replace the runflats, you will lose the ability to drive to the tire repair place on a flat tire and of course you currently have no spare tire to install.

rkao

Kaila, thanks for the info, it's very helpful.

We don't get more than one or two serious storms a year here, so the deep snow (> 6 or 8") days probably number no more than 5 to 8. The snow removal is pretty efficient around here too which helps.

My concerns are more for icy days and also the cold temperatures, which have some serious effects on tire performance. You helped answer that question so I'll go through my first winter in a long time without dedicated snow tires and keep my fingers crossed!

And yes, I'll post some pics when I pick her up, hopefully next week.

Franman

I thought the 320CDI was the only GL-class that did not come with a spare...? She has a 450

alx

be careful, most runflats based on sensors in the wheels require runflats so you dont squish the sensors if you get a flat.

once the tire is removed and the sensor is exposed an informed decision can be made if the sensor location is ok for regular tires...

if you decide to run with regular tires and you dont have a spare make sure to get a few cans of fixflats so you can hobble to a gas station if needed.

alex

GLguy

She has appearance package - run flats + no spare

MomsBenz

Thanks everyone for your repsonses! Yes I do infact have a spare. Only the 320 has no spare because of the adblue tank. I will double check about the sensors though, thanks for bringing that up! I go Wednesday, I will let you know how it all works out!

thebishman

You can easily replace RFTs with 'regular' tyres without any issues, and you will probably love the better ride characteristics.
The TPMS will still function fine. There is no issue with the sensor being there, in fact all new vehicles have them; just mention to the tyre manager about them.
Lastly, no tyre store will refuse to replace RFTs with non-RFTs. Some stores however will refuse to work on RFTs as they are so hard to get off of the rim.

Bish

MomsBenz

Thanks Bish! I will let you know how it goes tomorrow. I ordered Yokohama Prada. Good aggressive tread that is suppose to do well in the snow.

alx

i like to live in your world where a little plastic box survives the weight of a 1/4 truck.

some sensors are in the valves. those scenarios can run regular tires. other sensors are in the deep part of the rim - those cannot run regular tires unless you remove sensors and you lose the functionality.

the gls come with both types depending on your wheel options.

alex

thebishman

It is extremely rare with modern tyres to experience a catastrophic loss of pressure. Generally the TPMS will warn that you are losing pressure and you have plenty of time to pull over before any damage would be done to those sensors that actually 'live' within the rim versus the valve stem area. Even if the sensor was damaged they are not that expensive to replace, and imho getting rid of the RFTs is well worth the cost IF a sensor was lost due to sudden deflation.

Bish

alx

you forget the fact that once a sensor ir replaced you need to "train" the system to recognize the new sensor. this is done at the dealer with starmark equipment and is not free even if car is under warranty.

alex

MomsBenz

Back from getting tires and all went well. They showed me the sensor once the tire was off and it is flat against the rim. They do have a rebuild kit which I opted for. The tire size is perfect and was actually on the approved list of tire sizes at Mercedes (called my SA to double check) Thanks everyone for your help, I greatly appreciate it! I just pray these tires last longer than 15,000 since the run flats didn't!

Dlau

Hi Kaila,

How do you like your new Yoko Prada? I have the exact same setup like yours, a 09 450GL w/ appearance package, although I do not need new tire yet, but would like to find out your upsizing to 285-50-20 has any affect on steering feel or handling or overall ride quality of the GL?

How is the Prada compare to the original Goodyear Runflat?

Thanks!

Dlau

MomsBenz

So far they have been great! I like the ride a lot better, much smoother. Although, these tires seem to have more highway noise. The true test will be when the snow comes. I did have to drive through quite a bit of rain and they handled very well on a wet surface.

Dlau

Hi Kaila,

Thanks for the report, please update snow experience after this winter.

Thanks again!

David