It’s nearly an inevitable truth that one day you may get a flat tire. And it’s never in a safe, comfortable place either. More often than not, you’ll find yourself changing to your spare tire on the side of a busy road or highway, at risk for collision or injury. "Run Flat" tires help reduce this risk.
Run flat tires are reinforced tires that allow you to keep driving in the event of a flat or a puncture.
Unlike regular tires, run flat tires mean you don’t have to perform an emergency stop on the side of the freeway in the event one or more of your tires suddenly loses air. With run flat tires, you can typically drive up to 50 miles at up to 50 mph, allowing you to reach a safe place to change the tire or even a shop where you can make repairs or replace it.
By the way, keep in mind that run-flat tires are not the same thing as airless tires!
HOW DO RUN FLAT TIRES WORK
Sometimes styled as “runflat” or "run-flat", they are tires capable of continued driving after a loss of air pressure for a limited distance and speed. To provide this level of support, they generally have two different construction types: self-supporting or support ring system.
Self-supporting Run Flat
The self-supporting run flat is the most common type. The sidewall construction is reinforced so the tire can support the vehicle's weight in case of air loss.
Support Ring System Run Flat
The second type of run-flat is called a support ring system. This type uses a physical structure attached to the wheel so that the wheel is supporting the vehicle rather than the tire. This type of run-flat tire isn't nearly as common as the regular run-flat tire.
Most tires are not designed to support the weight of a vehicle without air pressure. It’s this air pressure that provides the actual support. When regular tires are driven without sufficient air pressure, they heat up. This causes serious damage to the tire and can even lead to tire failure.
(The exception to this rule is when airing down in off-road environments!)
However, run flat tires are reinforced with the specific goal of temporarily handling the vehicle's weight—even in the event of total air loss. If your run-flat tires lose air pressure, they can support the vehicle for a little while, typically about 50 miles at speeds no greater than 50 mph.
Many run flat tires have specific speed and distance ratings. It is best to check with the tire manufacturer to determine exactly how long and how fast it can be safely driven without air.
On that note, ensuring your tires are at their correct air pressure is critical to keeping them performing efficiently and safely. Run-flat tires can be difficult to visually gauge if they’re low, so they should only be used with vehicles equipped with TPMS.
We also recommend checking your trunk and/or owner's manual to familiarize yourself with your spare tire or tire repair kit (such as a tire inflation kit) that comes stocked in your vehicle.
Some vehicles come originally equipped with run-flat tires; these often do not have a spare tire.
THE BENEFIT OF RUN FLAT TIRES
The major benefit of run flat tires is that they allow you to reach a safe place to address your tire issues in the event of a tire blowout or flat.
Drivers are better able to retain control of their vehicle in an emergency until they can find a safe place to make repairs, call a tow truck or drive to a tire shop. Run flat tires provide peace of mind and better emergency handling.
Many vehicle manufacturers have stopped including spare tires in new models. This is to increase storage space and reduce vehicle weight for greater fuel efficiency.
In place of a full-size or compact spare tire, run flat tires offer drivers a high level of reassurance, convenience and also improved vehicle handling and performance.
If you're having trouble choosing the right tire, we're here to help! Treadwell, our smart tire buying guide, makes finding the right tire for you, your vehicle and your budget easy.
Ready to increase your peace of mind and make the upgrade to run flat tires? You can find and buy run flat tires online and have them ready and waiting for you at the store of your choice.
If you have any questions or need any assistance, call or drop by any of our America's Tire locations and we'll get you taken care of!
Get a shorter wait time when you buy and book online!