Stretch a run flat??

[BMDUBS]

Hi Guys,

I have 255/30/19 Pirelli run flats I am trying to have mounted on a 19"X9.5" wheels. An un named chain tire shop in the NE has had 3 shots at getting the bead to seal and has been unsuccessful. First time I went to pick up the wheels and found the 2 wheels with the 255's flat. They broke the bead and put bead sealer on. Next morning I went to mount the wheels and had 1 flat tire. Back to the shop I go to drop off the wheel. They call me later that day that its fixed. Head home, check the pressures and they are all over the map. Match them with my compressor and mount the wheels. Next am, what do you know, 2 flat rear tires. I am not willing to give them a 4th try now that the wheels are mounted on my car and for risk of damaging my wheels as they seem to lack competence.

2 questions. Is this shop incompetent or is the bead sealing issue in result of a stiff side wall of a run flat not wanting to stretch to a 9.5" wheel which is almost new? Pirelli specs say this 255 width tire range is 8.5-9.5" wheel. Second question is should I approach them for a full refund for the inconvenience which was $220 plus tax for the rubber change over from another set of wheels or just 50% as the fronts seem to be holding air ok in 225/35/19?

Thoughts?

P.S- I know I should have taken it to Integra on McLeod or Urban but they were not open on Saturday when I needed this done.

[DeleriousZ]

Yeah a 255 on a 9.5 is definitely not stretching the tire at all, they shouldn't have had trouble with them.

[03ozwhip]

I would be getting a refund on the ones you keep going back for, at the very least.

[Ca_Silvia13]

Just a tip with tough streches (even though i don't think this is that bad)

Pump it up to max PSI or maybe 5 over and leave the rim and tire in direct sunlight for a day, preferably inside too. I had similar issues on my Ruckus tire and leaving it in the sun help seat everything without leaks.

[zipdoa]

Haha was this at Zee tire?

[tirebob]

The problem could be the rims you have these on are not built to accommodate the extra thickness of the sidewalls of the run-flat tire, so the bead may not be sitting in tight between the bead retention bump and lip on the wheel...

[BMDUBS]

Originally posted by tirebob
The problem could be the rims you have these on are not built to accommodate the extra thickness of the sidewalls of the run-flat tire, so the bead may not be sitting in tight between the bead retention bump and lip on the wheel...

The wheel is an OEM E92 BMW M3 style 220 wheel that is not designed for run flats specifically. http://www.bmwstylewheels.com/bmw/220

[BMDUBS]

I have taken them now to another shop to look at them. They have concerns that the shop working on the wheels and tires that couldn't get them to seal may have damaged or ripped the bead trying to get the tires on the wheels resulting in this issue. I don't personally think this is the issue as they both held air overnight and I drove 15-20km on them the night prior to finding the tires flat again.

Is this an actual possibility? I have never heard of a bead being ripped

[mr2mike]

What PSI? You need to have them maxed.

[tirebob]

Originally posted by mr2mike
What PSI? You need to have them maxed.

Not really. I had 165/45's stretch across 8.5's on my own car with only 34psi and over two seasons I never once had to add air...

And OP... Bead tears can absolutely cause leaks if they are bad enough, which is usually when the tear comes up and over the edge into the flat part of the bead area. That is "usually" the result of inferior equipment and/or skills/experience on the installers part, and if the people doing the install used bead sealer, that right there indicates inexperience. That should never be necessary and is only a temporary fix at best...

[BMDUBS]

The pressures were 35 Psi at the time I got the wheels back.

I will find out today what the deal is with the beads and hope to hell these guys didn't trash my tires! Now that I have taken them to another shop I would expect my recourse with the original shop will be nil.

The manager of the shop asked for a 4th chance to make it right and I was not willing to give them that chance and now that this information has come to light, I hope that decision was not hasty.

[mr2mike]

Hmm, I was always told, you need mega psi to keep the bead seated.

Also for anyone... check this site out:
http://www.tyrestretch.com/

[DeleriousZ]

Originally posted by mr2mike
Hmm, I was always told, you need mega psi to keep the bead seated.

Also for anyone... check this site out:
http://www.tyrestretch.com/

I've heard that also, but have run fairly heavily stretched tires on 40ish psi and have never had one debead. The tires I have on my Z have been sitting mostly and driving barely for about 3 years, they also have around 45psi in them and haven't changed a bit over that time.

[tirebob]

Originally posted by mr2mike
Hmm, I was always told, you need mega psi to keep the bead seated.

Also for anyone... check this site out:
http://www.tyrestretch.com/

Not saying it may not be a bit more security, but really the bead retention bump on the inside of your wheel is what is holding your tire bead in position (the snap you hear when blowing up a tire is it coming over the bead bump). That combined with normal"ish" pressure should hold the vast majority of tire/wheel combinations in place. The odd wheel may have a less substantial retention bump than most so if you are worried, a bit more pressure is always doable, but expect the wear pattern to change on your tires...

A lot of what people suggest sounds logical but practice may not justify the means...

[BMDUBS]

So the other tire shop called to say that they have fixed the issue and they believe that the air just leaked out and there was not a problem with the bead.

They think it was the little nipples/whiskers from the manufacturing that were right on the bead area that was causing the leaking?

I hope this was the issue as I find it kind of hard to believe this to have been the problem as these tires were on another set of wheels prior (not brand new) and they didn't leak on those wheels?

I guess we will see...

[BMDUBS]

So I picked up the wheels and tires on Friday and mounted them. All was good until yesterday morning when iDrive warned me of a flat tire. Drivers side rear was down from 37 to 27 psi over 2 days.

I am about to lose it. Not sure wtf is going on with these wheels and tires. I aired the tire back up and will continue to monitor. So it looks like the one is good to go so far but still an issue with the other.

[BMDUBS]

Still having issues with these tires. Both are now flat after airing up the one flat and driving for 50km. The next day 1 tire was flat. 3 days later the other was also flat. I have returned to the second tire shop for inspection and hopefully repair.

It seems as this 255/30/19 Pirelli run flat does not like to be stretched onto a 9.5" rim or maybe it just doesn't like this wheel that it is on? I am almost at my wits end with these tires as I have no confidence in going any distance on them. And of course they are on a stupid BMW with no spare tire!

It seems that they are leaking around the bead as I tried to air them up with my 12v compressor and I could hear the air pissing out of the bead on the front side of the wheel.

The car is parked Monday to Friday and not used so I am wondering if just resting in one place has anything to do with this issue? They both had about 35 Psi in them.

[italianstylez]

come see me at tunerworks, i deal with this all the time book in with someone ill solve the issue