# Tire bubble(RFT) repair/replace options



## MMbmw (Nov 26, 2007)

Hey all:

I was at the gas station today and noticed a "bubble" / extrusion on the wall of my front right tire and I have a few questions regarding my options. 

It is my understanding that rfts cannot be repaired. Now I do already have an OEM replacement tire in my basement on hand (got a gift certificate from tire rack last Xmas)

I'm wondering if it is bad practice to simply replace just the damaged tire or will that cause an undesirable ride & poor tread wear on my other tires? I'm at 13,000 miles on the original oem tires with average wear for the mileage. 

Also, my TPMS has yet to indicate any pressure loss so I was also wondering how long I have before I need to fix this? I only drive the vehicle on the weekends for a distance of at most, 60 miles, in an area with access to roadside assistance. 

Obviously I know the tire's integrity has Bern compromised to some extent but Ive lost a lot of work lately and would prefer not to spend money until the summer. 

Finally, is the dealer the best place to get this done? Will they mount tires that I don't buy from them? I understand that many tire places still don't know how to deal with RFTs. 

Thanks in advance for the help. Hope everyone has a nice holliday. 

'08 E90 328i w/ standard (no sports package) 
Bridgestone 205/55 protenza RFTs (yuck!)

-mileage: 13,300
-9 months remaining on lease


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## blue335xi (Aug 29, 2007)

Since you already have the replacement tire on hand, you might as well install it now to enjoy your car. 

Take it to a firestone store to have it mounted. Some of their locations are open on Sundays.


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

MMbmw said:


> Hey all:
> 
> I was at the gas station today and noticed a "bubble" / extrusion on the wall of my front right tire and I have a few questions regarding my options.
> 
> ...


your car doesnt have potenzas if you dont have sport package, they're turanzas.

that sidewall can give out without warning, you'll likely find an internal tear inside the tire.
a sidewall tear like that cannot be repaired, runflat or not.
just replace it

roadside assist will bring you to the dealer which may or may not be open, and they'll bill you for a new tire at BMW rates.


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## MMbmw (Nov 26, 2007)

thanks; I actually have a replacement tire though. And yes, I do have Turanzas, my mistake. I'm actually more concerned about any uneven tread wear to any of the older tires if I only replace the front one. Any comments?


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## [email protected] (Jun 10, 2003)

You may get slight pulling towards the side of the new tire if the tread depths are different. If you have a non staggered setup, you can install the new tire in the rear to minimize that effect.


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## Roundelhead (Mar 4, 2008)

Do not drive on that tire! It will be dangerous for you, your car, and those around you!


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## MMbmw (Nov 26, 2007)

[email protected] said:


> You may get slight pulling towards the side of the new tire if the tread depths are different. If you have a non staggered setup, you can install the new tire in the rear to minimize that effect.


Gary - can you explain the staggered setup a bit more for me? to minimize the pulling, would putting my current two rear tires up front and putting two brand new tires on the back help?

Also - can anyone recommend a place other than a dealer to get the work done in the NYC area? I've called two local places and they told me that they don't work with RFTs b/c the rims get easily damaged...


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## [email protected] (Jun 10, 2003)

If you do not have a staggered setup (in other words, if all four of your tires are the same size) you could install the new tire in the rear to minimize pulling. If you replace two tires put the new ones in the rear.

Link to our installer search : http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AB2&url=/installer/index.jsp


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

MMbmw said:


> Gary - can you explain the staggered setup a bit more for me? to minimize the pulling, would putting my current two rear tires up front and putting two brand new tires on the back help?
> 
> Also - can anyone recommend a place other than a dealer to get the work done in the NYC area? I've called two local places and they told me that they don't work with RFTs b/c the rims get easily damaged...


where in NYC?


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