T180 Dilemma

[mick1020]

Hi all,

Im soon to be taking the car across to Europe for an extended period of 12 months and possibly for ever.

My dilemma is do i

A : drive over with the original wheels and tyres on my T180 with a normal spare in the boot?

B : Take the original tyres off ( around 50% worn) and remove the support rings and fit normal tyres ?

C : Sell the car?

Are many T180 owners which have chose any of the above options?

I am really stuck what to do

Help please :help2:

[wardude]

Hi matey

there are loads of threads o here regarding the T180s run flat system etc. I cut the bands off mine and replaced with normal valves and tyres. Also cut the wire etc to stop the run flat light illuminating on the dash. I carry a spare in the boot on long trips but just carry a couple of cans of tyre gunk in the boot at other times. I wasant being stung for £100s of pounds if i had a puncture duw to toyotas crappy system. Plus i had a 40 mile drive to my nearest Toyota garage who could change my tyre.

[Big Kev]

Ya gotta bite the bullet, Mick, and remove them......at least here we used to have some indies who had been conned by Toyota and Bridgestone into installing the relevant cartel machine. These are mostly now languishing in the depths of knackerdity from being under used. God alone knows what European facilities there will or won't be.....good luck.

Big Kev

[CharlieFarlie]

Most of the information about the BSR system is here...

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=133751

Most of the information on dealing with disabling or switching the TPMS is here..

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=130476

[mick1020]

Thanks for the replies & info guys.

So looks like its the best option to do away with the bands and tyres altogether then .

Ive asked the Toyota dealer here in Varna Bulgaria and they are not equipped with the machine and said they is maybe an indie in the city that they have heard of that maybe could help .

I am not travelling over with the car until June or July so have plenty of time i suppose .

Will most garages in the UK remove the said Support Bands and is it best to leave the valves in place also?

[vivianM]

Just carry a spare in the boot - there is nothing wrong with the run flats - had them for 5 years now on my T180 - no problems at all.

There will be a brand new wheel and tyre for sale soon as I have the new Rav Invincible Auto on order for early March - will be sorry to see my T180 go but could not fault the excellent P/E deal offered.

Anchorman has promised to take some photos when it arrives.!

Guy

[Big Kev]

Lol Guy.....he is at a Toyota Dealer now in Bulgaria.....who has NO machine or facility to do his runflats. Folks like me, you and many others were just lucky not to have punctures, especally not 51 miles from home or a dealer, who probably had a broken runflat machine anyway....!!! The indie he refers to will likely be called Angle Grinderman......

Good luck with the new one......was nosying at one at Dealer yesterday.....changing my mind re the very different dashboard, but boy that car is MUCH longer !!! Stonking leather SPORTY BUCKETY LOOKING seats that I couldnae sit in due to duff intervertebrae. Electric tail lift superb, and OFFICIALLY.....spare tyre becomes an option from June 2013. Making it an option immediately would send oot signal that they got it wrong on the wheel front, ....again. Keep yer new spare for emergencies.....same size. You will utterly love that Auto box.

Big Kev

[CharlieFarlie]

Your options are to remove the BST system and tyres and fit normal ones OR why not run with them until they are worn out and then cut them off ? This way you will get the use out of the tyres you have at the moment.. If in the meantime you get a puncture then that will bring the replacement forward .......

No point in binning several hundred quids worth of tyres is there..

You need no special equipment to remove them. A couple of hours with an angle grinder will see them cut off ! Its only when it comes to fitting new BSR tyres that the special machine is needed but you wont be doing that..

[mick1020]

Yer i was just thinking the same, run them until they either wear out or puncture then replace . I suppose i could acquire another spare wheel and normal tyre for the journey over ..... just incase

[CharlieFarlie]

Yer i was just thinking the same, run them until they either wear out or puncture then replace . I suppose i could acquire another spare wheel and normal tyre for the journey over ..... just incase

Well you could but you will still have run flats on till the eventual change ?

I bought a second set of wheels and new tyres for my car and used to carry one of the originals as a spare.. Even bought a fancy wheel bag for it but it was just to big to keep lumping in and out so bought a decent 12V pump and a tyre repair kit instead and that does it for me..

You could get one of those string type repair kits for a bit more peace of mind as repairs are done from the outside so a BSR tyre can also be repaired in this way... The kits where you put in a solution via the valve would be useless with the BSR rings in place.

[CharlieFarlie]

Take a look here

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CAR-TUBELESS-TYRE-PUNCTURE-REPAIR-KIT-WITH-10-STRINGS-/160972865007?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item257abafdef

[mick1020]

Very interesting Charlie never seen such kits before will defo be taking one of them for sure , thanks very much for the great advise .

If my original wheels hadnt been in such good condition i think i would have maybe opted for a wheel change also but with there still being plenty of life left in both the wheels and the tyres like you said whats the sense to change straight away . Agree fully .