Picked up a nail in my pass rear tire recently (we've had a lot of roof work done in our neighborhood...ours included). It's WAY on the outer edge of the tire tread where they always say it's not repairable (ask how I know as my wife's Passat has the same tire flat with a nail yesterday!). I replaced all 4 tires just last year so this one is in really good shape...I hate to just trash it. But, is that really the only option I have? I've never heard anything good about the "fix-a-flat" canned stuff (especially for a long term repair...bad for rims, tire, etc.). The plug stuff you can get at auto stores still mentions to place a patch on the inside! :/
Thoughts? Or, do I just get a new tire and be done?
THX!
As long as it isn't in the sidewall I always patch mine, never had one come out.
What do you use? Just that suff that looks like sticky licorice? Per the one I had tired to use on my wife's tire (got it in, never tried to test with air as her sidewall was damaged from driving on it underinflated) it says to still install a patch on the inside of the tire...can't really do that myself.
Well
What Tom said. Plugs are meant to be a temporary repair, and if the hole is in the shoulder area (right near the edge of the tread) it can't be safely repaired. That canned fix-a-flat stuff is also a temporary repair (it'll say so right on the can) and using it will almost certainly cause a shimmy. The balance of the wheel will constantly be changing with several ounces of liquid sloshing about. This is especially true if it gets below freezing where you live...
I agree that it may be a bust.
BUT, here's what I'd do. I'd plug the sucker with one of those gooey licorice plugs with a slathering of glue on it. Then I'd buy a can of Fixa flat and chuck it in the trunk in case it fails. If it does, you are out a couple bucks for trying.
I've had some good luck with plugs in the past or I wouldn't give you hope.
Especially with tires costing twice what they should!
JMHO
Hi f
Wow.
What do you call a hundred lawyers sitting at the bottom of the ocean?
A good start.
:laughing: :laughing:
years ago, I once had 13 plugs in my 1 work van tire.....
Tort reform. Quite obviously that was a fraudulent claim. Sucks to be that guy.
I say Plug it and keep a can ready to go like flylear45 said. If you're that broke it is what it is. Be prepared to pay out if anything nasty happens though. It's your responsibility.
THIS is the only truth.
Car and light trucks I use the leather push in plugs with rubber glue, heavy truck tire I use rubber patch placed on the inside of the tire.
I think Tom is just saying he can't say to plug one. I understand that.
I had a '69 Spitfire with 1 week old tires (back in '83). Ran across some nails in the road and all 4 had holes. I was a flat broke SOB at the time and plugged all those tires. I never had any problems with them and I sold the car many years later. It worked for me.
I don't care for the sealant goo you spray in the tire. I used it on my lawnmower, but not on a road vehicle. Only as an emergency measure, and tell the tire place that stuff is in there!
I hate plugs, and only will use patches inside. That's what most of the places around here use, but if they suggest a plug, I tell them to do an inside patch.
If you can find a place to patch it, run it. The location of the hole leads me to believe that you won't be able to, but it's worth a shot.
No shop will patch that in that location due to legal reasons. Plugs work great. Never had a problem with them. Fix-a-flat not a good idea. Plug it n go! Due to the location, I would not go very fast. I recommend replacing the tire as soon as you can afford to.
I wouldn't be against driving it with a plug in the side wall, but I would be ready for the tire to go at any point in time. The problem isn't with the type of repqir, its with the location. If your tire is low on air, it rubs the side wall and it will fail. Might last a day, might last a year, but it will fail, and more likely then not, the sidewall will fail and not the plug or patch.
Blowing a sidewall on a front tire is sort of scary. Back end isn't as bad, but if your in a compromized situation, I would not want either.
I picked up a screw in the fusion before i got rid of. Used a Harborfreight plug, got 6 more months out of it . (was planning on new tires, just not right away)
If you are fixing it yourself, lawsuits are unlikely. We only care about functionality here. Be aware that the sidewall/tread intersection area flexes a lot, so the plug may fail or leak later. That is why a pro won't do it for you. If you plug it use the red ones that look like rope (commercial grade). An internal patch is more likely to last. We used to install inner tubes in such a situation, but alloy rims don't line up with the valve stem.
My neighbor knocked on my door telling me my rear right tire was dead flat. Found out a small hole was on the side of the outside thread. Patching didn't work, we got a tube put in, and its still holding. Needed a new valve stem for the spare tire... Now I may need one for the front left.
Well, interestingly, I'm not sure what I saw was even a nailhead. It was at work, and I could never find it once I got home. Plus, the tire has stayed inflated just fine (as of today) since my initial post! I had left my car out in the driveway overnight (not something I do often, even though we live in a nice neighborhood), so I'm kinda wondering if it was some kid doing a prank and letting the air out. I have no other explanation for why the tire is now just fine.
Thanks for all the replies and suggestions/advice, however. Great info to have!
Greg