When to replace a punctured Tire

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EinVB

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I found a bolt in my tire the other day on the way to the local Toyota Dealer to have some maintenance done. So I asked them to look at it and they say its too close to the side wall to repair and the tire should be replaced. (They said if I really want them to repair it they can, but they won't stand by it or take ownership if it doesn't hold up.



Anybody have any expertise here that could advise what is safe and appropriate to do here?
 

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I would go to a Goodyear dealer/shop. Yes it's not safe to patch a puncture that is in the sidewall and what they are looking for is a flat surface to apply the patch from the inside. If it hits any section of tire that starts to curve up then the patch will flex and over time become compromised.
It's hard to tell but it looks like you should be fine, then again what do I know, if your the type of person that airs down their tires when off-road then that might be smart to replace.
 
This is the RMA (Rubber Manufacturers Association) guidelines for tire repair, these guys are pretty much the ones that set the standard that everyone uses.

Tire Repair

That being said, I would say that it's barely borderline in terms of repair, I'd have to see how big the tire plug/patch combo is and how close internally to the sidewall that puncture is (the patch should completely cover the flat surface and not impinge on the sidewall curvature. So the tire shop is probably in the right on that, while a tire plug is a good temporary repair, according to RMA guidelines the correct repair is a plug/patch combination.
 
Nice find Blackworks Inc.

I carry a plug kit and viar compressor, in hopes to fix a problem like that on a trail. I was always told by my pops that a plug is good for off-road use. In a tire that gets up to speed a plug is no good because in time it will allow air to get into the layers of a tire and bubble, and that's just asking for trouble. I guess when it comes down to safety it's just best to get a new tire, you can't put a price on your safety. That's not to say OP was trying to get out of buying a new tire, I understand he was just wanting another's opinion, trust me I know how hard it is to trust some mechanics at dealerships.
 
Have it repaired and keep for a spare. Or, just plug it and drive. I have been plugging my own tires for 25 years and have yet to have an on-the-road failure. One leaked right away, so I redid it, and it was good to go.
 
wife had a nail in her tire on her 12 camry. car had like 500 miles on it. We just replaced the tires at 40 thousand miles. They told us it was too close to the sidewall and may not hold. I guess we got lucky.
 
EinVB said:
I found a bolt in my tire the other day on the way to the local Toyota Dealer to have some maintenance done. So I asked them to look at it and they say its too close to the side wall to repair and the tire should be replaced. (They said if I really want them to repair it they can, but they won't stand by it or take ownership if it doesn't hold up.

Anybody have any expertise here that could advise what is safe and appropriate to do here?
Click to expand...

Safety seems to be your concern here so it depends on how you view risk.

Ignoring the possibility of developing a slow leak (which, from my viewpoint is not risky) the only real safety concern would be long-term intrusion of the elements into the belt layer of the tire and eventual separation of the outer belt and tread. At high speed, that could get a little sketchy. With no cap ply, a Duratrac would be a little more susceptible to the phenomenon.

Bottom line, I'd repair it, use it as a spare, and luxuriate in having an excuse to not include it in the rotation schedule.

Line below the bottom line, ask a tire engineer.
 
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Like I posted above... The "Correct" tire repair method and details are outlined by the RMA. Everything else is a "It may work, but it's on you if it fails" deal. :)
 
Picked up a large screw the first season I ran my Toyo M/T tires. Pretty much the exact same location. Stuffed a tire plug in and it was fine. Trail use aired down to 10psi every weekend, and plenty of hwy miles.

This spring the plug had dried up causing a slow leak. Replaced the plug, and it was good to go. This will be the last season for them, down to 30% or so now.

I've installed many plugs with no problems. (Cars and 4x4s)
If it was a sidewall plug, I'd say trail spare only.
 
I would plug it. But being that the plug isn't in the tread and won't get mashed down, i would try to use rubber cement to get a good seal with the plug.
 
If that were my tire, I'd plug it. I carry this ARB plug kit with me at all times. Saved me countless times. Screws always occur when you have 30 minutes or less to get to an appointment 30 miles away! Pretty easy to do after you do it a couple times.
 
Had mine pligged for $8, sure beats the cost of a new tire and havent had any reliability issues out of that tire
 
So I ended up getting a replacement tire and having them plug the hole in the bolt and keeping the tire as a spare. Currently sitting in my garage...

However, when I measure the spare tire space under the trunk it doesn't appear that I'll be able to mount the tire on my spare wheel/rim and stow it underneath...

Tirerack.com specs says it's only .6" larger in diameter (31.5 to 32.1) than the OEM Firestone Destination LE tire that's is down there now. And I'm not sure that's accurate

Has anybody ever tried fitting a 275/65/R18 spare underneath and been successful on a 4th Gen (2006) 4Runner?
 
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