Poorly plugged

[Dartboy]

I wish I had noticed it before I bought the truck, but I discovered this morning that one of my tires was plugged right at the base of the tread in the sidewall. It held air for the last 6 months or so, but I guess it's time to invest in some new rubber.

I wasn't crazy about the tires anyway, and they're getting a bit old, but the tread was still half decent. Pondering a switch to smaller wheels too, guess that decision has moved to the front burner now. Those 20" are heavy.

Tire choice is the new issue. My favored Nokians have a new tire out, but don't come in quite the right size. I'd be losing about 1/2" of sidewall height, not sure how noticeable it would be.

 

[Sunset_Z28]

If its not too far in the sidewall I'd try to patch it.

 

[Zembonez]

^^^ Especially if it has held up this far.

 

[ScottyBoy]

While most people do not recommend it, I have patched a tire on the sidewall. It was a scrape that had a small hole in the center of it. Because the tires still had 90% tread and I could not locate a replacement tire in the same brand (it was recently discontinued) I decided to patch it. I put a patch on the inside AND on the outside of the tire, and when I had it remounted I had that sidewall facing in. The patch held up fine for about a year and a half. It went flat on me, but at least by that time I got almost 20k miles out of that tire so I just replaced it by that point.

If the tread on all the tires is fairly worn, I would get a new set of tires. But if the tires still look new, I would try and patch it.

 

[Zembonez]

My old company sled Explorer had a plug in the sidewall right next to the tread for about 50,000 miles. I ran over something when the tires were about a week old and the tire gurus told me the tire was ruined. Stopped by a local tire shop and they plugged it.

Never had any issue.

If the inner structure of a tire is not damaged much by a puncture, the plug is simply keeping it from losing air.

Drive on.

 

[OldCracker29]

I'd try patching it as well. If it held air with just a plug in it for that long...put another plug in it, and patch it. I never rely on just a plug.

 

[Nick The Great]

While most people do not recommend it, I have patched a tire on the sidewall. It was a scrape that had a small hole in the center of it. Because the tires still had 90% tread and I could not locate a replacement tire in the same brand (it was recently discontinued) I decided to patch it. I put a patch on the inside AND on the outside of the tire, and when I had it remounted I had that sidewall facing in. The patch held up fine for about a year and a half. It went flat on me, but at least by that time I got almost 20k miles out of that tire so I just replaced it by that point.

If the tread on all the tires is fairly worn, I would get a new set of tires. But if the tires still look new, I would try and patch it.

I was raised a poor farm boy, but we'd do that too. Sure if the tire was on it's way out it's a good time to replace

Heck, I think one of my tires in high school had about 4 or 5 patches in it. around here, a tire shop will barely do more than one

 

[Black02Silverado]

Did you see where they are trying to push legislation to ban the sale of used tires. Something on the lines of it being an unsafe practice.

 

[NMRam]

I never seem to get a nail in the center of the tread where Big Box Tire Store will patch it, they are always near the edge or in the sidewall. I have gotten where I take them to the little grampa shop and he will plug and/or patch them, and I have run countless miles on his repairs with no problems. Is it the recommended solution?.....probably not, but it saves me buying a tire every month or so.

 

[Hickspanic]

they used to make plugs for sidewalls, but I do not know if they still do