Originally Posted by JasonNY

Thanks again guys. Got the tire repaired this morning and all seems fine. The dealer threw me off telling me that but I listened to you guys and even called Michelin who told me patching the PS2's is fine. I think what also threw me was recalling a car I owned with runflats, and I remember those definitely can't be repaired, but PS2s aren't runflats (thankfully, runflats are dreadful!)

Originally Posted by chuck911

Tires definitely perform worse as the rubber hardens with age. When it comes to competition the best tire is the freshest tire. That's not what I was talking about however. I was talking about running street tires on the track.

Why racers shave their tires? In the first place whenever you mention racing it pays to keep in mind that a lot of what racers do is in response to rules. If the rules say you must run street tires then the racer pulling out all the stops will shave his tires, because this is the only way to get rid of all the extra tread and still have fresh tires. But if the rules allow slicks they will not be shaved because, being tires made for racing, there is no tread to shave!

Getting back to street tires, the worst time to run them on the track is when they are brand new. Yes they will perform very well. Until they get hot. Because all that nice thick tread will get so hot and soft it will chunk up and go to pieces before the first run is done. Seen it many times. Take the same tire however when it is thoroughly worn down, it will still wear (the compound after all has not changed) but it won't chunk up and wear as fast, because it will run cooler. And in spite of the age factor it may even go faster with more traction- thanks to the lack of tread blocks it has essentially been worn down to the point of becoming a slick, i.e., a racing tire.

Originally Posted by golftime

I am not disagreeing with the responses here, but getting back to OP's original question, unless things have recently changed, the repair will in fact void the speed rating of the tire. That might explain why the dealer insists on replacing the tire.

Originally Posted by Bruce In Philly

My local dealer's tone on this stuff has changed over the last 15 years of dealing with them. Around 2002 when I was inquiring about changing the suspension on my 2000S Boxster, the shop foreman said "Sure! I'll throw it on!"

Today, they are more to the book and not that big working with the enthusiast. Things have changed.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Originally Posted by Philster

In this litigious society, no one in their right mind and no organization is going to fully bless a plug-patch tire.

Why? Why would they? Even Firestone won't fix a simple nail hole in 90℅ of the tread. And they're about to stop repairs all together.

Quite frankly... The rubber is fine... The repair can't reconnect the severed cords though.

No one is spending millions in R&D to find out how repaired tires perform at 135 MPH in dozens of conditions in hundreds of cars across thousands of tire configs.

You're on your own to disect anecdotal evidence.

Originally Posted by Philster

That's the definition of anecdotal evidence.

So-and-so said that X said Y about Z = anecdotal.

Personally, I am on the plug-n-patch and drive it side of the fence. Sure, manufacturers even have outlets/franchises that perform approved repairs (Goodyear, Firestone) but they keep taking a more reserved approach, fixing fewer and fewer... and any paperwork they hand you about the tires up front upon purchase or after repair has language about the tire's covered uses.

It's just that on a message board... well, if anyone chimes in to say plug-n-patch is good to go... well, you're gonna hear even more anecdotal evidence.