Greg Wood

Somehow managed to get a roofing nain in one of my DE tires. Took it to Discount Tire for the "free repair". They assured me they never plug tires and would only do an internal patch. Anyway, went to put the tire back on the car this weekend and big as day there is a plug. Even assuming the nail didn't puncture the tire, there is now the potential for a 1/4 hole where there was a 1/32 inch hole. I don't consider the tire safe for the track. Any suggestions? I do have the replacement warranty, but they Yokohoma doesn't make that tire any more.

RedlineMan

Hey Gregg;

That is a tough one. You are going to get both opinions on this. Many will say that you should NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS drive on a repaired tire. I have not done it on the track, but I've never had a plug come out of a street tire, even when it was run right down to the cords. The local NASCAR roundy round guys plug tires all the time with no ill effect, and they drive way harder than most of us ever will.

An internal patch is definitely a better choice.

You are going to have to make the call on this one. I'm not gonna say one was or the other. What's your cost/benefit ratio? It's a personal choice.

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Greg:

John is right; this IS a tough call.

FWIW, I would not drive any plugged tire at high speeds. No exceptions.

Mark in Baltimore

Why not replug it AND have it patched from the inside?

Jerry Ljung

to my limited knowledge, an internal patch has a compund "string" attached , used to pull the patch snugly to the center of the repair. clipped off flush with the tread when all done, it may be difficult to tell an internal patch from a plug. ask the tire store to show you one of their internal patches.. if they don't have any, well.

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Hi Mark:

Two issues here:

1) Plugs require a hole and IMHO thats not safe for extended high speed driving. I've seen plugs fail when the tire is very hot. Remember, this is a high speed issue, only.

2) Tire balance. Placing a plug & patch at one single point on the tire carcass really plays hell with tire balance. Its doable, but certainly far from ideal.

Tires are THE single component that holds your car to the road and the consequences of any failure can be catastrophic. Since I've seen this happen a few times and have lost some friends in high speed accidents, I consider tires the top priority of safety and I will not use any plugged tires for any speed work.

For around town commuter driving, no isses if its repaired correctly.

Its just me,....

Mark in Baltimore

Steve,

Thankyousir!

Greg Wood

This is the info I got back from their consumer affairs folks - Kinda makes sense. If it goes anywhere it will be on the rear and time to start shopping for some new track tires.

Thanks for all the input.

Their reply:

The plug that you are seeing is actually a filler. The repair is done from the inside by taking the tire off of the wheel. A patch is used in all repairs. The puncture hole is drilled out to remove any contaminants and damaged cords then a filler put in. A patch is then added. A patch without a filler will still allow water and contaminants to enter the hole which will cause the steel cords to rust and possibly lead to tire failure The fabric cords will also act as a wick drawing moisture into the tire. We do this type of repair as it is the only procedure recommended by the RMA (Rubber Manufacturers Association).
This method of repair is the only way to keep the speed rating and also the integrity of the tire intact.

Chris Picklo

I wouldn't risk hitting the wall at 80 mph over it. That's my worst nightmare - I'd say replace it!

cdp