I bought 4x 335/18 A6s from John Berget a couple weeks ago and finally got them mounted/balanced last week... When I checked them this morning both had lost a significant amount of air. Upon taking them back to the shop that mounted them, the techs explained that one was remounted with no leaks but the second had a pinhole puncture in the sidewall.

I then called John B, who was very professional and said that he would send me out a replacement when he got one in stock. However he also said that if the tire wasnt losing more than a few PSI ever hour it would be safe for use. This last part was extremely disconcerting because it seems like a load of ****. Make no mistake, I'm not trying to badmouth JB in the slightest because I have (and will) order more tires from him, but I cant image how his advice makes any sense at all.

Or am I just crazy for thinking that a pinhole leak in a sidewall indicates an unsafe tire?

 

I've never had a Goodyear slick (or Hoosier or Cooper for that matter) that didn't lose air overnight.

 

+1

I have a set of Hoosier wets that loose about 1lb/hr right through the sidewall as well, and they haven't caused any problems in the 3 years I've run them like that. Given that they're autocross only, I'm not as concerned about it from a safety perspective though - I wouldn't run them on a full track like that.

Is the pinhole leak from actual sidewall damage? Is it actually leaking through the sidewall itself, or just through the tire bead? Since you mention A6's - are these for autocross use or for road racing? If it's just leaking through the bead, or if you're just doing autocross, I wouldn't worry about it. If there's sidewall damage and you're racing on them, then I wouldn't use them.

 

I've heard of small leaks over long periods of time (6+ weeks) but not anything like this

The tires/wheels were stored in my garage, not even mounted on the car.. One was completely flat while the other lost about 10lbs of pressure in only a few days with no weight on them

They will be used for a few DEs to get the suspension and engine dialed in correctly then straight to the races... so leaks are a no-no

tire techs said that there was a pinhole leak on the sidewall, not the bead.

 

...anyone else had issues or experiences with leaking hohos?

 

I have. Some hold air for long periods of time, and others seem to lose more than a few lbs overnight. For fun, trying spreading some dish detergent & water solution on the sidewalls. I've had some tires actually create foam in a few minutes.

 

Funny you mention that... dish detergent method is how I located the leak after re-inflating the tires.. thought it was just the soap bubbling but after 5 minutes I knew something was up.

So I guess my new question would be: even though they leak (~5psi per night) they are safe for track use?

 

Absolutely safe. The miniscule loss of air over the course of a session is meaningless. For a data point, I once ran a race where I later found that one of my rear wheels had broken 4 bolts and though I started with the proper pressure, I finished the 90 minute enduro with 17 lbs in the left rear. And I was wondering why at mid race it started rotating nicely through the carrousel and keyhole (Mid-Ohio).

 

I would guess it's ok, but I haven't seen the tire or a photo. The tire losing a couple - five pounds over night isn't the end of the world though.

 

I too wouldn't be so concerned with the air loss (you shouldn't even loose a full pound in a session), so long as the structure of the tire was sound. If the pinhole was caused by a puncture, I'd be nervous of if a band in the sidewall was suspect as well. If it's just a manufacturing defect and the tire structure is sound, then I wouldn't worry about it (beyond checking the tire pressures every session, which you should do anyways).

 

With an actual puncture like you originally stated.
I think it's a risk vs reward thing also, if the questionable tire was on my Spec Miata playing around on a DE weekend I would run it and be very careful. If it were on my Cup car with a National Championship title at hand, then I would replace them.

If it's a few lbs overnight from the side of the rim or permeating thru the rubber then it's ok. Some tires just seem to do that.

 

Went to the shop today and saw the puncture...

 

For me, I'd replace it. A puncture like that can only get worse, possibly leaking faster while you drive and the sidewall starts to flex as you corner. Just not worth the risk.

 

That's an actual puncture, not a "leaky tire." I personally wouldn't run that.

 

That be a Puncture Hole... John B is a great guy and stands behind what he provides and will work with anyone that is having trouble. Just, keep in mind... You are buying USED tires.