I want to know why I had to replace my TUBELESS tires which had punctures. Don’t drive much and tires had good tread. Can you please explain?
Punctures cause leaks, you don’t want leaky tires do you?
Only the tread area between the voids (groves) can be safely patched;
1 Like
The punctures were in an area of the tire or tires that could not be safe to plug or patch . They may have been 5 years old and had cracks on the side walls which makes them unsafe . Did you not ask the tire shop this question ? What they said could have a bearing on replies here.
1 Like
So why is tubeless capitalized? Car tires have been tubeless for over 50 years. Doesn’t make them less susceptible to punctures. And as the others have posted, some punctures can be repaired and others not.
2 Likes
I can’t see your tires from here. Could you park closer to your computer?
Seriously, however, your question should have been addressed to the folks at the tire shop who could see and examine the tires.
I agree with all that is stated above. If you want more specific information, post a picture of the remaining old tire tread on the same end of the car. That is, if you replaced a front tire, post a picture of the other front tire. Also show us, or at least describe, where the holes were. Did all four ties have puncture? Were you losing air pressure in the ones that were replaced?
Can’t get photos and the tires I replaced were RR RT and FT LFT. They were 4years & 4yr 3mo. old. My mileage (car is 4yr 5mo. today)is 16,566 today). The tread on the tires was way above the minimum. The Rear tire’s puncture was on the sidewall the front tire was on the tread just before the sidewall. I was told new cars come with mediocre tires? I am just reeling at having to replace a tire with good tread and they are telling me that is the way with tubeless tires. It feels like I bought a cadillac when I wanted a low priced vehicle.
I wanted to find out how it is possible to have tires that can need replacing any time you get a flat.
Thank you for your response. Can you explain this absurdity?
IBraun
If the tire is not repairable, it must be replaced. What good is a flat tire?
Those tires were not repairable and it doesn’t matter if it is a cheap tire or a premium tire.
1 Like
Sidewall damage cannot be safely patched. The one before the sidewall was probably too close to it to safely patch.
New cars don’t come with tires that are known for longevity…many people need to replace them by 30k miles
If the damage was in the middle of the tread it could’ve been patched. Unfortunately not in the sidewall.
Tires are a cost that’s a part of every vehicle, no matter which one you buy. Good tires aren’t usually the cheapest, and the cheapest tires aren’t usually very good.
Again (sorry to continuously repeat myself here but…), if a tire is flat due to puncture damage, it depends on where the damage is. Middle of the tread? patch it. in the sidewall? forget it
2 Likes
Vehicle price has nothing to do with repairing tires . Age is a factor in tires as well as mileage .
Take time to visit the Tirerack.com web site and you can find a lot of info . And some new vehicle come with premium tires but most do not .
The tires that come on new cars–of all makes–are selected by the vehicle mfr for…
low price
good fuel economy
low price
decent ride quality
low price
If you notice, long tread life is not one of the qualities that they seek, but that is nothing new. I vividly recall the tires that came from the factory on my father’s '66 Ford Galaxie 500, which were evenly but very badly-worn by 16k miles.
And, pyrolord’s concluding statement bears repeating because that is–ultimately–the situation that the OP was in:
And, as to…
… Mustangman already correctly pointed-out that tubeless tires have been the standard for about half a century. If the tire shop told you that the problem related to tubeless tires, they only explained half of the issue.
2 Likes
And those premium tires aren’t any more puncture resistant than regular tires, nor can they be fixed if the puncture is in the sidewall or close to it. Well, unless you get bulletproof tires with your premium Banana Republic Dictator-edition Mercedes.
1 Like
It’s mostly a matter of where you drive. My last employer had a spread out campus, and my office was at one end of the sprawl. I usually walked, but sometimes I had to carry a lot of stuff, and I drove. Going through campus meant I had to pass a metal recycling business. There were screws, bolts, nails, and other metal scrap in the road outside their building. I had a lot of flats until I started driving around the industrial park, entering from the back. I didn’t have to get close to the recycler that way. Instead of less than a minute, it took about 5 minutes, but at least my tires were OK. I wasn’t the only one. The folks that worked down there always used the rear entrance.