# Tire repair **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [August 30, 2014, 5:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893 "2014-08-30T17:14:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bossgt1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba9def/32.png) [@bossgt1982](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bossgt1982)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 5:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/1 "2014-08-30T17:14:12Z")
Picked up a nail in the meaty part of the tread and I plugged it until I was able to get it patched.I went to a large tire dealer and they would not remove the plug and patch it from the inside.They guy said I ruined the tire and wanted to sell me one cheap new tire. ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 5:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/2 "2014-08-30T17:19:25Z")
go to a small independent shop ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/3 "2014-08-30T17:22:42Z")
I agree. Find another shop. ---
**Author:** ![Yosemite](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/yosemite/32/643_2.png) [@Yosemite](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Yosemite)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/4 "2014-08-30T17:37:41Z")
@WESW & @Bustedknuckles are right. The tire dealed wants to make more on selling you a tire. Then it will be mounting fees a new valve stem and it is fall…it’s time for the winter blend air. Find a independent shop. Even a “Farm Supply” store will patch tires. Yosemite ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/5 "2014-08-30T17:45:17Z")
I think that the OP’s mistake is in wanting the plug removed. If I was in his situation, I would go to an independent tire store and ask them to patch the tire from the inside with the existing plug remaining in place. ---
**Author:** ![Yosemite](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/yosemite/32/643_2.png) [@Yosemite](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Yosemite)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 6:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/6 "2014-08-30T18:05:13Z")
If this were the case. Why didv he tell him that he had riuned the tire and needed a new tire. Maybe he didn’t explain himself. “If I remove the plug it will weaken the structure of the tire. I could leave the plug in…grind down the plug from the inside and then patch it.” Yosemite ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/7 "2014-08-30T18:38:46Z")
If the plug was properly installed it’ll last the life of the tire. In over 45 years of car ownership, I’ve never had a plug fail. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 8:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/8 "2014-08-30T20:04:43Z")
Technically, no tire manufacturer allows a rope plug as repair, even temporarily. Technically it’s possible that the tire is damaged beyond safe repair, either from the nail punture or the plug insertion. Technically the tire plugs at Harbor Freight or Oreilly’s aren’t nearly as good as the ones at the corner service station. But the only way to tell any of this for sure is to remove the plug and inspect the tire. I’d find another shop. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 9:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/9 "2014-08-30T21:23:34Z")
The tire dealer is just covering their own hiney because things like this are a huge liability issue. It might be noted that on some of those tire plug repair kits sold at various retailers are not recommended for use on automobile street tires; only for use on ATVs, lawn tractors, etc, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/10 "2014-08-30T22:37:47Z")
Tire dealers follow the Rubber Manufactures Association guidelines for tire repair; [http://www.rma.org/tire-safety/tire-repair/](http://www.rma.org/tire-safety/tire-repair/) The following statement can be found here, [http://www.rma.org/wp-content/uploads/puncture\_repair\_handout.pdf](http://www.rma.org/wp-content/uploads/puncture_repair_handout.pdf) **NEVER repair a tire that has an existing, improper repair; the tire must be scrapped** ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/11 "2014-08-30T22:41:15Z")
improper is a subjective term… ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 10:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/12 "2014-08-30T22:42:10Z")
most chains won t patch anything anymore, independent shops usually will ---
**Author:** ![bossgt1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba9def/32.png) [@bossgt1982](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bossgt1982)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/13 "2014-08-30T23:54:20Z")
Tire is holding air all I wanted was a patch from the inside but I think they just wanted to sell me a tire.He didn’t even care that I would have mismatched tires. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 12:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/14 "2014-08-31T00:47:13Z")
I think that there was a roughly 30 million dollar judgement against a tire store and Goodyear a few years back because of a tire patch so yes, a store should be overly cautious. The sad (pathetic IMO) part is that the accident happened a year after the patch and was more than likely not even related to the patch. It was more than likely related to an overloaded vehicle crossing the desert in summertime on an underinflated tire when the sidewall gave out. The tire was shredded and the fact that the store touched the tire at all was enough cause… ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/15 "2014-08-31T01:43:46Z")
Like so many issues it is easy to put opinions on tire repairs in absolute terms when discussing them here but in the real world there is a great deal of leeway. And quite a few tires are patched before they leave the factory due to drill bits being broken off in the molds. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 4:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/16 "2014-08-31T04:10:25Z")
That’s why I keep my own plugs at home. I suppose I should put them in my car, but they are so gooey and difficult to handle when they are not. I’ve taken to storing them in the freezer to make them easy to thread into the insertion tool. SHHHH! Don’t tell Mrs. JT! ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 4:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/17 "2014-08-31T04:17:20Z")
lol jt ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 4:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/18 "2014-08-31T04:35:20Z")
We have become a nation of lawsuit adverse wimps! ---
**Author:** ![MY\_2\_CENTS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@MY\_2\_CENTS](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MY_2_CENTS)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 5:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/19 "2014-08-31T05:35:35Z")
I’ve been using tire plugs forever and like the same mountainbike I’ve never had a failure. The key to a successful repair is to very carefully observe the angle of the nail as you pull it out, then push the reamer in and then the plug in at the same angle. I’ve seen people push the reamer and plug in perpendicular to the tread regardless of the angle of the nail. This just makes a mess of the hole. Also, you need to recognize the limits of a plug as to the size of the hole. ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 5:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893/20 "2014-08-31T05:45:47Z")
a lot depends on the quality of the plug too. they aren t all the same… [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-repair/86893.md?page=2)