# Where does a tire's sidewall end and the trad begin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [July 2, 2016, 4:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716 "2016-07-02T04:58:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bzb882](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@bzb882](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bzb882)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 4:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/1 "2016-07-02T04:58:43Z")
Picked up a screw today in one of the Michelin’s on my '04 Camry. The screw is in the outermost tread about 1/4" away from the channel next to it (i.e., much closer to the channel than to the sidewall). Its under a road hazard warranty, and just a few months old. I bring the tire in for repair, they say they can’t repair it, it needs to be replaced. What gives? Is this true? ---
**Author:** ![BillRussell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/billrussell/32/3179_2.png) [@BillRussell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BillRussell)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 5:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/2 "2016-07-02T05:00:30Z")
A photo would help. You can see it, the mechanic can see it, but we can’t. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 5:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/3 "2016-07-02T05:02:46Z")
If a tire shop says it should not be repaired that would be good enough for me. Is this the vehicle you wanted to have 15" and 16" wheels on? ---
**Author:** ![auto-owner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/50afbb/32.png) [@auto-owner](https://community.cartalk.com/u/auto-owner)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 5:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/4 "2016-07-02T05:11:55Z")
If the screw contacts the road I’d plug it. ---
**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:** [July 2, 2016, 5:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/5 "2016-07-02T05:16:47Z")
If it’s under a road hazard warranty and just a few months old they should be giving you a new tire under the warranty. Are they? Why would you want a plug instead? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 5:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/6 "2016-07-02T05:20:51Z")
If the puncture is in the tread section of the tire and is small enough, the tire can usually be repaired. [http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=77](http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=77) But, if the puncture is large enough, the tire might not be able to be repaired. I once had a co-worker ask me why his Prius made a clunking noise each time the tire rotated. I removed the tire and found a 3/8" dia x 3" long lag bolt stuck in the tread of the tire. So each time the tire rotated, the bolt got pushed up into the wheel causing the clunking noise. It took an impact gun to remove the lag bolt. And the tire had to be replaced. Tester ---
**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:** [July 2, 2016, 5:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/7 "2016-07-02T05:47:03Z")
The bias ply belts determine the tread. The sidewalls have only the radial plies which don’t handle patches or plugs well. ---
**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:** [July 2, 2016, 5:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/8 "2016-07-02T05:59:27Z")
The outer tread block is not repairable. The repairable area is the outer tread groves and the tread between them; ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/8/8e4f7b0f6dc9fcc670ca4346ae2fb0c4b1a40a73.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![bzb882](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@bzb882](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bzb882)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 6:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/9 "2016-07-02T06:01:50Z")
I’m not opposed to getting a new tire. What burns me up is that I’ve done business with this shop for 30 years plus. He tells me I have to come back tomorrow with the car so he can verify the mileage. I ask if I can call home and get the mileage, he says not. The car’s an '04 with 114,000 miles on it. He knows what the mileage was when I bought the tires on 2/20/2016. He has the tire, so I can’t take pics unless I take the tire back, and now that I’ve taken out the spare and put it on, what’s the point? ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 6:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/10 "2016-07-02T06:11:58Z")
If you have a road hazard warranty, it should cover the cost of a new tire, minus usage. Usage can be calculated by either miles driven/warranted miles or remaining tread depth/new tread depth. He may be required to see the odometer to confirm mileage. If the tires had a 80k mile warranty and you have driven 4k, you would expect to pay about 5% of the cost of a new tire, although _sometimes_ the first 10% or first 2/32" of tread depth doesn’t count and you get the tire free of charge. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 6:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/11 "2016-07-02T06:15:16Z")
The point is that the dealer has to sign a statement as to the tires tread depth and the vehicles mileage at the time of replacing the damaged tire. He cannot just take your mileage over the phone and risk losing the ability to handle warranty problems. We live in a world of rules. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 6:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/12 "2016-07-02T06:20:18Z")
2 Tire shops agreed this was toast. Nail in sidewall by strap, as Fri ninght for saturday vacation drivr, mounted the spare then a replacement tire, ---
**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:** [July 2, 2016, 6:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/13 "2016-07-02T06:23:22Z")
They want to see the vehicle in a effort to control fraud. There are people who will drop off their neighbors tire for a free replacement. ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/14 "2016-07-02T17:55:15Z")
**“We live in a world of rules.”** Yes we do…and they are making more and more of them every day. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 6:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/15 "2016-07-02T18:11:45Z")
Often, more rules are a result of more creative criminal activities, like the tire fraud mentioned above. Should we just accept the criminal’s word for everything and make the cost of goods and services skyrocket for all of us? Proving a problem exits seems like a small price to pay for warranty service. ---
**Author:** ![Sloepoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sloepoke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Sloepoke)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 6:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/16 "2016-07-02T18:37:19Z")
I think those of us that are honest tend to forget all the scammers & get frustrated at some of the hoops we have to jump through because of them . ---
**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:** [July 2, 2016, 7:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/17 "2016-07-02T19:05:10Z")
This reminds me that it appears the price of a great deal of consumer purchases are greatly increased by the efforts to stop shop lifting. The packaging that is a challenge to open together with tell-tales to trigger the exit sensors seem to often be more costly than the product. What is it costing US to prevent pilferring and fraud? ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/18 "2016-07-02T19:15:33Z")
Like some of the cough medicines Because dopefiends have figured out how to mix up the stuff and come up with their fix and even sell it, everybody is pretty much supposed to “register on the watchlist” if they want to get some of that stuff to legitimately help their cough I remember one time they wanted to have me sign some bs paperwork in order to get some cough medication. I told them I’d rather suffer, rather than agree to be on their stupid watchlist. And I left It shouldn’t have to be like that Or one time I went to the pharmacy to pick up some deodorant, razor blades, and a 6pack of beer. They tried to card me! I’m in my mid 40s and don’t look like some silly underage youngster any more. Not even close. If anything, I look like the parent of one of those underage drinkers. I told them they obviously don’t want my business and left. I walked to the store next door and bought all that stuff, and wasn’t carded. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 12:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/19 "2016-07-03T00:27:13Z")
I bought almost $1500.00 of liquor and wine at one time for my daughter’s wedding two weeks ago ( I bought $350 of beer later). I’m 63, and they carded me. I’ve shopped at this liquor superstore, and I know they card everyone. I just smiled when they asked for my driver’s license. In addition to asking how much it costs for theft avoidance technology, you should wonder how much is lost to theft. My only I married daughter worked at a women’s lingerie store while in college. She said that the thieves were well organized and well trained. Several would show up at the store at the same time with their own large shopping bags, stuff them, then leave. All in a minute or two. If a store loses 10% of their product to theft consistently, they will charge us honest customers 110% of the price without the theft tax. ---
**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:** [July 3, 2016, 12:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716/20 "2016-07-03T00:52:13Z")
The 2 local McParts stores that I have done considerable business with over the years had shelf shrinkage below 1% for years. I was amazed but saw their inventory reports. In recent years both stores have had a great deal of turnover and have new managers so I don’t know how tightly they currently run things. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/where-does-a-tires-sidewall-end-and-the-trad-begin/93716.md?page=2)