Tire shop said they can't patch my tire


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Old 10-04-16, 06:00 AM
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Tire shop said they can't patch my tire

I've been successful installing plugs in my own tires for at least 25 years but THIS time the plug didn't stop the leak (slow leak from a nail in the tread). I took it to the chain store where I always buy my tires and was told it's impossible to patch from the inside once a plug as been installed from the outside. No option given except to replace the tire.

Why can't the plug be snipped off & a patch installed?
 
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Old 10-04-16, 06:02 AM
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Did you try using sealant along with your plug?
 
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Old 10-04-16, 06:06 AM
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You might try going to a different store. How big was the nail/hole?
 
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Old 10-04-16, 06:22 AM
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They probably won't do it because of liability, and they make more $$$ selling new tires. I'd also go to another shop if you don't want to try it again with sealant.
 
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Old 10-04-16, 06:59 AM
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Re-patch it again DIY? This time, use full plug length instead of half? (ha ha, that's what i do.)
 
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Old 10-04-16, 09:30 AM
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I've had it take more than one plug on occasion. As X said, the sealant (I use rubber cement) is essential.
 
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Old 10-04-16, 12:16 PM
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I use the regular rope plug meant for steel-belted radials, and use rubber cement. Also reamed the hole out because the nail hole was very small. I've done this many times and never had a problem but this time the cement that I used was Slime brand and much thinner than the Vector Brand I normally. It's possible that the cement blew out when I added air to the tire, I really don't know.
 
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Old 10-04-16, 12:21 PM
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Anyways it sounds like we all agree the tire shop is giving me a line of BS.
I really can't complain because they're replacing a $120 Tire with an identical new one for $34. If it was any more than that I would have taken it home and try a new plug.
 
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Old 10-05-16, 06:54 AM
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While I was sitting at Discount Tire waiting for my discounted tire to be installed I did some Googling. Turns out the gooey rope plugs I've been using (and seen used) are controversial and not approved by NHTSA, DOT or RMA (Rubber Manufacturer's Assoc.). All the reputable sources I checked said the only proper way to plug a puncture in a car tire tread is with a patch on the inside AND a plug through the tread. I guess the practice of using sticky rope plugs ONLY is one of those things that just because it's worked for me (and maybe most of you) for 30 years doesn't mean it's right.

It's still debatable whether my tire couldn't be "properly" repaired after my failed DIY attempt, though I still don't see why not. I think they just didn't want to honor their "lifetime repair warranty".
 
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Old 10-05-16, 07:23 AM
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It's always been debatable whether the plugs are sufficient but many of us have had good results with them and keep fixing our own flats that way.

Someone once posted (Mark, maybe?) about finding something like 30 plugs in a tire once when they unmounted it to replace it.
 
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Old 10-05-16, 07:43 AM
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I have been successfully plugging my own tires for a long time, although I do remember one that I kept repeating the same mistake on, just one of those days I guess, so once I realized what I was doing wrong I broke it down, removed something like 4 or 5 plugs that I had managed to lose inside, put it back together and was good to go. It's one of those things that is easy enough, but thankfully doesn't come up often enough to hold the knack.
 
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Old 10-05-16, 09:38 AM
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I think they've always claimed that those plugs are just a temporary fix but most of us have used them with no issues ..... and yes it was me that had a tire on an old work truck than had 30+/- plugs
 
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Old 10-05-16, 05:36 PM
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It's still debatable whether my tire couldn't be "properly" repaired after my failed DIY attempt, though I still don't see why not. I think they just didn't want to honor their "lifetime repair warranty".
If repairs are included in the warranty I would never have tried a DIY repair in the first place.
 
  #14  
Old 10-07-16, 04:06 PM
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You already opened the hole up. Safety and liability reasons why they wont. Honesty,I wouldn't mess with it either.
 
 

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