Plugging/Patching a Tire. New Rules?

S

Steel Valley FB

Well-known member
I suspected a couple years ago that Costco and Goodyear were just trying to sell me a new tire rather than do a simple plug or patch. I currently have a screw in my rear tire causing a slow leak and AAA said they no longer plug tires on service calls; they now only inflate or tow to a tire shop. NTB told me yesterday they couldn’t repair it due to the new rules by the tire manufacturers. One guy came out privately to my car and said he‘d fix a problem like mine without question on his own car or a friend’s car at his house, but the new liability rules won‘t allow him to do it in the store.

So, has anyone plugged a tire hole at home with a kit from the auto parts store with good results? These tires are new with about 3000 miles on them and it would piss me off if I have to replace it completely. Any advice on a DIY repair would be greatly appreciated.
 
 
Steel Valley FB said:
I suspected a couple years ago that Costco and Goodyear were just trying to sell me a new tire rather than do a simple plug or patch. I currently have a screw in my rear tire causing a slow leak and AAA said they no longer plug tires on service calls; they now only inflate or tow to a tire shop. NTB told me yesterday they couldn’t repair it due to the new rules by the tire manufacturers. One guy came out privately to my car and said he‘d fix a problem like mine without question on his own car or a friend’s car at his house, but the new liability rules won‘t allow him to do it in the store.

So, has anyone plugged a tire hole at home with a kit from the auto parts store with good results? These tires are new with about 3000 miles on them and it would piss me off if I have to replace it completely. Any advice on a DIY repair would be greatly appreciated.
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$9.99 kit from Autozone. Very easy to use.

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Yappi ads showing me tires now lol. I was talking with my wife in church today about loading up on ammo and an hour later Yappi ads showed me ammo. Can we talk about escort services? I’m feeling a little frisky with the end of the year and need a lead.
 
Steel Valley FB said:
Yappi ads showing me tires now lol. I was talking with my wife in church today about loading up on ammo and an hour later Yappi ads showed me ammo. Can we talk about escort services? I’m feeling a little frisky with the end of the year and need a lead.
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I am all for legalizing prostitution so sure, we can talk about escort service..... that is unless you were referring to the Ford Escort?
 
Being in construction, I do this often and keep one in my vehicles.
If it is at all in the sidewall, plan on a new tire ASAP.
Always try to get next to a air compressor before even starting unless it is leaking way too fast.
Get a good T handle type not the straight.
Get the best possible tire angle, rotation before starting.
Do not skimp on the ream job.
Spit on it when done and look for bubbles.
Keep and save extras in a plastic bag to prevent dust and drying.
 
gneiss rocks said:
Being in construction, I do this often and keep one in my vehicles.
If it is at all in the sidewall, plan on a new tire ASAP.
Always try to get next to a air compressor before even starting unless it is leaking way too fast.
Get a good T handle type not the straight.
Get the best possible tire angle, rotation before starting.
Do not skimp on the ream job.
Spit on it when done and look for bubbles.
Keep and save extras in a plastic bag to prevent dust and drying.
Click to expand...

Also... the 'sidewall' includes about an inch into the tread from the side. Just because it's on tread doesn't mean it didn't severely compromise the sidewall. Anywhere in the middle of the tread, just patch it and go.
 
Steel Valley FB said:
I suspected a couple years ago that Costco and Goodyear were just trying to sell me a new tire rather than do a simple plug or patch. I currently have a screw in my rear tire causing a slow leak and AAA said they no longer plug tires on service calls; they now only inflate or tow to a tire shop. NTB told me yesterday they couldn’t repair it due to the new rules by the tire manufacturers. One guy came out privately to my car and said he‘d fix a problem like mine without question on his own car or a friend’s car at his house, but the new liability rules won‘t allow him to do it in the store.

So, has anyone plugged a tire hole at home with a kit from the auto parts store with good results? These tires are new with about 3000 miles on them and it would piss me off if I have to replace it completely. Any advice on a DIY repair would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
There are different grades of repair kits. I currently have a tire on a van that had a screw in it about 10 years back, the tire is a 10 ply that inflates to 80 psi. I plugged it without taking the tire off, and it has never leaked any faster than the annual 10 psi or so that every other tire on the vehicle loses as well. Done right, you absolutely should get the life out of the tire, unless like others have mentioned it is in the sidewall. On the farm, I would guess most of my vehicles have at least one plugged tire.

I'm wondering though, if the new rubber will accept the repair as readily as in the past. I posted on here in another thread that I had to get new tires on a farm pickup that had less than 20k on them and were three years old. They (Good Year Wrangler HT) were severly cracked on the outside two or three rows of tread down to where the steel bands were showing and rusting due to water and air hitting them. A blowout was nearly certain if left unchanged. Goodyear said too bad about your luck and offered to sell me replacement tires. I went to Cooper tires this time, only to learn they are owned by Goodyear as well, and the tire salesman said to expect similar 3-5 years out of the new tires. Really sucks as I drive that vehicle less than 5k per year and tires used to last me 10-20 years on my farm trucks.
 
It seems like the "near the shoulder" rule has grown to anywhere outside of the middle inch of the tire. It really grew when Goodyear started thei very short policy of free repairs. Scumbags.
 
clarkgriswold said:
It seems like the "near the shoulder" rule has grown to anywhere outside of the middle inch of the tire. It really grew when Goodyear started thei very short policy of free repairs. Scumbags.
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Is also the tire design. That sidewall structure now arcs in a lot further than before. Mostly to avoid blowouts where the sidewall meet the tread.
 
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