Opinions/advice on tire repair

[Jonas]

Hey gang. I recently picked up a screw? bolt? something in my rear passenger side tire. I discovered it from the noise it was making that would get faster as I drove faster. It's right in the middle of the tread. The tire didn't lose any air, but obviously needs to be fixed or replaced.

I have used tire slime with great success in the past, but this is my first car with TPMS, although the current slime claims to be safe for that. I also have one of those old school plug kits with the spike, gooey "rope" things, cement, etc.

The tire is near maybe half it's life span, so I'd rather not replace it unless I have to or really should.

As in the title, any advice, opinions, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

At least the protrusion should be easy to remove with a socket wrench haha.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I’d say that’s patchable. I’d find a reputable shop in your area to do it. I would let them take it out though as some don’t want to do it if the object has already been removed and even more won’t touch it if the hole is plugged already so I would not do either of those. You could buy a plug kit and plug it but then a shop won’t likely repair it later on.

 

[atikovi]

Are you sure it has even penetrated the tire? A proper repair would be to remove the tire from the wheel and patch the hole from the inside. A rope plug from the outside might be worth a shot if you want to give it a try.

 

[gman2304]

I would plug that in a skinny minute.

 

[AutoMechanic]

If it didn’t puncture the inside I’d say twist it out and maybe put a plug in it just to keep the moisture from getting in there further.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Slime is for emergency use just to get you off the side of the road. It's not intended to be a permanent fix for an automotive tire.

That looks entirely fixable if done correctly with a plug and a patch.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Repair it the correct way, PATCH IT!

 

[Jonas]

Thanks for all the replies. It may have been a false alarm. I just backed the screw out with a screwdriver and no air escaped, so I guess it didn't penetrate all the way. It was in the thickest part of the tread, fortunately. Probably ok?

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Slime can throw a tire out of balance. It's strictly temporary. Also some flat-fix products in the past were (somemight still be) flammable and can endanger tire shop personnel when demounting the tire, so you need to let the shop know you used the stuff.

Generally slime, etc., has to be physically wiped out of the tire after demounting before proper repair. Tire shops hate that.

Since the screw didn't perforate the tire, you're probably okay. Keep an eye on the pressure for the next few weeks just in case.

 

[CharBaby]

I'd remove the screw and plug the tire.

 

[Donald]

Are you sure it has even penetrated the tire? A proper repair would be to remove the tire from the wheel and patch the hole from the inside. A rope plug from the outside might be worth a shot if you want to give it a try.

Patch from inside.

 

[billt460]

I also have one of those old school plug kits with the spike, gooey "rope" things, cement, etc.

When I was younger in high school, I worked part time at a service station. (Remember when they were called that?) I repaired countless tread punctures with those plugs. We never once got one back with a leak. It is the fastest and easiest way to repair a puncture. And you can do it yourself in just a few minutes with the wheel on the vehicle.

It's always best if afterward you allow the vehicle to sit for an hour, to allow the cement to cure. But that is not totally necessary. The only time we would do that is in below freezing weather. We would keep it on the rack in a warm service bay for 15 minutes or so.

 

[atikovi]

I'd remove the screw and plug the tire.

Patch from inside.

Dude already said it didn't go all the way into the tire. Don't people read all the replies before posting their own? Oh wait....never mind, this is BITOG.

Thanks for all the replies. It may have been a false alarm. I just backed the screw out with a screwdriver and no air escaped, so I guess it didn't penetrate all the way. It was in the thickest part of the tread, fortunately. Probably ok?

 

[Pelican]

To do a proper patch as Atikovi said, would involve a fair amount of time and consequently $$ as that is not a small screw/hole.
Would you want to spend that on a tire that has 50% tread left and should be replaced sooner than that or put that money toward a new one?
Only you can answer that.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

PATCH IT!

How To Repair A Tire | Sullivan Tire and Auto Service

Tires need to be repaired from the inside out and for your safety, never use a tire plug. Learn how to repair a tire for good with Sullivan Tire.

www.sullivantire.com

 

[atikovi]

Patch what? Will a tire shop patch a tire without a puncture?

 

[Shel_B]

Even though the screw didn't penetrate the tire completely, it may have penetrated deeply enough to damage the belts or the cord. Were it my tire, I'd take it to a reputable tire repair shop and have them assess and/or repair the problem. If you're a tire expert, maybe you can make your own assessment of the tire's condition, but I don't think you are an expert otherwise you'd not be asking so basic a question on an oil-oriented board.

That said, I should note that I am quite conservative when it comes to repairs and maintenance, especially of my car's important systems, and tires are right up towards the top of importance for me. I don't want to deal with a flat or a damaged tire if it can be avoided, and I certainly don't want to put my sweetie through the hassle of a roadside breakdown. Some people like to roll the dice, even if they're loaded.

 

[CharBaby]

Although I agree that an inside patch or even better, a plug-patch is the optimal tire repair, I’ve been plugging tires(patching too) for ~50 years and I have never, ever, ever had a single issue with a plug on a customer’s tire nor any of my own…*WHEN IT CAN BE DONE. I mean, ya gotta use good judgment. If plugging isn’t doable, I simply don’t attempt it!

 

[bdcardinal]

One thing, if you do use the slime and take it in to a shop PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell them it is in there. It makes a giant mess as soon as you break the bead and the fumes are very strong. When there is slime in the tire you are supposed to inflate and deflate teh tire at least 3 times to get the fumes out. Then they can have rags ready when the bead is broken to collect the mess of slime that will come out.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

Hey gang. I recently picked up a screw? bolt? something in my rear passenger side tire. I discovered it from the noise it was making that would get faster as I drove faster. It's right in the middle of the tread. The tire didn't lose any air, but obviously needs to be fixed or replaced.

I have used tire slime with great success in the past, but this is my first car with TPMS, although the current slime claims to be safe for that. I also have one of those old school plug kits with the spike, gooey "rope" things, cement, etc.

The tire is near maybe half it's life span, so I'd rather not replace it unless I have to or really should.

As in the title, any advice, opinions, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

At least the protrusion should be easy to remove with a socket wrench haha.

Most reputable tire shops have signs stating "no plugging of tires allowed" for years now. There are two options. They used to offer what was supposed to be safer repair called a "plug / patch." I think they did away with those too. Now they do a simple patch repair. I have used plugs for years and carried a plug patch kit for travelling in my off road hunting and fishing vehicles. A lot of folks will go berserk and say how safe and great a plug is. Well, maybe they are but all the tire shops I know of for last several years refuse to fix a tire with one or work on one (balance or remount) if there is a plug. That tire looks like its still good and a patch will make it as safe as before.