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OT- is it true that a small hole in the sidewall of a modern tire is unfixable ?

Milacron

Milacron

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 15, 2000
Location
SC, USA
Hit a pothole Saturday night on a commercial paved road leading to the supermarket. Only going maybe 20 mph but pressure went from 35 to 0 psi in less than a minute. Changed to spare and went home, next day discover the hole on backside of sidewall. Tried the usual sealer sticky rope trick but still leaks. Now two tire companies tell me can't repair a sidewall hole. Naturally this was a fairy new expensive Michelin, size 225/45R7 91W.

Could see it it if it was a large rip but is even a small hole hopeless on a modern tire sidewall ? Heck even a patch inside and out would be ok looks wise since it's on the backside...

And do no tubes exist for this sort of thing anymore ?

2011 Mercedes SLK300 if it matters.
 
any defect in a sidewall makes the tire trash. Tire shops are usually prohibited from even thinking about repairing a sidewall.

I had a pinhole in the side of a front tractor tire. Nobody would touch it, even though it was on a tractor that never sees the road. I finally found a guy who put a tube in it. The tube started working it's way out the hole. Tire looked like it had a tumor.
Didn't work.
 
Milacron said:
Hit a pothole Saturday night on a commercial paved road leading to the supermarket. Only going maybe 20 mph but pressure went from 35 to 0 psi in less than a minute. Changed to spare and went home, next day discover the hole on backside of sidewall. Tried the usual sealer sticky rope trick but still leaks. Now two tire companies tell me can't repair a sidewall hole. Naturally this was a fairy new expensive Michelin, size 225/45R7 91W.

Could see it it if it was a large rip but is even a small hole hopeless on a modern tire sidewall ? Heck even a patch inside and out would be ok looks wise since it's on the backside...

And do no tubes exist for this sort of thing anymore ?

2011 Mercedes SLK300 if it matters.
Click to expand...

.
with lawyers and if it failed suddenly (at 60 mph) and car rolls over and starts on fire and everybody dies possibly your car hitting another car and they die or permanently crippled and in agony from 3rd degree burns
.
new tire looks pretty cheap...... its like high strength steel bolts. when they fail they normally just snap or fail suddenly with no warning
 
That sidewall does allot of work these days.

Every tire place I have been to (and a local tire repair supplier)

Will only repair in the tread area.

There are the hot molding clamp type machines/repairs, however
the additional rubber on the sidewall (the inside) will be a wee
bit stiffer there, and will cause a vibration.

I only see sidewall repairs done on very large off road loader and rock truck tires.
 
The sidewall is the structural member of the tire. It has a lot of nylon reinforcements in it. If they are cut or damaged, no one will likely fix it anyways. It's more of a $ issue, it's not worth fixing a $200 tire and be liable for a $20,000 accident

Sent from my 2PS64 using Tapatalk
 
Not sure how you'll stand in the US but I had a pin hole in the side wall of a Michelin (225/45 R17) last year and the tire was just a month old. The fitter had difficulty initially finding the leak and told me that it was unusal.

He said I could have the tire checked by Mitchelin at no expense and if it was found to be at fault I'd get a full refund (Yea right)...

Well, bought a new tire and thought nothing more .... 6 weeks later I got a full refund from Mitchelin via the tire supplier :D:D

Worth a try?

John:typing:
 
Bondo said:
The sidewall is the structural member of the tire. It has a lot of nylon reinforcements in it. If they are cut or damaged, no one will likely fix it anyways. It's more of a $ issue, it's not worth fixing a $200 tire and be liable for a $20,000 accident

Sent from my 2PS64 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
.
probably like a nylon lifting strap with a cut in it. nobody going to fix it and all experts will say to throw it away and get a new one. if you pick up 5 tons and strap fails suddenly the new nylon strap cost looks cheap
 
Milacron said:
Michelin, size 225/45R7 91W.

Could see it it if it was a large rip but is even a small hole hopeless on a modern tire sidewall ? Heck even a patch inside and out would be ok looks wise since it's on the backside...

2011 Mercedes SLK300 if it matters.
Click to expand...

Which vehicle does matter.

For this one, a patch is OK so long as it is for display, not actual use on the roads.

Sidewall repairs for auto / light truck of even a neat pinhole pretty much exited the building with bias-ply tires and 45 MPH top speeds, "farm use" and such.

Whether you drive the Benz that way or not, your Benz has a high top-speed capability and tires to match.

That "W" rating part. Sustained 168 MPH for 24 hrs at max rated load.

With no potholes, of course!

:(

If it is this one - the OEM - the tire is not all that expensive compared to some other choices, your car. Or mine.

I pay Tirerack more for the XJ8-L's Conti's or even those I run on the white-bread 2005 Town & Country van.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...z&autoYear=2011&autoModel=SLK300&autoModClar=

The included road-hazard protection might have covered part of the cost of new.

I've been dealing with Tirerack since their Big Bang, but I wear tires out or shred what came on it that I have no papers for - have never had to "test" that road-hazard coverage.

Someone else here will have, I'm sure.
 
Not only will no tire pro patch a damaged sidewall but even if they did I wouldn't want to drive on it. As others have said, especially with radials, this is a high stress area and any weakness could cause a blowout. Since this damage is the result of jagged pavement the damage you can see is likely only part of it with more damage not visible to the naked eye.

I feel your pain. I once lost 2 tires on the same side to a city pothole that was not easily visible. Like you I was going slow but it ruined both tires just the same.

Sometimes you can make a claim against the entity that owns the road and get at least partial compensation but that varies greatly from one area to another. I would also check with your insurance company and if there is a road hazard clause in the tire sale documents.

PS: A tube in a modern roadgoing tire? :eek:

Only would consider that in a survival situation where it was patch the tire and limp home or sit in the middle of nowhere and wait to die. Getting rid of tubes was one of the greatest safety improvements in the automotive world. Prior to tubeless tires there were some horrendous accidents when a tube failed suddenly. It was a significant cause of highway fatalities back in the day.
 
Come on now! You can afford that fancy pants Benz but not a new tire? no one will fix a side wall issue, The side wall is way too thin and chances are good you damaged a few cords. you never want to run a tube even if one is available in the size because of heat build up as the tire and tube rube on each other. Time for a new one, with a road hazard warranty.
 
You can fix this.I spent 20 years working in the gehto.Tire punctures were part of the job.If you go to a typical suburban tire shop ,you are looking at a half million dollar shop on an expensive commercial street. They WILL NOT do a 15 to 30 dollar job like fixing a flat,They will go broke. Don't blame it on the lawyers .I have fixed 3 or 4 sidewall flats and many tread flats.NO FAIL METHOD.REAM HOLE OUT WITH GLUE AND REAMER.USE 8 INCH ROPE,GO IN DEEP AND ROTATE NEEDLE TOOL ONE AND A HALF REVOLUTIONS,PULL BACK OUT UNTIL YOU FEEL THE TWIST. cUT OFF AND FILL TIRE.yOU NOW HAVE 4 ROPES IN THE HOLE.If its in the side wall I leave the ugly thing sticking out and even draw a yellow circle around it just because. Of all the dangerous things a human can do in life ,I think the least dangerous is fixing a tire. Edwin Dirnbeck
aa3c597d1dc150c6d33d4b850239632c.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
IME its not even a case of the risks, or the risk of sudden failure, patches in side walls just don’t hold up for long do to the flexing. Most patches realy dont stick all that well and rely a lot more on the actual internal pressure than most people wish they did.
 
there is just way too much flexing in the sidewall
had similar thing on the wife's car tire was flat
put air in it and sidewall was leaking, new tires wasn't even any though about a patch.
 
edwin dirnbeck said:
You can fix this
aa3c597d1dc150c6d33d4b850239632c.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


He said he tried it already and it leaks. I used to get a lot of static from the used car manager ( only one molecule higher thand pond scum ) trying to save the cost of a replacement tire. I never caved in to the pressure. This all started when a family tire business was lost in a $10 million liability suit over a tire plug failure. It is the state of the tire business at this point. The size of the hole is limited to less than 1/4” in the allowable tread section too.
Joe
 
The above replies are utter BS. While most tire shops want to sell you a new tire, there are at least a couple where I live that will repair them with a radial tire patch (called a boot).

Working in the oilfield, I typically get at least several flats per year. I've had several radial sidewalls fixed and guess what? NONE of them blew out, NONE of them leaked, in fact, the patches all held up until the tread was worn out. Oh, I drive the speed limit which is 75-80 MPH here, and it's not unusual to drive 200-300 miles per day at those speeds.

Think of it this way: did the tire blow out when you got the hole in it? If not, why would it blow out if the patch were to come loose and open the hole again??? That's right, IT WON'T!

On a related note, NEVER use a plug to patch a tire!!! It can let air leak between the plies and cause a bubble, which can lead to tread separation, etc. I found this out the hard way when Discount Tire put a plug in one of my $400 Michelins. Discount Tire SUCKS!
 
edwin dirnbeck said:
You can fix this.I spent 20 years working in the gehto.Tire punctures were part of the job.If you go to a typical suburban tire shop ,you are looking at a half million dollar shop on an expensive commercial street. They WILL NOT do a 15 to 30 dollar job like fixing a flat,They will go broke. Don't blame it on the lawyers .I have fixed 3 or 4 sidewall flats and many tread flats.NO FAIL METHOD.REAM HOLE OUT WITH GLUE AND REAMER.USE 8 INCH ROPE,GO IN DEEP AND ROTATE NEEDLE TOOL ONE AND A HALF REVOLUTIONS,PULL BACK OUT UNTIL YOU FEEL THE TWIST. cUT OFF AND FILL TIRE.yOU NOW HAVE 4 ROPES IN THE HOLE.If its in the side wall I leave the ugly thing sticking out and even draw a yellow circle around it just because. Of all the dangerous things a human can do in life ,I think the least dangerous is fixing a tire. Edwin Dirnbeck
Click to expand...

I can say this kit has got me out of trouble twice with car tires (NOt sidewalls) even though I bought the kit for my motor bike. REALLY recommended! :D

John:typing:
 
Over here, patches/plugs are only allowed in the central 3/4 of the tread area.

Never seen any tests that show the risk of patching the sidewall of a radial ply tyre, but I guess that they've been done.
 
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