Looking for Input about Tire Safety

[IPreferDIY]

If I didn't have the timing chain tensioner stuff on my to do list, I probably would have jumped on the last set of wheels on Kijiji. Considering that the full-size spare is as old as the car (16 years) and won't be getting better with age, I'm just going to put it on the drive wheel (no Trac-Lok) until I'm ready for a new set. I'll try plugging the leaky one to keep as an emergency spare so I'm not entirely reliant on the mini-spare.

Thanks for all the input folks!

[GM_Guy]

Fun fact, you can still safely plug 'n patch a hole that is in the corner of the thread to sidewall. Problem is finding a shop that hasn't been paralized by legal fear. Bottom line, if it is in the thread area, it can be repaired.

[DerekTheGreat]

I would see no issue in running a tire that has been shielded from the elements..

[jaywish]

Well that does not always work. I once used a new spare that was 12 years old. It gave out after a couple of months. If the tires are really from 2004 then you probably want to consider replacing them anyway.

I would take a significantly newer tire with a plug almost any day over an older tire. Also having one new tire and three old tires does not yield the best handling.

I use plugs when I have a puncture.

Hey Alex I had never seen those plug and patch before. Kind of cool.

The only problems I have ever had with a patch is when the tech removed too much rubber from the inside of the tire.

[IPreferDIY]

I swapped in the full-size spare last Friday. I hadn't driven my car since going to Costco about a week and a half before, and the leaky one was just showing some deflation. The full-size spare had practically no air in it when I put a mini-spare in its place in the trunk some weeks ago, and I pumped up the full-size spare to ~30 PSI at that point. I didn't bother measuring it after I put it on since I had expected the pressure to go up from the weight on it and it looked okay. I hadn't checked the other ones either since Costco had just done them when they checked the leaky one. After riding around, I measured the old ones at 38 PSI and the spare at 30 PSI. This was with a fancy dial gauge that I would presume is more accurate than my cheap stick gauge, which has been measuring lower.

The handling seemed fine in terms of going straight, though I could feel the difference between the harshness from the old tires and the softness of the spare. Having new tires all around should make things a whole lot better. I tried pumping the spare up to 35 PSI, and that seemed to have a little bit of an adverse effect on the car going straight. Do these observations about pressure differences make sense? Ride quality isn't something I have a good feel for unless it's extreme.

I got around to plugging the leaky one today. The hole is near the inner edge of the first row of tread, whereas I had thought it was near the outer edge of the second row of tread. I guess I have a tactile form of dyslexia. When looking closely, I could see lots of longitudinal cracks in the spaces between the rows of treads, so the old tires are definitely done. When my father gave me the car in 2008, he told me he had gotten those tires not long before, and he still thinks that, but he must be wrong.

Interestingly, in a moment of stupidity when I hadn't realized I could not get rubber cement into a hole that has air coming out of it, some of the rubber cement got onto some of the cracks, and now it looks like the cracks are gone in that area. If I hadn't come up with a method that might keep the rest of the rubber cement from drying out in the tube, I'd be tempted to waste the rest of it on crack repair.

To keep the opened tube of rubber cement sealed tight, I put some slightly diluted Weldbond glue around the base of the cap. I had thought about silicone, but it would have been too much of a PITA. I'm going to pick up some spare tubes of rubber cement one of these days so I know I'll have something usable if I need it, but it'll be interesting to see if the opened one stays fresh.

[stinkydogfilms]

Need to be careful if tires are old. Even if the thread looks good the tires can have some rot or weakness
that can't be seen. As the tires age the rubber becomes harder and not as plyable and not grip as well as they used to.

[DerekTheGreat]

I go by the rot factor. If there's none of that then I'll run the tires. I wasn't planning on chancing my old crusty 1993 tires on our trip to FLA but just might. However I think I'll wise up and throw Ashley's newer summer set on for the trip. Be interesting to see what my Townie looks like with wire wheels in place of the turbines.

[BigT]

...Interestingly, in a moment of stupidity when I hadn't realized I could not get rubber cement into a hole that has air coming out of it, some of the rubber cement got onto some of the cracks, and now it looks like the cracks are gone in that area. If I hadn't come up with a method that might keep the rest of the rubber cement from drying out in the tube, I'd be tempted to waste the rest of it on crack repair.

To keep the opened tube of rubber cement sealed tight, I put some slightly diluted Weldbond glue around the base of the cap. I had thought about silicone, but it would have been too much of a PITA. I'm going to pick up some spare tubes of rubber cement one of these days so I know I'll have something usable if I need it, but it'll be interesting to see if the opened one stays fresh.

The only thing that gives you control of a car and is always in contact with the ground, are tires. If they are cracking, might be time for new tires. They are more important than most realize, so get the best you can afford.

That being said, are you repairing this from the inside using a round patch and cement glue? Or repairing it from the outside using a rubber hunk plug and a T-tool, like a big sewing needle?

I’ve only used cement glue for an inside repair. If the hole is too big for a rubber plug (repaired from outside), than it’s time for a new tire.

[Mainemantom]

Unless a person is doing nothing but putting around town at low speed, get rid of tires over 10 years old. I have seen too many accidents that could have been prevented if the vehicle had good tires. The worst was a fatal where seven people died because of one bad tire. Speed and heat build up are the biggest factors in tire failures. I don't know if anyone remembers the Firestone 500 tires in the late 70s. They were famous in coming apart, and they were recalled. I had four fail in one day. If at all possible, use a repaired tire only as a spare. If more people checked the tire pressure regularly, less tire failures would happen.

[jaywish]

Yes I found it amazing that Firestone actually brought back the 500 name. So many accidents. A standout amongst truly terrible tires.

[IPreferDIY]

The only thing that gives you control of a car and is always in contact with the ground, are tires. If they are cracking, might be time for new tires. They are more important than most realize, so get the best you can afford.

That being said, are you repairing this from the inside using a round patch and cement glue? Or repairing it from the outside using a rubber hunk plug and a T-tool, like a big sewing needle?

I’ve only used cement glue for an inside repair. If the hole is too big for a rubber plug (repaired from outside), than it’s time for a new tire.

In my case, Costco wouldn't do an internal patch/plug since it was just outside of their acceptable zone. I used an external plug kit that came with rubber cement. It also has a reamer, so the size limit is up to the size of the reamer. Edit: Here's an image of the kit I got, but without the blade:


I don't drive a lot to begin with, and I had already curtailed my driving even more due to not knowing whether my timing chain tensioner arms are being eaten away prematurely (a common problem for 2000-2003 MGMs and CVs and 2003 Marauders). I just changed the oil and didn't see any obvious problems with it, but I don't want to take my chances.

Ideally, I'd like to have five new tires on five identical rims so I can include a spare in tire rotations. Time will tell.

[BigT]

That looks like a nice repair kit. As a last ditch effort you can try a can of Fix-A-Flat. Since most of the hole is filled by the repair kit, the can should fill in the smaller air leaks. That might let you limp around until you're ready for new tires. Good thing you aren't driving it much. I would NOT drive it at highway speeds!!!

[GM_Guy]

Yes I found it amazing that Firestone actually brought back the 500 name. So many accidents. A standout amongst truly terrible tires.

They came back as the INDY 500. Same but different. I've got a set for everything but the vomit comet. They do pretty good and I have not had any issues with any of them.
The 742 was the tire I remember as being the firestone tire of doom. =-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YZzYAYjw3I


Alex.

[IPreferDIY]

That looks like a nice repair kit. As a last ditch effort you can try a can of Fix-A-Flat. Since most of the hole is filled by the repair kit, the can should fill in the smaller air leaks. That might let you limp around until you're ready for new tires. Good thing you aren't driving it much. I would NOT drive it at highway speeds!!!

At this point, I've got the previously-unused full-size spare on the drive wheel (no trac lok), a mini-spare in the trunk (for reduced weight), and the plugged one in my kitchen. In the absence of further problems, that's how things will stay until I get replacements. The plugged one is holding air, so I guess the plug worked.

I wouldn't want to use the canned stuff. Maybe it would have worked at the outset since the initial hole was so small, but apparently tire techs don't like working with wheels that have had that stuff put in them. I would also consider it as a less safe option than a plug that is working properly. It might have a place in an emergency kit for some people, but it's not something I'd want to bother with.

[IPreferDIY]

I'm supposed to be going to look at a set of wheels later today (even though I have NFC where I would store an extra set). It seems like a pretty good deal, but the following photo gives me some concern:



Right above the "E" on the left side of the photo (just before the 9 o'clock position) you can see some kind of indentation in the tire. It makes it seem like it's been damaged from hitting a curb or something. Am I right in presuming this might put the integrity of the tire into question? Any input would be greatly appreciated.