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I had a slow leak in my front Bridgestone runflat. 24K on it. Take it to the dealer and they tell me run flats can't be patched and it would be the next day before they could have the tire. I left there and went to the Firestone dealer who I went to on Sunday. He had quoted my a price on patching it but if he couldn't he didn't have this tire in stock.They take the wheel off the car and find a puncture smack in the middle of the tread. He said we can patch it. The he take the tire off the rim and finds this:
So my question is since it looks like what would happen if you run on the sidewalls too much. Problem is my slow leak just happened so here are my two questions..Can a run flat be patched if the puncture isn't in the sidewall and secondly, my TPWS goes off at 24psi so at what pressure (and its probably different for each brand) do you start to actually ride on the sidewall?
My direct personal experience says that a runflat can be patched if the puncture is not in the sidewall. I'm sure there is a limit to how large a hole can be fixed. I agree with everyone who says you need new tires.
A run flat can only be repaired if it was not driven on in a low pressure condition. If you drive even a few miles at 5 psi the tire is a throw away. You picture of the inside of the tire shoes exactly why. Otherwise they are repairable using the same rules as any other tire (picture is not near or on the sidewalk).
BTW...
People being accurate or honest about the pressure and distance driven is why some shops say they cannot be repaired at all. It is entirely possible the side wall gets compromised without the visible damage in your tire. Shops do not want this liability.
I am not sure of the lowest PSI a runflat can run without sidewall damage, but for a conventional tire even with 8-10 lbs in most cases it wont cause the tire to be non-repairable due to sidewall damage. That being said, from the pics, you need a new tire and at 24K miles I'd go with at least a pair if not an entire set. Were not talking about a Civic here
That is a combination of running low pressure for too long and age. 24k miles is at least 2+ years for me, if not 3. Depending on the amount of heat/cold cycles (early spring/late fall temps), UV exposure etc, tires can "age" prematurely as well despite having plenty of tread left. Michelin PSS tires tend to crack if exposed to 0F temps and just rolling the tire a little. This lead to Camaro's made in cold climates with the ZL1 package not to be delivered in winter since it meant exposing those tires to cold temps to load them up on trailers for delivery.
I replaced that tire so I could get to work. Replacing the other front in a few days. The rears are brand new michelins so I'm not worried about them. I drive 100 miles a day for work. 95 % interstate. I think next time I'll buy 4 regular tires and a can of fix o flat......These run flats are simply too much trouble......Thanks to everyone for their input.........
The RF tires certainly can be plugged/patched within the tread. That damage looks more like a defect than damage from the sidewall. You would have to run the tires awful low to cause that kind of sidewall damage on a RF, I believe..
Regardless, have towing insurance, a small 12V compressor, and a plug kit. Very easy to plug a hole within the tread.
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Run flat question
