Plug run flat tires
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,996
Likes: 77
From: Louisville KY
When we built the new house, we were the first house on the court. We got nails in every car we owned, Lexus, Ranger, Z-28, and my 03 Vette. I took the rear tire off the vette and took it to the Goodyear dealer. They did an internal patch plug. Rebalanced the tire. It never leaked and never gave me one moment of trouble. I replaced the Goodyear runflats with Micheline runflats at 28K. You can patch the tire with no problems.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 26,243
Likes: 4,362
From: Chirper Island
Generally speaking, RFs can be repaired just the same as non RFs, given the same wound in the same place. Generally that means in the tread area, not near the sidewall.
That said, I have successfully had a Michelin RF plug/patched in the "grey"zone at the edge of the tread a week after purchase. It lasted for 68,000 miles and never gave me any problems. What is the worst that would happen? The repair would give out and then you would be back at square one?
Then again, I have also, more than once, driven on a really bad blowout for more miles than were ever "promised" by the manufacturer.
That said, I have successfully had a Michelin RF plug/patched in the "grey"zone at the edge of the tread a week after purchase. It lasted for 68,000 miles and never gave me any problems. What is the worst that would happen? The repair would give out and then you would be back at square one?
Then again, I have also, more than once, driven on a really bad blowout for more miles than were ever "promised" by the manufacturer.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 189
Likes: 64
From: Nisswa MN
While traveling out of state with our Corvette Club I got a flat in the tread on an oem GY run flat. It was immediately plugged so that I could finish the trip. When I got home I went to the local Discount Tire. I had a third party wheel/tire warranty. I was advised by Discount Tire that GY did not allow a repair of a high speed tire because of the liability. My third party warranty covered a new tire. I put Michelin PSS run flats on, all around, paying for only 3 tires. After 1K miles I picked up a screw in a PSS in the tread. Discount Tire was able to repair with a patch-plug per Michelin but it would drop it one speed rating (186 mph to 168 mph). I was advised that Michelin would only allow one repair on the PSS tire using only a patch-plug if the tire was repairable. I was advised by Discount Tire that each tire manufacturer had different guidelines for the high speed tire repairs and they could not repair the GY high speed tires but could repair the Michelin PSS per the manufacture's guidelines.
Last edited by VETYGUD; May 13, 2019 at 12:17 AM.
