proximity of tire plugs?
12-30-2008, 09:18 AM
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proximity of tire plugs? got a flat on my 88GTA (my DD), went to discount tire to have it fixed. they said i actually got TWO new nails in my tire, and there is already another plug in there.
they stated that one of the two new nails is too close to the existing plug and they cant fix it. i forget the actual distance, but they said they cant fix anything within 90 degrees of an existing plug.
tires still have 5/32" on them (out of 10/32") so they still have 62% of the tread. its probably not a good idea to replace one half worn tire, and i cant afford to replace two tires right now. I ask them what is worse, leaving the nail in it or doing a plug thats too close to another plug. they say that the plug breaks the belts and i'd be better off throwing a can of fix-a-flat in there to seal it up until i can afford to replace it... i dunno about all that.
is this 'proximity of plugs' a legit concern, or are they just being excessively cautious for liability reasons?
they stated that one of the two new nails is too close to the existing plug and they cant fix it. i forget the actual distance, but they said they cant fix anything within 90 degrees of an existing plug.
tires still have 5/32" on them (out of 10/32") so they still have 62% of the tread. its probably not a good idea to replace one half worn tire, and i cant afford to replace two tires right now. I ask them what is worse, leaving the nail in it or doing a plug thats too close to another plug. they say that the plug breaks the belts and i'd be better off throwing a can of fix-a-flat in there to seal it up until i can afford to replace it... i dunno about all that.
is this 'proximity of plugs' a legit concern, or are they just being excessively cautious for liability reasons?
12-30-2008, 11:17 AM
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sounds like theyre trying to sell you a new tire. they dismount then patch them anyways, not plug them. you could take it to one of those small mexican tire shops and im sure they will do it for you.
12-30-2008, 11:28 AM
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Go to the auto parts store and buy your own plug kit... It's like $8 bucks. I keep a kit in my work truck. I have to drive around in new neighborhoods with alot of construction going on so I'm always getting junk in my tires.
I'm not sure about the safety of having too many plugs but I have three in one of my rear tires right now and haven't had a problem.
A big chain like Discount has to worry about liability and they probably just want to sell you a new tire. Ask them to repair it with a patch instead of a plug. If they wont, take it to a small privately owned tire shop... I bet they will.
I'm not sure about the safety of having too many plugs but I have three in one of my rear tires right now and haven't had a problem.
A big chain like Discount has to worry about liability and they probably just want to sell you a new tire. Ask them to repair it with a patch instead of a plug. If they wont, take it to a small privately owned tire shop... I bet they will.
12-30-2008, 12:13 PM
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12-30-2008, 12:40 PM
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I do know that it's common, and company policy at discount that they can't fix holes that are too close together. If they use patches... that would be a good reason you can't put them that close together.... but this guy actually said plugs. I didn't think they did that, but I'm no expert either.
12-30-2008, 05:14 PM
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I do know that it's common, and company policy at discount that they can't fix holes that are too close together. If they use patches... that would be a good reason you can't put them that close together.... but this guy actually said plugs. I didn't think they did that, but I'm no expert either.
12-30-2008, 05:32 PM
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the patches can overlap eachother, but the center of patch must be directly over the plug, the plugs we use are not ur typical temp plugs you get at the local hardware store. those plugs soak up water which will corrode the steel belts in ur tires, not all the guys are out there to try and make a buck off people hell we dont even get commission fwiw. hope you get it fixed up man
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12-30-2008, 07:11 PM
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Take the tire to a "mom and pop" tire shop. I usually go to discount, because I know they'll pay for anything they **** up, but if I need plugs/patches/etc, I go to a local shop.
PS - Since when is 90 degrees a distance measurement? Did the guy at the tire shop say this?
PS - Since when is 90 degrees a distance measurement? Did the guy at the tire shop say this?
12-30-2008, 11:07 PM
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We had a chart at work a while back that actually showed 90*. Sometimes ill do it anyway, but for the most part I wont repair a tire more than 3 times regardless of where it is. And I honestly don't care if they get a new tire or not.
12-31-2008, 12:00 AM
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i guess you'd think of 90 degrees as if you looked at a tire from the side profile and thought of it like a clock. if one nail was at 12 o'clock, the next nearest one would have to be further away than 3 o'clock or 9 o'clock.
12-31-2008, 01:28 AM
#11
yes, he used the phrase '90 degrees' and even wrote it on the RO.
i guess you'd think of 90 degrees as if you looked at a tire from the side profile and thought of it like a clock. if one nail was at 12 o'clock, the next nearest one would have to be further away than 3 o'clock or 9 o'clock.
i guess you'd think of 90 degrees as if you looked at a tire from the side profile and thought of it like a clock. if one nail was at 12 o'clock, the next nearest one would have to be further away than 3 o'clock or 9 o'clock.
LOL! I get it now. I guess the bands get too weak if there's too many punctures in a short run of tread.
01-01-2009, 01:37 PM
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I went to a different Discount Tire, and they fixed it, no questions asked. and the 2nd new nail never even punctured the tire, it was just a small piece of metal. i only actually had to have one repair done.
