So I have a screw in one of my PZero's with about 7K miles on it. I do not want to invest in a new tire because I'm planning to swap them out to Michelin All Seasons. Here's my question... as the screw is right in the tread, is it okay to just go ahead and plug it? Are plugs reliable and safe to drive on for awhile? I'd rather not have the tire removed and patched and risk damaging the Uberturbine rim.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
MYP - Picked up a screw
- Thread starter Canefan456
- Start date
Black306
Active Member
Considering the head of the screw is getting worn off, that tells me it is in the contact patch area. I’d plug it.
Sunshine State
Automotive Enthusiast
Anything past the last radial tread groove like this is considered not repairable by large tire shops or dealers. That said it may not be punctured all the way through and may not be a problem. Soap it up with some soap and water mix and move the screw around to see if it is leaking without removing to prevent it going flat before going to a tire shop.
Take it to a tire shop to have it properly plugged and patched from the inside and you’ll never have to worry about it again.
If a chain tire shop gives you a hard time because they want to sell you new tires, take it to a mom & pop shop. The local shop a few miles from my house would do it in 10 minutes for $20, even my previous BMW’s run flats which both the dealer and chain shops refused to fix.
If a chain tire shop gives you a hard time because they want to sell you new tires, take it to a mom & pop shop. The local shop a few miles from my house would do it in 10 minutes for $20, even my previous BMW’s run flats which both the dealer and chain shops refused to fix.
Young Phenom
Member
Just plugged my already replaced drivers rear tire this morning. Smh.
Had a small screw that was letting air out. We'll see if it holds.
Had a small screw that was letting air out. We'll see if it holds.
It depends who you talk to.
Is it leaking? It might not have punctured through (yet).
That is not borderline in my opinion. It is fine as far as that goes.
I prefer not dismounting, rebalancing more than necessary either.
99.9% of the shops will "Patch" it (really a "Plug-Patch"). That's all that tire manufacturers will support. Which means dismounting the tire and working from the back (And cutting out the foam in that area).
That all said, I'd plug it and move on like someone else posted. Keep an eye on it.
If you do want it "plugged", you likely have to do it yourself.
As far as plugging this, this is what I would do.
I would thin the plug in half. That hole is VERY small. It seems really dumb to ream the hole out further. Which is what 99% of the shops will do. Which is another reason why I prefer plug myself.
Because the hole is small, a full plug will be nearly impossible to push in.
There should not be much debris to clean out, so no reaming is needed in my opinion.
So thin the plug, lube it with the cement and shove a plug in there.
Keep an eye on pressure and any deformation in that area. Take a picture relative to the valve stem so you can check on it.
I've probably done a dozen plugs over the years and every one lasted the life of the tire.
A couple took two attempts because I wasn't happy with it.
If it's on the front it's easy to do while mounted. If it's on the back, take the wheel off.
You really have to push pretty hard to get the plugs in, it's much easier to push down than sideways or up crawled partly under the car.
Put a few drops of dishwashing liquid on it after you pump it to spec. You want to see NO bubbles.
Don't trim it until you know it's sealed.
If it leaks try again.
It's not gonna explode even if the plug fails. Worst that will happen is you end up with a slow leak.
Almost all shops and manufacturers will say plugs are not a permanent fix.
Also think of it this way. You have 45 pounds PER SQUARE INCH of pressure on the tire wall. That hole is probably 100th of a square inch (e.g. a 1/8" x 1/8" area would be 1/64" of a square inch). So a plug only has 0.45 pounds of outward pressure on it, if that. You could stop it with a wet finger tip. That's why self sealing tires work (on very small holes).
Biggest risk is water getting into the plugged (or patched) hole over time and getting at the steel belts. VERY RARE. Self sealing tires have the same risk. Or you could have a partial puncture that does not leak air and never know it. But it's another reason I try not to ream. The argument for reaming is cement getting a good adhesion to the roughed up rubber. Keep in mind the tire is constantly flexing.
Good luck.
Last edited:
NY_Rob
Member
I've plugged in that area before, if that doesn't seal it all the way.. bring it to a local (non-chain) shop and get it patched from the inside.
Believe it or not, most local taxi companies will fix flats too..
Believe it or not, most local taxi companies will fix flats too..
I had a screw almost exactly where yours is (in my BMW X5). Maybe even a tad closer to tire wall.
I took it to get patched at a local tire shop. They were worried about it being too close to side wall, but I said I would sign a waiver, as I only needed to drive on it for 1 month. They patched it.....and I forgot all about it for next 2 years. Then, another tire got a screw in it, which reminded me of the prior tire. I ended up buying 2 tires at that time (2 yrs after first incident).
I took it to get patched at a local tire shop. They were worried about it being too close to side wall, but I said I would sign a waiver, as I only needed to drive on it for 1 month. They patched it.....and I forgot all about it for next 2 years. Then, another tire got a screw in it, which reminded me of the prior tire. I ended up buying 2 tires at that time (2 yrs after first incident).
As this happened on a Sunday, the higher end wheel/tire place that I have always trusted with my cars was closed. The only places open were shops that I have not used before, and I didn't want them messing with it. I just went ahead and plugged it myself and it appears to be holding just fine. Later this Spring, I'll swap out all 4 tires to the Michelins.
Your post made me think of my own Model Y tire experiences. I used Tesla mobile service for 2 flat tires within 4 months of buying my Y. One had a nail too close to the sidewall, tire needed replacing. Second one had a screw in the tread, and they repaired it for free. After I told the service guy it was my second flat within a month, he waived the repair fee which I really appreciated. And the response both times was excellent. Having not had a flat tire on any car in many years, I wondered incredibly bad luck or something else? I'm told Tesla's are heavier in the rear and have more torque, couid this cause nails or screws to rotate and stick into the tire more easily? Both flat tires were in the rear, one on the left, and one on the right. Or just incredibly bad luck....
Very boderline. If the screw went in perfectly straight or angled towards the center of the tire you might get lucky and can get a patch. However, if that screw went in towards the sidewall, you're going to need a new tire.
I picked up a nail (last week) with less than 200 miles on the car (<2 weeks old) and the nail was around the same spot as your screw and I needed a new tire because the nail went in at an angle towards the sidewall.
Similar threads
