deapee Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 (edited) So last Sunday, my TPMS light came on, and the left rear tire was 5 psi low. This Sunday, my TPMS light came on, and the left rear tire was, again, 5 psi low. Does it look like it is repairable? Does it look like, if it is not, I will need to buy 4 new tires, or just one, based on how much tread is left? The tires have 14,100 miles on them. Please advise. Here are the pictures (first one of the nail, second of the tire size/name in case I need to look up a price) Edit to add: I will be driving nearly 40,000 miles in a year's time -- mostly highway, sometimes through snow...I do not want to take ***a big*** chance that something would go wrong. But I do not want to unecessarilly spend money either. -- Edited May 10, 2015 by deapee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwf78155 Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 Repairable....have them take it off the rim and double patch it from the inside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 NOT repairable - too close to the sidewall. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWPerfA_ZN0W Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 (edited) On the tire shoulder. According to tirerack, not repairable. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=77 http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=187 Edited May 10, 2015 by WWWPerfA_ZN0W 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deapee Posted May 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 hrmm...thanks for the responses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishx65 Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 (edited) I've been using plugs for 30+ years and never had one fail but that may be a little to close to the sidewall. Take it in and see if they think a plug and patch will be OK. They will know more when the tire is dismounted from the rim. Horrible aim, you really should have hit that nail an inch to the left! Edited May 11, 2015 by fishx65 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 I wouldn't trust any shop that says it can be patched or plugged. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbwt Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 My number of tires and repairs I have had done. My tire repair shop would not plug, double patch or hot glue the hole on that tire. They however would willingly sell me a new tire. Of course you could always DIY your repair, but that side wall is rather important to the integrity of the tire at speeds. Safety might be a word you would chose to use. Now if that was a piece of rebar I would say the answer is obvious. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deapee Posted May 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 (edited) Well, my preferred shop said he'd try to patch it -- but something inside tells me that the process of removing rubber from the inside of the tire then gluing a rubber patch would compromise the structural integrity of the tire more than a plug would. I was also concerned about the rubber of the patch coming loose because that part of the tire flexes a lot. The Michelin dealer said he wouldn't touch that. The Michelin dealer also said it would take a day to get a new tire and it was $260 installed for it. -- So I bought some plugs and a kit from Advance Auto for about $14. I found an abandoned truck yard, backed up to the top of a loading dock and reamed it a little and put the plug in. It's holding so far. Honestly, I had to drive around the parking lot 3 times just to get it lined up to where I was backing up. Then, when I pulled the nail out with side cutters, the air was just spewing out at what seemed like a rapid pace. So I quickly tried to get the reamer tool in the hole to slow the air loss down -- and it wouldn't go in. So I pushed with all my might and it still wouldn't go in. Then I envisioned myself getting the jack out of the back and having to change my tire in this awkward spot I was in, and some superhuman strength came over myself and I was able to ream the hole out and shove the plug in. Once the plug was in, I twisted the tool one full turn, and pulled the tool out pretty slowly. I went to the gas station to put air in it and it only went from 35 PSI (I had to fill it up on the way home again today) to about 32 PSI, so not a whole lot of air came out. I figured it would be around 10 psi by how much hissing there was. -- I drive 70 miles per hour, 150+ miles a day. But it's held up just fine with the nail in there, so I figure a plug would be better than the nail. -- I think I'm going to run like this until before winter and pick up four Goodyear Assurance TripleTred (the directional tires) and also get the road hazard warranty. At least I'll save money by not having to rotate my tires, knowing that I'll be replacing them before they wear out. That's a shame because those Michelins are good tires. I really wish the Edge came with a full size spare wheel and tire for peace of mind. Edited May 13, 2015 by deapee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tacyon Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 I can tell you from first hand personal experience that this method will "work". You've however sealed (pun intended) that this tire will need to be replaced sooner than later and I wouldn't suggest a 2nd repair of any type on it. replace in pairs at minimum. What you've done (and had to in order to use the plug correctly) was when you "reamed" out the hole, you severed and pushed aside the steel belts further damaging them. The tire will no longer ever be 100% again. The rubber plug is coated in a self vulcanizing rubber so it will become part of the tire in short order (days). I wouldn't go running any prolonged 117 mph, (max speed) for hours with a fully loaded Edge on a hot summer day. But it'll get you by with normal driving habits till its time to replace a pair of tires at once. Side note ... due to the litigious nature of the public, most tire shops will no longer do things that were generally normal practice back in the day. They "opt" to make more money by selling you new tires than loose LOTS of money defending themselves in court. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwf78155 Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 Its all due to lawyers and lawsuits. My family had a tire store for years and plugged and patched thousands of tires. Sure its not as good as new...but is a wrecked and then repaired front bumper, fender, and hood "as good as new" ? If you feel unsafe...get two new tires...If you feel safe and holding pressure....drive it. It was the method of repair for decades. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWPerfA_ZN0W Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 Yeah, but tires are in constant contact with the road. The parts mentioned are not. Nor are they asked to constantly flex/deform. Sure its not as good as new...but is a wrecked and then repaired front bumper, fender, and hood "as good as new" ? ------------------ It was the method of repair for decades. From what I see, driving skills have been on a slippery slope to oblivion. As more and more safety features and automatic controls are put in, there is less & less need for the so-called "driver" to engage with the vehicle, generating a cloak of "invincibility". So even though the information is there in owner's manuals and state driving guides and interwebz Oracular sites, said information is not as readily at hand when the need arises. The VEHICLE has to do the heavy lifting most of the time. Now, as Tachyon pointed out, if the vehicle is driven conservatively, then there is a good chance the patch will take and "do no harm". Since these tires don't look directional, maybe this one can be flipped to the inside so it has less chance of curb encounters and such? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishx65 Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 I have no problem running tires with plugs in them and have done so for many years. In your case, because the repair is so close to the shoulder, I would run that tire in the rear. Not sure if I'm correct but I would think a back tire blowing out is better then a front because of steering ability. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deapee Posted May 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 Seems like it's holding up just fine. It is on the rear and it is already on the inside of that tire. I don't plan on rotating them since I'll get the Goodyear Assurance Tripletred's long before these are worn out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deapee Posted October 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 UPDATE: So for the last 2 weeks, every 3 days the same tire was losing air. Finally today, I got under there and put some soap on where the plug is and sure enough, it's started to leak again. I tried to mess with the plug a little bit to kind of 'jam it in the hole' and when that didn't work I tried to just pull on the plug a little bit to maybe seal it up a bit better. That didn't work either. So I ordered 4x Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Plus after careful consideration from Tirerack. As soon as they arrive, I will go get them mounted and balanced and I'll update the thread again to note any initial differences I notice between those and the Michelins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWPerfA_ZN0W Posted October 5, 2015 Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deapee Posted October 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 I decided to start a new thread for the new tires: http://www.fordedgeforum.com/topic/18980-pirelli-scorpion-verde-all-season-plus/ I will be checking to see if sales are allowed on the forum. Literally two of these Michelins are like brand new -- the bad one I had them dispose of at the tire shop, and another, I found another nail while inspecting them before putting them into storage. It would be nice to be able to help someone out who needs just one or two tires, so we shall see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 No problem selling personal items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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