Correction...... what I thought was a cut on the sidewall turned out to be cosmetic. There was a screw in the tread causing the leak. How did I find out? I got such a run-around at the tire stores that I decided to stop looking for a "bargain" and went to my neighborhood mechanic. If it was going to cost $100 for a tire, I would rather give him the business.

Within 2 minutes he had found a leak - screw in the tread. Sidewall was just a cosmetic scratch from scraping the curb. Total charge $15 plus I gave him some extra $$.

The lessons here for me are to only do business with people you trust, and there is no free lunch.

Now, about the tire store run around....

Every one of them I called on the phone had a different story and price when I showed up.

For example.... one $55 tire over the phone at Big O Tires ended up being $107 after tax, balance, installation and recycle fee. The "4 for 2" special now being advertised by Big O Tires turned out to be four $55 tires plus extras, totaling over $400: two tires at $70 each plus $40 times 4 for balance, installation, tax and recycle fee, plus the "required" super deluxe lifetime front end alignment for $110.


"Sasquatch Jones" wrote in message ...
I have a slow lead in the side wall that came from scraping some kind of sharp object laying by the curb. Looks like a 1/2-inch cut, but jagged. Tire is tubeless radial. Is it possible to patch something like this on the side wall? Patch kits say they are for the tread but don't say specifically not to use them on the side.

2nd thought -- can I put a tube in it? Seems like I remember tire places say tubeless can't be fixed with a tube, but I can't see why not.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any help.

SJ