DIYbanter - View Single Post - How do I decide if these five tires are holed too close to the sidewall?

Frank Baron

On Wed, 21 Dec 2016 17:18:30 -0500, advised:

Th eproblem with belt edge repairs is in the way the belt is
manufactured - the edge of the belt has similar too the "selve edge"
on broadcloth fabric - the "weave" is different to provide a
non-ravelling edge to provide strength. A plug too close to the edge
of the belt damages this re-enforced edge, risking a belt rupture

Thanks for that detail that the edge of the steel belt is different than
the middle of the steel belt. That may be why I think I've heard tire
repair guys saying they can't patch within so many inches of the edge, even
if it's still in the "tread" area.

Generally speaking an inch and a quarter in from the edge or shoulder
of the tread is as close as repairs are recommended. The last bit of
the belt is a worse problem than the actual shoulder, outside the belt
area.

Thank you for that detail because that's essentially why I asked the
question. So we're looking at an inch (to remember it easily) from the edge
of the tread on both sides.

A fractured belt can do a LOT of damage to a car when it lets go -
even if it does not cause loss of control. I've seen fenders (wings to
our British friends) torn off or totally destroyed by an exploding
tire belt, and the side of a travel trailer totally demolished.

I have seen "alligators" on the road, mostly from truck tires, probably
from re-surfaced tires, probably on the inside tire of a dual-tire setup,
which must flap like a sonofabitch when they come off!

According to the tire industry association, neither just a plug ot
just a patch is acceptable, and a tire should be totally temoved from
the rim for repair to properly inspect for secondary damage.

This industry (RMA?) recommendation makes sense, and I agree with your
statement that both a plug and a patch should be made and the inside of the
tire should be visibly inspected.

For one, someone could have driven on the tire such that the belts are
protruding from the inside. In this case, I didn't see such damage on the
five test tires, but it could have been there.

I'll
plug a tire to get home, but a proper repair should be completed as
soon as possible.

I agree with you that an external plug in an emergency is an expediency
that most of us would do. I'd even patch a sidewall, if that's what it took
to get off the road. (Dunno if that's even possible though.)