+1 on America's tire. They patched my wife's Prius for free. Ordering PSS in a size other than OE otoh, is another story...

 

Just as a warning, if you patch a tire using this kit, don't expect a reputable tire shop to replace it with a real patch from the inside and think of this as a quick fix. I used to be a tech at America's Tire Co, and we have a policy to not touch any tire fixed with one of these gummy patches.

From my training (who knows how much of it is BS or not, lol) these patches can/will seal the inner of the tire, but it can allow road grime, debris, and moisture to enter into the steel belted area. Over time this can lead to corrosion or rusting of the steel belt and eventual tire failure. Rusting won't be an issue over the short time a track car uses the tire, but can be a significant factor over the years on a DD.

 

i've use the store kit's before in the past, works like a charm...but i guess if American Tire does it for free i might as well save 10 bucks....

 

Just got back from America's Tire. They're pretty awesome. They were going to do it for free if they could.

The only negative part is that they didn't call me when they were done. I had to call them. Twice.

What I thought was a nail, turned out to be a bit bigger...




Yeah, it's a ****ing bolt. And they said that it is too large for them to plug.

I still want to get this thing plugged though.

 

Do you have the tire dismounted or what?

 

Yeah. They dismounted it to inspect it and patch it. But when they saw the bolt. They determined that it is too big to repair.

I still have a couple other options to explore. I'm not done yet.

 

i went a shell right by my house which is in east san jose that had a repair shop since my tire was leaking super fast.
Found out i had 2 nails in one tire and 1 nail in another tire. cost $25 bucks to fix it and it hasnt leaked since ive gotten it done. been about a month.

 

that is not what I experienced.

My forester was like a week old and I picked up a nail, plugged it with that kit so I could drive over to Americas Tires in Dublin.

They patched it still free, and re-did the plug with one of theirs for the repair.

they didn't say anything about my plug and didn't deny me service

 

Hey jordan i work at a shop on blossom hill rd. i might be able to help you out, since your tire is already dismounted i could probably patch plug it for you for free.

 

Just for an update/closure.

I took it to Kumho Tires Only :::KUMHO TIRES ONLY::: yesterday and they put on a patch and put it all back together. My biggest concern is that now it's patched, the hole is still there and all the layers and belts are exposed. As long as it stays dry, it shouldn't be a big deal. But if it gets wet, there can be some serious problems.

I'm thinking that if I fill the hole with some silicone or something it will stay in good shape. But I have no idea what will work. Anyone have any ideas?

 

Man you gonna replace the tires before that **** even happens anyways....... are you kidding me?


And yea krn guy at kuhmo only took care of me both times i got blow outs and needed replacements.

 

I've had starspecs plugged/patched and never had issues. You'll be fine.

 

Interesting, since that's the America's Tire Co. I used to work at. During my time there, I only witnessed one exception, similar to yours, where the guy swore he put less than 5 miles on the patch just to get to us. And I guess the manager checked the tire and told us to do it anyway (Al, the manager, is so focused on customer service, it's crazy). 99% of the time, the service was immediately denied because of the gummy patches. IMHO, leave whatever object punctured the tire alone and let the tire company pull it out and repair it. You have a much higher chance of getting it repaired than if you pull it out yourself.

Although, from my experience with different America's Tire Co, some are more relaxed with the rules than others. I've taken tires from one America's Tire Co to another, because the first one said they couldn't repair a tire because of the puncture angle, but I knew it could. So, it's really up to how much risk they're willing to put into the repair. The less risk you give them, the more likely they will repair it.

How expensive are the tires? I would not trust my life on a tire where the steel belts are exposed. I'd recommend you buying a new tire and getting it shaved. Don't know what's local to you, but Roger Kraus did tire shaving last time I was there. Saved my step-sister's Forester from having to get all 4 new tires.

Also, you'd be surprised what tire techs find in tires. A bolt isn't too uncommon, but I've seen sockets somehow punctured in tires. A coworker found a socket wrench once...

 

Hes gonna get it shaved close to no tread. Hes almost bald anyways, stretching the life on the tire as is...

 

I know this is already done, but a FYI for the future, Auto Innovations have patched tires for me. They also did it for free since I had bought them there. I think they plugged and patched, but not sure. My issues were years ago, and smaller than what you had, but I drove on them pretty hard afterwards.