bad help is worse than no help, a puncture story

[greg donovan]

last week i got a puncture in my LF. this made me angry.

my father in law kindly offered to take it and get it plugged for me.

i assumed the shop he took it to would dismount the tire and put a permanent rubber plug in the tire. nope. they stuck a temporary plug in it from the outside w/out dismounting it.

my father in law says he has driven the life of the tire on similar plugs. sure in pickups.

i am not thrilled w/this. turns out that the plug could be removed BUT it could take out the cords too when removed thus ruining the tire. and forcing me to buy a new set of tires for $350 or buying one new tire from the tire rack and having a street shave done to it to match the other tires for $94.

grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

he just caught me off guard w/the offer and i said sure and handed over the tire. it was not an emergency as i have a set of 15 inch wheels+tires that are for the other car that i havent gotten around to swapping. they arent ideal as they are smaller than what should be on the car by a bit. however, it really runs through thte RPMs now. goes throught 1st VERY quickly. but there is a noticable decrease in grip going from the kuhmo ecsta supra 712 in a 205/55/16 to the same tire in a 195/55/15.

i know the 205/55/16 is too tall but that is what was on the car when i got it so...

the 205/50/16 is a new size offering in that tire (the 712) and was not available 3 years ago when the previous owner bought the tires.

i guess i should just drive w/these tires w/the shitty plug and save some money for some new summer tires in the right size. maybe a set RE750s.

who knows.

this plug better last till winter.

[evolutionmovement]

I thought those plugs were no longer allowed by the DOT or something. Even Pep Boys doesn't use them.

Steve

[IronMonkeyL255]

Every time my tires have been plugged, they have used those.......

[greg donovan]

I thought those plugs were no longer allowed by the DOT or something. Even Pep Boys doesn't use them.

Steve

thats what i thought too. but apparently not. no wonder he looked at me odd when i told him that it had to be mounted the same as it came off.

[evolutionmovement]

Pep Boys would rebalance after a patch. Wow, they are actually more quality than somewhere else?!

Steve