When checking tyre pressures I noticed I'd picked up a nail in the front nearside tyre. The pressure was a few psi down , the tyre is only two months old and the nail was about an inch or so in from the wall of the tyre. Far enough in to be confident that I would not get the response that I got from another repair chain on a previous puncture 'can't repair that - too near the side wall' in the hope of selling me a new tyre.
So I took it another well known repair chain and was told - you've guessed - 'can't repair that - its too near the side wall.'
After realising from my curt response ( second word 'off') that he wasn't going to sell me a new tyre he eventually produced a greasy plastic guage and proceeded to measure the tyre with it finally pronouncing that as it was 'borderline'he would graciously repair it.Repair , valve and balance £15.98.
Just asking ,how are these guys supposed to measure where the tread ends and the wall begins and how do you counter this if you are a little less forthright than I am?
Is it universal to all tyre sellers?
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"how do you counter this if you are a little less forthright"?
Perhaps by asking how they are supposed to measure it? Asking for chapter & verse sometimes does the trick.
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Ah but do you trust them to tell you the truth even if you ask??? I'm not sure I do.
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Borderline or not if it is close to the sidewall then it is a good idea to replace.What you have to realise is the sidewall takes more punishment than the tread.Ie sidewall flexes to a greater amount than the tread.and so after a repair is made to it bearing in mind a sidewall repair is illegal.Safety wise a tyre should not be repaired if puncture almost on sidewall.But that is my opinion.
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If the nail was about an inch from the sidewall, it should definitely be repairable. Not so long ago, most tyres were only about 5 inches wide in total anyway!
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I recently had a nail through either near to or in the sidewall. The tyre place I use (Bush, in Hull) sent it away for 'specialist repair' it cost 20 pounds, but did the job...
Tim{P}
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I'm not a safety obsessive by a long way, but if in the slightest doubt I think I would be tempted to spend a bit extra to get a new tyre, seeing as so much depends on them. Are these repairs really adequate and safe?
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seeing as so much depends on them. Are these repairs really adequate and safe?
The local tyre garage I use have a "hall of fame" where old tyres that have been repaired by plugging and then later failed are on display. Looking at them is enough to convince me to replace the tyre rather than have it repaired. This garage will only plug a tyre if the hole is smack bang right in the middle of the tyre. Any deviation either way off centre and they won't repair.
Also displayed are some tyres with unusual objects embedded in them - one of which has the brake caliper from a bicycle!
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I recently had a nail through either near to or in the sidewall. The tyre place I use (Bush, in Hull) sent it away for 'specialist repair' it cost 20 pounds, but did the job...
Repairs in the tread are done using a simple plug and should be fine. As mech1 rightly says, anywhere near the sidewall takes much more stress and so cannot be repaired in this way. The 'specialist repair' that Bush do uses a vulcanised repair that should be as good as new. I'd look at the tread left on a tyre and if there was less than about £30 worth, I'd replace it. Otherwise I wouldn't lose any sleep over a vulcanised repair. The tyre companies must be pretty confident of these repairs; imagine the law suit if one failed and someone died.
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Believe me I have no desire to risk my life with boots that are not up to scratch which is why the two new Bridgstones went on the front two months ago.
What I am concerned about is where exactly does the tread end and the wall begin?
It strikes me as it depends on the perceived gullibility of the punter in the workshop at the time.
On the first occasion when I was told that the tyre could not be repaired I said OK and went to another national chain who repaired it without comment.
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Is it possible the ones who baulk at reparing are actually the ones doing you a favour, not the ones who go ahead with it?
If I couldn't trust them to give honest advice I'm not sure I'd trust them to do a potentially critical repair in a borderline area....
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Anythings possible SR but IMO they were both trying to improve the job from a £16 repair to a £70 tyre sale.I think its fairly common practice , they do the same on brake and exhaust 'free' checks where the 'pads are a bit low' or the front box is 'just about rusted through'.I suppose I don't trust them to act in my interests when they see the possibility of a tyre sale.
Didn't Polo girl mention something like this happened to her with brake pads on a recent thread?
It is strange that the first repair lasted at least 5000 miles until I traded the car in.
BTW - SWMBO had the Yaris in for service last week and when the Main Dealer advised replacing a front tyre because of a bulge on the side wall I agreed immedately beause I trust them.
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