I just had one of my rear tires repaired for the 2nd time (darn nails!). They mentioned that my front tires are getting pretty worn and I may need to replace them soon.

I'm considering doing a quick front-to-back rotation to buy myself some time, but I vaguely recall someone saying a few months ago (when they removed a nail from the same tire) that I was "lucky the flat was in the rear" because if it was a front tire they couldn't repair it.

Is there an issue with moving a flat-repaired tire to the front? Will I be putting myself in danger if I do that?

(note: I have run-flats, if that makes any difference).

 

never heard such a thing

I move repaired tires just as any other

 

Most folks want their best tires on the front. The debate has been around for a while, but if FWD, seems pretty clear the fronts are way more important than the rears.


If you have a nail in the front, tell the repair guy to swap it with a rear if putting on the front bothers him. Since the tires/wheels are not staggered, you can easily swap front to rear.


Regards,
Jerry

 

You misunderstood. The tire has already been repaired (twice). It is currently in the rear, and I want to move it to the front. I'm just wondering if a repaired tired can handle the additional stress being in the front would put on it?

So far I have one vote for "it's fine".

PS: I've done the research, and surprisingly enough, better tread belongs in the back, even on FWD. It's about control on wet roads, not traction. Check it out for yourself. But this isn't a debate on that issue. I just want to postpone buying new tires for a few months.

 

Is an accident or death worth delaying the purchase of new tires? That's the real question IMO. Front vs rear is a side show.

 

And now that I think about it, I guess I should listen to myself and NOT just rotate my tires... I should rotate them AND replace the balding ones. sigh.

Anybody got $500 to donate?

 

tread wear and previous plugs are VERY different issues.

I THINK that what M Moocher is saying too

a properly repaired tire is fine front or back

tread depth is a different issue

 

Thanks everyone for the responses.

Clearly I have confused the issue by providing too much information. Let me see if I can sum up what I've got here:

1. I have decided that I just need to replace the worn front tires. That's not an issue anymore.

2. I will be putting remaining 2 tires (halfway decent tread) on the FRONT and the new tires (brand new tread) in the BACK. This is also not part of this discussion anymore.

3. ONE of the tires I will be moving to the front has had a total of 3 nails removed from it and been plugged. THIS IS THE ISSUE. Front tires are clearly put under more stress (evidence: faster wear). Will a tire that's been plugged in three spots hold up the same as one that has not? Capt_bj says it should be fine. The integrity, durability and performance of a plugged tired is the same as that of one that's never needed repair (assuming tread equality). Am I paraphrasing you correctly, Capt_bj?

Does anyone else have input on the issue ("will the plugged tire be okay in the front?") ?

In answer to minnie: No, I prefer to not die.

Thanks!

 

What tire shop did the repair? By law (a new batch of them because of the Mossy Ford Lawsuit), that should have been replaced "two nails" ago. If a tire has been repaired once, it is not supposed to be repaired a second time. We can't even use plugs. Patch plugs only. Because of this lawsuit, I had to go to a special "tire repair training" class when I was a dealership mechanic.

Also, in a FWD car, you are going to want the better tires in the front.

 

The tire was repaired at Les Schwab both times. 2 different shops, and I didn't tell the 2nd shop about the previous repair. I would assume they would be able to tell, though.

I know the first repair was a plug. I have no idea what the 2nd repair is.

I think I've pretty much decided I might be better off just getting 4 new tires. I can junk the 2 bald ones and the repaired one and store the last one for emergencies, since it still has some tread and has never been repaired.

Thanks again, everyone, for your insight.

Gustav: (this from Popular Mechanics website)

 

Good old Les Scammers....

Look like the Tire debate has changed since I left the dealerships and went into welding. In my part of the PNW (since you mention Les Scwab), I had better luck with better tires up front in the deep snow.

 

If a tire is unsafe for use at the front of a car, it is unsafe for use on the back, that is not going to be the difference maker.

 

The better tires front vs rear comes down to tradeoffs... better tires on front (particularly on a fwd) will certainly give you better starting/stopping traction (these are the tires under power, and the fronts do much more work under braking), you probably even have better overall cornering traction, but this is all at the expense of possibly losing the rear end due to the lack of grip there. The popular mechanics quote is rooted in that situation being more dangerous than having a lack of grip at the front, which it certainly is.

 

I highly recommend spending some time on TIRERACK.COM and their techincal articles. IMO they dispel many of the wives tales being mentioned here as LAWS!

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=226

... basic RMA tire repair procedures remain the same for run-flat tires as non-run-flat tires ....

******

Spousal unit just bought her first MINI, {our 3rd MINI but 4th MiNi} ..... we of course had to sit thru the sales pitch which included the 'tire insurance' now offered as a SERVICE because the runflats are so expensive, and can not be repaired (under ANY circumstance) Yea, right ....

For only XXX you are covered for X years.

Hmm ... isn't that more than the cost of two tires a year for the life of the plan?

YES! Sign here! ...... sales person obviously was not an accountant .... altho they WERE the "business manager closing the transaction"

I dunno about you but only ONCE in 40 plus years of driving have I had to replace two tires in one year due to "flats" and that was when I lost 2 in the same incident of road debris ....

***********

I've used DYNAPLUG for years ... even on runflats

from the company FAQ

1. Is the Dynaplug® repair permanent?
UTAC has certified the Dynaplug® as a permanent repair when one tire repair plug is used and the puncture is made by an object no larger than a 16d (16 penny) common nail.

6. Can I repair a side wall cut or puncture?
There are no companies that recommend repairs of any kind to the side wall of any tire. Even with brand new tires with a side wall puncture, all manufacturers state that the tire must be replaced.

13. Does the Dynaplug® repair Run-flat tires?
Dynaplug is fine to use on run flat tires. In fact, it is one of the only solutions that will maintain the air pressure sensors that usually accompany run flat tires.

14. Does the Dynaplug® work on “Z” rated run-flat tires?
The Dynaplug® actually works best on "Z" rated run flat tires as the rubber is formulated to be softer, i.e. lower durometer, for better traction and performance. The rubber formulation is more tacky and the plugs actually bond even better than lower rated tires.

15. Does the plug affect the Tire Pressure Monitoring System?
Dynaplug® repairs will not affect your tire pressure monitoring system.