Today I took my Mini to get a nail removed from my Tire. It was a very scarry expierence. I went to Dunlops website to find a dealer and called them to ask if they work on runflats. Dumb question cuz they just said yes. I asked if they have the weights that go on the inside of the rim. All the important questions.

Well I was quite concerned when the guy (His name has been changed in the story) mounted the tire on the rim/tire remover and started pulling at the rubber. Now I have seen tired done many times but this was the first time I've seen a runflat done. It was a scarry experience watching them pulling at the sidewalls with a hook tool. At one point they removed the rim from the machine and turned it over with the inside up. Only to turn it over again. They finally got the wheel off but it took 4 guys to do it.

Then the went to balance it. They hammered a weight to the rim and I barked at the guy to use the weights inside the wheel. These are apparently stick on. It took 2 to balance it.

IT then took 3 to put the tire on the rim. Man what a bunch of bozos. They prob never have done a run flat and I am shure they have never seen a Mini. I almost stoped him when he stalled it going into the bay.

One question.
Should they have put a square patch on the inside of the wheel and covered it with some goo? This did not look correct. Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

man, that sounds like an awful experience . Glad you made it home in one piece (emotionally a couple of pieces?)



The patch they should have used should look like a T shaped where the
middle straight part of the T goes into the actual puncture hole. I think
they do use some sort of goop to get that onto the inside of the tire.

 

There are two types of flat fixes for a tire. Number one is the fix kenchan mentioned and I have usually heard it refferred to as a plug. A plug consists of a t-shaped plastic or pipecleaner-like piece and usually some sort of resin or glue to seal the hole. Number two fix is a patch in which they remove a section of the inner sidewall rubber and mix it with some sort of resin or catalyst that is designed to "melt" the rubber, the "melted" rubber is then placed in the hole and it cures to seal the hole.

In California, plugs are illegal and everytime I have ever had a nail in my tire I have had to have it patched. With that in mind your experience doesn't sound too unusual except that it took so many of the guys to actually perform a simple task. I would be worried about that sort of potential incompetence. As far as the balancing, that obviously must be done since the tire was removed. It is nice that they finally put the balancing weights on the inside, definitely more aesthetically appealing.

 

OMG how did you maintain during that fiasco?????? Down in the south, the good ole boys wouldn't have gotten home for supper!!!!!!!!

I only patch, never plug!! Just my 2c!!!!

 

The way I've done it is as follows:
Grind down the area where the puncture is to roughen it up. (insid of tire) Apply the messy goop (vulcanizing fluid) to the rough area, and let dry. Place a square patch over the puncture hole and it adheres to the vulcanizing fluid. Ream the patch on, and slap the tire onto the wheel with the assistance of about 4 to 8 buddies.

Viola, und das is guten scheisse!!!!!

 

Yep thats what they did. The grinding thing really got me.

 

But trust me, they are super duper, extra highly qualified professoinals!!

 

Why are the 'plugs' illegal in CA? I would assume it would be
better protection than just a patch because it would not only patch
the area of the hole, but fill the hole as well. The plug they used
on my GSD3 is made of soft rubber like a tire compound and pretty
much almost molded itself into the tire.

 

I can't answer that, but I do know that tire manufacturers only consider the patch method a "true" fix, and never recommend a plug. I've fixed plenty of faulty plugs with the patch in my time.

Also, the structural integrity of the tire is not jeapordized by a small hole of 1/8th of an inch and smaller, as long as no more than one cord is broken. This will, however, lower the speed rating of the tire by one rating.
If the hole is bigger than that, or 2 cords are broken, you NEED a new tire.

 

Yet another reason not to try and find someone to patch my slowly leaking runflat. I'd rather put 50 cents in the air machine at the gas station each week than have to witness the kind of hack-job you suffered.

 

Haha, hack job it may be, but those run flat sidewalls are a real bit*h!!!!!


Is is obvious that I've been a tire man in the past?!

 

The most important question to ask when getting tires done is "does your shop have a Hunter tire machine?". The Hunter machines are the most wheel friendly on the market, and are fairly common.

http://www.hunter.com/pub/product/tirechanger/

 

Interesting... cause my tireshop calls them a patch, although it has
the T shape which you call a plug. They will warrant the patch/plug
for the life of the tire and so far, I have not had any issues with
leaking. I just don't know enough about it to explain more, I guess. :smile:

 

While some tire manufacturers "allow" a tire to retain its speed rating if a specified multi-step repair procedure is followed exactly, most tire manufacturers reason that since they have no control over the damage caused by the puncture or the quality of the repair, they can not confirm that the tire has retained its high speed capability. Therefore, their policy is that a punctured and repaired tire no longer retains its speed rating and should be treated as a non-speed rated tire.

Usualy plugging is from the outside and is temporary fix only-

patching invoves -

Once punctured, the innerliner must be cleaned, buffed, cemented, patched and coated to assure its ability to retain air has been restored. Since this can only be done from inside the tire, it's another reason that a "plug" only repair is improper.
Continuing to drive on a tire with a "slow" leak may allow moisture to seep around the object and into the tire. Moisture will reduce the probability that the tire can be repaired properly because the moisture will ultimately reach the internal steel and fabric cords used to reinforce the tire and possibly cause rust and loss of strength. To assure reestablishing a water tight seal the injury must be "cleaned" with a specially designed cutting "drill" that removes rust and sizes the injury properly to accept the rubber "stem" of the patch. Cemented in place, the stem will vulcanize with the tire to help prevent moisture from reaching the tire's reinforcing cords from the outside.

From

Puncture Repair on tirerack.com

Alex