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M3 Tire Repair

2K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  rruiter 
#1 · (Edited)
Anyone out there have long-term success with getting a rear tire plugged and patched? I ran over a screw yesterday and judging from how quickly ALL of the air left the tire (within 20 minutes) I'm guessing that the hole was pretty big. I could clearly hear the air hissing out when I pulled into the garage @ home. The screw was a good 2-3 inches from the sidewall so I pulled the tire and took it to the tire shop. They fixed it and as of this morning it's holding pressure @ 38.

Before you flame me, I did run a search and saw multiple comments from Gary @ Tire Rack and others suggesting that patching and plugging is acceptable. I'm just looking for experiences good/bad that people may have had. The tires only have 10,000 miles on them so I'd like to get another 10,000 before replacing the rears. Is that a resonable expectation? Also, is there a point at which just getting one tire is unsafe? Meaning that if this repair doesn't hold do I need to replace both rears?:dunno:

Oh, I'm running the 19in Continentals.
 
#7 ·
I'm not on the track and I'm not doing any crazy burnouts so I would think 20,000 is a real possibility. Plus, out here on the east coast we actually have changing seasons.:D With the colder weather comes more conservative driving. I would need one of the true "tire guys" to confirm but I am thinking that your weather conditions in San Diego (warm 24/7/365) are more condusive to faster tire wear than here in D.C.

Or maybe I'm just Driving Miss Daisy.:confused:
 
#12 ·
Thanks for your thoughts...

I'm taking a "chance" because the knowledgable sources I consulted with advised me that if the repair was done properly (which it was) problems were unlikely.

I'm not racing on the track, just HPDE. For the most part, my daily commute is almost as aggresive as my track driving.
 
#16 ·
Actually proper repair for any radial is a plug-patch. A patch with a little nub that goes in the whole.

I have no problem with running a patched tire on the street, I would NOT do so on the track. In most cases it is prohibited, and as a sometimes instructor, I would be really POd if you did that with me in teh car. And think about the liability if somethign happens.
 
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