Tiny sidewall puncture ... options?

[Abc123]

See below. Got about 2000 miles on these stock Rubicon tires (33" wild peak at3w) . Got the tiniest cactus or mesquite thorn through them yesterday. It's a slow leak ...but still a leak.

Am I correct in assuming that no one will fix this ?

If I am, I have 3 options.

1) move the spare to the main, and self patch the damaged tire and use as a temporary spare. Accelerate the purchase of 35" tires/wheels. Sell the 4 good tires and wheels. Add a 2.5" lift later.

2) buy a new 33 for $400 installed, to match my existing set.

3) option 1 + lift now.

Thoughts ? I can get anywhere I'd likely want to go with the stock Rubicon tires ..but I've always said I was going to put 35 on when the first set needs to be replaced....I just hoped it would happen as a result of regular wear and tear, not some I'll place thorn in a weak side wall. I'd originally planned to do a front bumper and winch first....but, to quote Mike Tyson... everyone's got a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

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[Deleted member 47279]

just patch it and stick with those tires till the wear out. trust me, if you wheel you will put a much larger hole the sidewall and then jump up a size. i started at 31 inch tires and now im on 37s lol

 

[ShadowsPapa]

No self-respecting shop would deal with that. It gets into a liability thing. Sidewalls flex and get hot.
Years ago before people started suing over every little thing, we'd patch or plug almost anything - but I have seen patches come loose because of the sidewall flexing and heat.
And they'll flex a whole lot more on rocks and off-road.

In our area if a puncture is closer to the edge of the tread than 1" they won't touch it. Get a puncture that's say 3/4" from the edge - they'll either send you on your way or sell you a tire. Been there.

$400? That's what those sell for now? How about checking with sponsor discount tire to see what they'd do.

I know what I'd do but won't say because if anything happens...........

 

[Rvalas]

Also facebook marketplace, got 4 Rubicon takeoffs for an excellent price after I got into an accident and jacked up a wheel and tire.

 

[@californiajeeping]

You will need to bore the hole a little bigger but these work flawlessly in sidewalls. I carry the plug gun and plugs in both jeeps and my adventure bike.

 

[same_O_G]

I wouldn't mess with a sidewalk puncture. Not worth the risk or hassle.... and 33s make great tire swings for the kids

Here's what I'd do:

Swap the spare onto there and buy a used tire to carry as your spare. Since it's a stock tire, you can often find people selling their brand new stock spare for cheap when they bump up to a larger tire.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

You will need to bore the hole a little bigger but these work flawlessly in sidewalls. I carry the plug gun and plugs in both jeeps and my adventure bike.

But do you have the pneumatic plug gun? If so, run it with your compressor?

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

Slap a patch on it, and don’t think twice. The malleability of patches far exceed what tire stretch will happen from hot and cold cycles.

VTR Small 1-3/4" Radial Tire Patches (50 Pack) https://a.co/d/6Q4aL4w

These work great.


Will likely need to find a small independent shop or an off road shop. ?

 

[rharr]

plug it, go to a tire shop on the mexican side of town have them peel the tire with the plug off the rim and install it on the spare rim, then install the spare tire on the nice rim.

Check the spare plugged tire now and then to make sure it's holding air.

in a pinch a plugged side wall will work as a spare to get you back to civilization.

Mushroom plugs are pretty good but can't beat a tire worm kit.

https://www.amazon.com/Blackjack-KT-340-Tire-Repair-Tool/dp/B0083IAO5M

black jack is a good product, better then your slime brand autozone stuff.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

plug it, go to a tire shop on the mexican side of town have them peel the tire with the plug off the rim and install it on the spare rim, then install the spare tire on the nice rim.

Check the spare plugged tire now and then to make sure it's holding air.

in a pinch a plugged side wall will work as a spare to get you back to civilization.

What we used to plug with those mushroom plugs - amazing. But back then we were a small independent shop and did whatever our customers asked for the most part.
The top of those plugs acts as a patch but has a much smaller area to deal with as far as flexing with the sidewall. I'll take those plugs over patches in many cases, and the plug also prevents stuff from getting into the layers a it seals along the hole, not just inside to keep air in. IMO, plugs keep crap out, too.

Your suggestion is exactly what we did with my wife's GC years ago.

 

[@californiajeeping]

But do you have the pneumatic plug gun? If so, run it with your compressor?

Its a mushroom plug gun. You stab the hole with a shank skuff it up (with air in the tire) load the mushroom plug into a spring loaded implement push it through the tire pump it up and pull. It deploys the mushroom on the inside. Some rubber cement or patch sealant helps too. Then clip off the excess. Takes 20 seconds. Only time they dont seal is when its like on the edge of a treadblock. Even then you can just drill it out larger and use the bigger plugs.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Its a mushroom plug gun. You stab the hole with a shank skuff it up (with air in the tire) load the mushroom plug into a spring loaded implement push it through the tire pump it up and pull. It deploys the mushroom on the inside. Some rubber cement or patch sealant helps too. Then clip off the excess. Takes 20 seconds. Only time they dont seal is when its like on the edge of a treadblock. Even then you can just drill it out larger and use the bigger plugs.

Yeah, I know how they worked - did hundreds of plugs in the 70s - but was wondering if yours was pneumatic. Ours used compressed air. The plugs were exactly like you showed - exactly, color and all. You shoved the glued plug down into the gun with the gun nozzle, put the nozzle on, then there was a sharp plastic tip you put into the end of the gun nozzle, lubed it up with glue, put the nozzle of the gun through the hole in the tire and pulled the trigger and pulled back as I recall.
Easy -put plug in gun, attach nozzle, put tip in nozzle, insert in hole, pull trigger and it pushed the plug out of the nozzle using compressed air. You could plug tires really fast and often, on the car.
But ours used compressed air. Sounds like yours is spring operated - which is fine as you don't have to rely on having an air connection.

I recall when the guy came in to sell us that pneumatic plug gun. The car he was driving had dozens of plugs - he was driving his marketing tool. He'd go out and jam a hole into his tire and plug it as a demonstration. That process was so fast and easy.

 

[kevman65]

Personal opinion only, not a recommendation for anyone to follow.

If that were mine, I'd have the spare and bad tire switched, patching that tire in the midst of a switch.

It's fine for a spare, just need to check it on occasion (every oil change) to make sure it's holding air.

You're going to risk worse damage than that first time you rock crawl.

 

[@californiajeeping]

Yeah, I know how they worked - did hundreds of plugs in the 70s - but was wondering if yours was pneumatic. Ours used compressed air. The plugs were exactly like you showed - exactly, color and all. You shoved the glued plug down into the gun with the gun nozzle, put the nozzle on, then there was a sharp plastic tip you put into the end of the gun nozzle, lubed it up with glue, put the nozzle of the gun through the hole in the tire and pulled the trigger and pulled back as I recall.
Easy -put plug in gun, attach nozzle, put tip in nozzle, insert in hole, pull trigger and it pushed the plug out of the nozzle using compressed air. You could plug tires really fast and often, on the car.
But ours used compressed air. Sounds like yours is spring operated - which is fine as you don't have to rely on having an air connection.

I recall when the guy came in to sell us that pneumatic plug gun. The car he was driving had dozens of plugs - he was driving his marketing tool. He'd go out and jam a hole into his tire and plug it as a demonstration. That process was so fast and easy.

Got it. Same thing but now you just have a manually actuated pump/gun. No air required its even faster. The only con is a nail is quite small and the smallest mushroom plug is 5x the size. You end up having to file or saw the hole larger to plug it. Counter intuitive. Its the only plug i trust on a motorcycle.

 

[jac04]

With a hole that small, I'd look at using a Dynaplug.
http://www.dynaplug.com/products.html

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