Would you use this tire ?

[hjdca]

I just got back from America's tire. They would not patch the tire and recommended that I do not drive it on the road with that plug. They were super, super cool and gave me a road hazard discount on a new tire. America's tire is the best. So, when I was just about to order one new Yokohama, I was in a good mood, and got the itch, and ordered 4 new Mickey Thompson Baja Boss M/Ts..... lol, Typical... But, Now I have sticky Mickeys for 4wheeling this spring and summer ! Thanks to everyone that replied. It is great to hear from this Gladiator community. Now, let's get out there and 4wheel !

Sponsored

 

[Rusty PW]

Since you got new tires. I'll hold my 2 cents. But that bolt is a caliper bolt. Holds the front caliper on the bracket. Looks like it might be from a Ram.

 

[PuddleJumper]

Ima get vilified for this. But I'd run that the tire out of tread life. My old Kenda's had 13 of those style plugs between all 4 of em. not a single failure and towed and wheeled on em like that. You do what your comfortable with. Personally id just double up on the plugs due to the hole size and then never give it a second thought.

 

[Gordo]

I had a mishap in the desert this weekend going to a night run. My rear tire took what looks like a Pinion differential lock bolt. I guess people throw all kinds of crap into the desert... ugh... Anyway, I put on my spare, and when I got home I plugged the hole with the Safety Seal kit, and it is holding air, but, I have not re-mounted it on the truck.... I am thinking that tire is history.... -- 37x12.5x17 Yokohama Geolandar G003 MT/R.. I have an appointment with America's Tire to see if they will patch it from inside, but, I predict they will not touch it with the big hole being so close to the sidewall. What do you guys think, is this tire history ?

Looks to close to the sidewall belt. I doubt if a tire shop will patch it.

As an emergency spare sure.

I know in Ontario Canada all tires have to be repaired from the inside. If you know someone they may be able to help save it as a spare.

 

[Gee Man]

Nope.

If it was a trail fix to get you back to the trailhead....sure, but for road use.....absolutely not

Don’t cheap out, Throw it in the trash !

 

[Great Offender]

"No"

 

[Sweetums]

There is a lot of really bad advice in this thread.

This is a matter of risk. The reason tire shops won't patch that close to the sidewall is because it's too risky, it doesn't mean a patch won't hold for a while or maybe even the life of the tire. The sidewall of a tire flexes constantly, so that patch would be flexed tens of thousands of times while under 40-ish PSI of pressure and traveling 70 mph. Sure, it might hold, and there are always the stories of people who took that risk and the patch did hold.

You are significantly upping the risk of a sudden tire failure at speed by doing it, now some people are okay with that risk - I'm not one of them and neither are the tire shops and their insurance companies. Insurance tells you a lot here, they crunch the numbers on risk for everything, they probably have risk tables calculated for what ply toilet paper they put in the employee restroom. They looked at the likelihood of a major loss with this type of repair and told the tire shops "if you do this, we won't shield you from liability".

When looking at running a plug or patch long-term, you need to ask yourself if the loss of your very nice (and expensive) truck and risk of injury to yourself or others is worth saving $300 on a tire.

 

[Camaroboi13]

Congrats on the new tires.

That being said, you were worried enough to ask for advice on the forums, sounds like you already had your answer in mind. If it falls outside of your comfort zone, that’s usually a sign.

 

[FloridaJimHudson]

Torque it to spec and send it.

Don't do this, that tire is toast and has to be replaced. That close to the sidewall is not patchable, the tire there sees way too much flex with every rotation and it's unsafe. At crawling speeds you can get away with a plug because you aren't doing more than about 15 mph. No reputable shop will patch that - and for good reason.

Completely agree - you are endangering yourself and anyone around you if that thing ever sees the road again!!

 

[hjdca]

I just picked up the new Mickey Thompson Baja Boss M/Ts. My buddy wants the old Toyos for his single axle off-road Camper trailer, so, it looks like 3 of them will still live.

For those interested, I took some pics of the Yokos and the Mickeys while at America's tire. The biggest side wall lugs on the Mickeys are a whole 1/2 inch. That may be one reason they grip so well in the rocks at low PSI.

Thanks again guys for all the replies to this thread. It is really much appreciated !

Dismounted size comparison - No rims

 

[Sweetums]

Those are meaty tires! I had them in my final two picks for my next set (hopefully next month).

 

[stewmaster]

While wheeling this weekend I noticed some sidewall tears that have me worried. I figured I’d revive this thread (hope that’s okay OP?) to avoid making a new one with similar question. I was wheeling a lot over the last two weeks, and the trails were very rocky, hence the Rocky Mountains, but I did my best to avoid sidewall hits with my mirrors aimed down at the rear tires. I air down to 17 psi.

I’ve got numerous tears in 3 of my four tires along the sidewall tread. The tears look worse when aired down, obviously from the extra flex. I have a trip to California at the end of the month and I don’t want a blow out in the desert on the way. Not to mention the cold months looming. Are these of any concern?

Tires are 255/85-17 MT Baja Boss A/T’s
I put them on 08/2023 and forgot to write down the exact mileage, but they have around 22k on them.
This is our only vehicle, the grocery getter, hockey, ballet, hunting, road trips and wheelin’! So naturally I need to keep it on the road.
@Discount Tire as a tire expert do you have any thoughts on this?

Sponsored