Originally Posted by
cheapo
Our right front tire has been leaking for months. We've been pumping it up.
In the last few weeks it started leaking faster, to the point where it would go from 40 lbs to > 10 lbs in a day...so, spurred to action, I decided to get the tire plugged.
Ah...Cheapo...months? You put this off for months? They only leak like that when there is a puncture...and the object that punctured it can cause damage if allowed to stay in there...once pulled a nail from a tire on the minivan and plugged the hole (this ain't rocket surgery...you can do it easily...just get the good plugs that vulcanize to the rubber). Looked small from the outside, but it was over 3" long. When I replaced the tires later in the van's life - I found that the sidewall had been chewed up by that nail - damage to the butyl liner, and some damage to the sidewall cord. There are only 2 layers of cord in passenger car tire sidewalls. I never even knew that the tire had the equivalent of an aneurysm...
Lesson: get a leaking tire fixed ASAP, before it becomes unrepairable. If the object causing damage is longer than half an inch, dismount the tire to check for damage, don't just plug it...
And everyone is right on about the diameter/tread depth difference. It matters.
Current Fleet:
2016 Tundra Crewmax 4WD 1794
2005 MB S600 (126K, Michelin AS4, HPL 0W40)
2005 MB SL600 (55K Michelin AS4, Mobil 1 0W40)
2004 V70R (143K, six speed M66, HPL 5W40)
2004 XC90 (235K, HPL 0W30 Euro)
2002 V70-XC (295K, HPL 0W30 Euro)
2002 V70-T5 (225K, IPD bars, Bilsteins)
2001 V70-T5 (125K, IPD downpipe, cat back and other mods)
1932 Packard Sedan (straight 8, dual sidemounts, original paint and interior, Shell Rotella 15W40)
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