Would you repair a puncture the shoulder of a tire?

I have the stock Dunlops with only about 8,000 miles on them. When washing the truck I noticed a tiny mesquite thorn (not much bigger than a straight pin in diameter) sticking out of the shoulder of one of the tires. I pulled it out and sure enough air starting hissing out so I jammed it back in and it stopped. I know most tire repair places won't fix a shoulder or sidewall puncture but couldn't a hole that small be fixed at least for use as a spare? (I wanted to use this as my excuse to buy beefier tires all around but I couldn't get that one through the "household budget commitee")

 

i would fix it and then go to a shop and see what they think worst comes to worst just put your spare on and drive it like that until you decide what to do

 

use it as your excuse to get better tires any trustworthy tire shop wont touch it. It probably could be repaired but a patch in the sidewall is really dangerous it can cause the tire to blow out and you could wreck. that explanation should help you get through the "household budget commitee"

 

x1000

 

It's not in the sidewall, more up on the shoulder but not in the part of the tread that normally touches the road - see yellow dot. Same problem with repair?

 

Dude that tire should'nt even be on a toyota in the first place.....they're NO GOOD...SOOOOO why even put a patch on it or let alone use it as a spare ...buy a "good" solid tire as a spare and do us all a favor and just get rid off that DUNFLOP ....my $0.02 cents

 

We used to deny requests all the time for stuff in that very area on tires, just too much that can go wrong down the road.

 

A shop can't patch it....too much flexing in the 'shoulder' for a patch.

You can call around and ask some of your local shops if they use tire PLUGS.
Most of them will say NO.....

So - you need to visit your local department store and buy a PLUG KIT.
http://www.alpharubicon.com/bovstuff/tirepluguzi.htm

I think plugs are much better than patches anyway, as they actually PLUG the hole (versus just covering it). Plugs can work perfectly and for years. It all depends on the circumstances - where the hole is, how much flex there is, etc. You can use it and drive on it regularly - just keep an eye on the tire for air loss, just in case. I'd had plugs on various cars that lasted for years and never lost any air.

I would patch the hole and drive on it for a while to make sure it holds air. Then - if it does hold air - then you can use it as a spare. Otherwise, if it doesn't hold air, you're not gonna want it as a spare or else it'll be flat when you're stranded alongside the road.

 

I agree that the stock tires are really lame. I'm just waiting for "replacing tires on brand new truck" to work its way up the list of things I need to spend $1,000 on. Seeing as how hunting season is approaching and I'll be doing alot of driving on ranch roads soon, those Dunlops with their paper sidewalls will get ruined anyway and force me to replace them.

 

Some shops use a plug patch combination like this:


they are in my opinion a great fix, but I would really have to see exactly where the hold is. You never know it could be just on the borderline of acceptable.

 

i think you need a hot vulcanized patch

 

Buy a plug kit (probably less than $20)just lake Janster recommended. Plug it, drive it, and forget about it.
I have used plug kits quite often. Why give some one else your money when you do not have to.