Metal object in tire

[KDS111]

Hello everyone,
I took a look at my rear tire earlier and found a metal object in the tire. I don't know if it went all the way through.
Can the tire be plugged like a car tire? Or is it best to replace the tire. The tire itself is in great shape otherwise.

[JEEPRUSTY]

Replace the tire, I know its expensive but plugs are lame stop gap measures used to get you out of a bind not for long term use.

Ask yourself what your life is worth

If the answer is more than a tire go buy a tire.

Lots of people think its fine but it is a senseless risk.

The metal object will likely work its way into the tire producing a leak.

[chuckycheese]

Slow down!

Don't do anything rash until you see what you're dealing with. Get the bike into a good 'tire changing spot' and pull the metal object out. From the surface appearance, there is no way to determine whether the integrity of the tire has been compromised. The size, shape, depth and location of the object is also a consideration (sidewall versus tread).

If it were in the sidewall, I'd dump it for sure unless it was really shallow. If it's on the tread, the tire doesn't leak and it appears to be superficial, I'd forget about it. Dunlop suggests that a puncture can be safely repaired using an inside-out placed plug but I've opted for a new tire when it's happened to me.

[wacky941]

There's another simple solution if you're not sure if you can plug the leak and you can't afford a new tire, put a tube in it!

I've had to do this before, it's cheap, it's easy and it's just as good as the original, unless you've got a gaping hole or damaged sidewall.

[chuckycheese]

Not me!

There's another simple solution if you're not sure if you can plug the leak and you can't afford a new tire, put a tube in it!

I've had to do this before, it's cheap, it's easy and it's just as good as the original, unless you've got a gaping hole or damaged sidewall.

That practice is highly discouraged by Dunlop and other tire manufacturers!

[chuck hahn]

have plugged MANY MANY bike and auto tires and rode thousands of miles on the and never had so much as one problem out of any of them..just my experience talking here. Just had to have the tire rebalanced and on my way!!

[chuckycheese]

Big Difference

have plugged MANY MANY bike and auto tires and rode thousands of miles on the and never had so much as one problem out of any of them..just my experience talking here. Just had to have the tire rebalanced and on my way!!

There's a huge difference between putting a properly placed plug in a tire and using an innertube in place of properly repairing a tire.....a huge difference!

Having said that, everyone should choose his own comfort level in tire repair or replacement.....unless I'm on the back (which isn't a place that I ever sit).

[chuck hahn]

Well said..and yup to each his own on what route to take. Like i said i havent ever had any troubles after plugging a tire. Just required to be reballanced because your introducing more weight to the tire......

[themess]

Sidewalls are indeed far more delicate that the treat area. Car and truck tires should be scrapped if there is any sidewall damage.

[chuckycheese]

Yep

Sidewalls are indeed far more delicate that the treat area. Car and truck tires should be scrapped if there is any sidewall damage.

Yeah, as I mentioned in my first post, if there's sidewall damage, I'd dump it. That seems to be really explosive!

[kamesama980]

I work in a shop that does about half it's business in tires which is why I'm adding my $.02

there's also a huge difference in a quicky external plug and a real patch/plug repair. quicky plugs get you to a shop to have it properly repaired. they say right on the packaging NOT PERMANENT and pretty much anyone considered an authority says they are bad. that being said, I've seen some last the remaining life of the tire but those were all done by the same 1 or 2 farmers that have had some practice. I've fixed dozens at work that were still leaking or turned into a tear or shouldn't have been done because of the location and needed a new tire anyway. in a car tire a properly installed internal patch with plug filling the drilled out injury is accepted by the RMA and mfrs and will last the life of the tire. we don't even bother rebalancing: I've tested it a few times and on a car tire, there's less than 1/4 oz difference before/after and that's the smallest wheel weights we have.

That being said, motorcycle tires are a different sort of beast... patches would cover half the width of the tire or more (on our older, narrower style tires anyway). the tires are also more rounded and the tread portion flexes a LOT more than car tires (the cross section being round instead of more or less flat to start with). also, bias tires have slightly different repair procedures and they're a lot more common in bikes than cars nowadays. there's also the fail-safe condition issue: IF you do have a problem down the line with a tire and it goes flat or blows out while driving a car: big whoop. pull over, install spare, continue. get your hands dirty, spend some money, lose some time. in a bike, it's a somewhat larger issue since you balance on only the 2. There's also the issue of a lot of our bikes having tubes in the tires already, if that's the case you absolutely cannot do an external plug. it just wont work.

for myself: I wouldn't want to have a repaired tire on my bike but if it's just to get to my destination I would probably do it. but then again my bikes got tubes so that wouldn't work anyway.