ID this debris. (sweet sidewall damage content)

[McBanagon]

Well, that sucks.

Good news - Set only has 9K miles on them, I'm only buying one.
Bad news - The size is discontinued, and I need to wait a week for one to get here.

[compy222]

had this happen to me before...talk about a day killer. mine was a bit more identifiable...

[atomicalex]

A stud ofsome sort. Can you remove it for a full view?

[AKADriver]

It's a hose fitting. The small diameter and blotchy corrosion suggests it's probably for coolant flow to some sort of auxiliary cooler.

[Air-over-water]

It's a hose fitting. The small diameter and blotchy corrosion suggests it's probably for coolant flow to some sort of auxiliary cooler.

You can see the nipple at the tip.

[ordpetegti]

i'm guessing a sway bar end link stud.

[brickfrenzy]

You can see the nipple at the tip.

Sounds like a night a the club.

[goosler]

looks like a stud that holds a caster wheel.....like on an office chair. sucks about the location

[tngdesi]

had this happen to me before...talk about a day killer. mine was a bit more identifiable...

I like it how the wear indicator arrow is pointing right at it....

[VW...vw...wv...WV]

ill go with the some kind of bleeder screw option

[WakusPakus]

You can see the nipple at the tip.

that's what she said

[Dubstatic]

we still have people come in to my shop once in a while with punctures like that. they get all upset that we cant fix sidewall damage. then you get the old timers that still ask to put a tube in the tire

[zmt]

we still have people come in to my shop once in a while with punctures like that. they get all upset that we cant fix sidewall damage. then you get the old timers that still ask to put a tube in the tire

[Grey Mouser]

Our new CX-7 is due for a new tire (under 1000 miles on the entire car) thanks to a nail where the tread and sidewall meet. Not even a payment made on the vehicle yet and $200 spent on a new tire.

[Grey Mouser]

we still have people come in to my shop once in a while with punctures like that. they get all upset that we cant fix sidewall damage. then you get the old timers that still ask to put a tube in the tire

It's 2012! Sidewall damage should be fixable in this day and age.

[McBanagon]

Tire came in, so I dropped the wheel off. Thought I would be funny and just walk in and say, "I think there is something wrong with my tire, can you help me?" and then show him this. I was not as funny as I thought...

Anyways, I pulled this out, and it was in there about 1.5 inches.

[Omnilith]

Impressive!

My worst was a chunk of thin metal with a nail sticking out of it... the metal whipped around in the wheel well slicing up the fender liner and mud flap. The metal departed, leaving just the nail. Thankfully no paint damage. I made it 95 miles on the tire before the nail finally vacated its new home and left me with a flat.

[mraguilar]

It's 2012! Sidewall damage should be fixable in this day and age.

It can be patched, however the patch will came off after certain period of time, I have tires damaged like that caused from nails or drywall screws, and patched, it was mater of time and the tire started loosing air again, it was because the patch cant stand the sidewall flex.

[Grey Mouser]

It can be patched, however the patch will came off after certain period of time, I have tires damaged like that caused from nails or drywall screws, and patched, it was mater of time and the tire started loosing air again, it was because the patch cant stand the sidewall flex.

And by 2012 we should have a better way to patch tires or sealing them with some vulcanized rubber or something.

We sent a team to the moon 50 years ago! We can't patch sidewalls on tires? INSANE.

I *JUST* replaced a brand new tire with under 1,000 miles on it on our new CX-7 thanks to a screw too close to the sidewall (still in the tread).

[ThreadBomber]

And by 2012 we should have a better way to patch tires or sealing them with some vulcanized rubber or something.

We sent a team to the moon 50 years ago! We can't patch sidewalls on tires? INSANE.

I *JUST* replaced a brand new tire with under 1,000 miles on it on our new CX-7 thanks to a screw too close to the sidewall (still in the tread).

So, develop it then.

Michelin has had people working on it for years and they can't figure it out without it riding and handling like ass.

[Grey Mouser]

So, develop it then.

Michelin has had people working on it for years and they can't figure it out without it riding and handling like ass.

I can't develop it, it's not my area of expertise.

I'm not even talking about tires that can handle punctures, I'm talking about patches that work on sidewalls effectively.
]

[ThreadBomber]

I can't develop it, it's not my area of expertise.

I'm not even talking about tires that can handle punctures, I'm talking about patches that work on sidewalls effectively.
]

*sigh*

Here is the problem.

A tire generally has two main plies that are the main casing of the tire. These are the only plies on the sidewall of the tire. Some tires only have one, and some truck tires have three. They can be nylon, rayon, and a few other materials.

When those main plies are breached, they lose strength and start to come apart, just as if you ripped a piece of yarn in your favorite Christmas sweater. In the tread part of the tire there are more plies, two of which are woven steel. They can still come apart but they are much stronger and do not flex nearly as much as a sidewall does.

Patching it is not going to stop the sidewall plies from coming apart. This is why a tire sidewall bulges sometimes if you hit a pothole or something. The air is coming through the plies and is only being held in by the outer rubber itself.

[Grey Mouser]

Add a new piece of sidewall with new plies on the inside, vulcanize it against the punctured part.

Win all around?

[McBanagon]

Add a new piece of sidewall with new plies on the inside, vulcanize it against the punctured part.

Win all around?

Two questions:

1. How much would that cost
2. How long would I have to wait for this repair.

[Grey Mouser]

Two questions:

1. How much would that cost
2. How long would I have to wait for this repair.

No idea? You can patch a bike tire (or tube) (which hold up to 120PSI) using a vulcanizing patch in a couple minutes. Granted you aren't dealing with the plies in the tire.

[ThreadBomber]

Two questions:

1. How much would that cost
2. How long would I have to wait for this repair.

Would your speed rating still be the same? What about the load rating? Tires are rated for way more load than the vehicle GVW but you have to account for cornering/braking/downforce loads.

There is just way too much liability involved with repairing tires. We don't live in some third world country, just do the right thing even if it costs you an extra few bucks.

[Grey Mouser]

Would your speed rating still be the same? What about the load rating? Tires are rated for way more load than the vehicle GVW but you have to account for cornering/braking/downforce loads.

There is just way too much liability involved with repairing tires. We don't live in some third world country, just do the right thing even if it costs you an extra few bucks.

Exactly we don't live in a third world country, patching a tire in a safe method should exist. We've got the minds... but apparently they're too busy following justin beiber on twitter to care?

[ThreadBomber]

Exactly we don't live in a third world country, patching a tire in a safe method should exist. We've got the minds... but apparently they're too busy following justin beiber on twitter to care?

Michelin spends a huge amount of money on R&D. They have done **** nobody else has done. They invented the radial tire. They have been working on the tweel for years. They have also worked on a tire with two air pockets so if you get a puncture in one side, the other side stays inflated. They are the only manufacturer with a single tire/rim instead of duals for tractor/trailers. They can't get any of it to work better than what is currently on the market and you can bet they have spend tens if not hundred of millions on this stuff.

[jettagli1991]

Impressive!

My worst was a chunk of thin metal with a nail sticking out of it... the metal whipped around in the wheel well slicing up the fender liner and mud flap. The metal departed, leaving just the nail. Thankfully no paint damage. I made it 95 miles on the tire before the nail finally vacated its new home and left me with a flat.

A tire shop near me had a tire hanging up in their waiting room with a big pair of pliers sticking out of the tread, all bent and mangled. The handle was sharp enough to puncture the tire completely when they ran them over.

[under the radar]

looks like a door latch striker off of something big.