gota911

Mike, don't you just HATE it when that happens?

w00tPORSCHE

Whoa ... All on the same page. Can't remember when was the last time that happened. I'll take it to a good tire shop and will keep you all posted. Thanks guys.

Rob996

I also got a nail or screw in my tire, I had it patched as the tire still had lots of life left...
I replace the rears on my C4 3 times for each front, and there is no problem replacing either
fronts or rears independently as long as you use the same brand and tire model.

The tire tech informed me that once a tire is plugged/patched it loses its speed rating.

Hope this helps

997_rich

+7 or whatever the count is... i would make sure that you patch it from the inside and not plug it though. I've found that some higher end shops are reticent to do this but don't let that force you into going to a shop with crappy equipment.

Scott997

Porsche states in the manuals not to patch or plug tires. I NEVER patch or plug especially since all mine see the race track.
You do not need to replace all 4. Just your rears. Personally my safety and passengers safety is worth more to me then the price of a few tires.

Also maybe use this as an oppurtunity to upgrade to the fresh set of pilot super sports.

Mike in CA

Yes Tim, I do. However, not to worry as Scott has broken the evil spell with post #20........

gota911

Way to go Scott!!!!

allegretto

he can't, he's asymptotic to the x-axis...

alexb76

I got a flat tire due to a massive nail right in the middle of my left rear tire. I got it patched (from inside) and have driven on it for 1.5 yrs, tracked it 3-4 times and have had no issues whatsoever.

Jack667

I vote to replace the rears at the 50% discount. It's a no-brainer! Why give up that deal?
If you need to pay full price for replacement, then maybe patch, but that's not the situation here...

sjfehr

I've done lots of high speed driving and autocross with patched tires, the different is not noticeable, and even if the patch fails under load, it's going to be a slow leak and not a blowout.

yossarian

Found this thread and have a quick question. Nail for me is three inches in front side. I think patching is fine but this would be used on the track. My alternative is to use new tires on a track day tomorrow. Seems like the first is a better idea but I know you know way more about this than me.

Thanks.

Zeus993

Whoa! I get it... Excellent word choice Gary

(For the somewhat illiterate, myself included...
Asymptote -noun Mathematics
a straight line approached by a given curve as one of the variables in the equation of the curve approaches infinity.)

gota911

Oooohhh, THAT asymptote!

simsgw

I'm not quite as complacent as sjfehr about this. The hole caused by the nail does weaken the belt and the underlayment. In truly high speed driving, it could fail. That notwithstanding, I think you're fine using the existing tire with a patch if all it caused was a slow leak. Check (or have the tire man check) for any tearing beyond a simple penetration. If you see none, then... Well, let me ask first. Is that track time planned at Le Mans? Will you be on the Mulsanne straight or elsewhere for runs of significant length above 150 mph? No? Okay. Then go ahead and enjoy your track time.

Seriously, Porsche builds the car and advertises it as suitable for such high speed use, including cornering at high g loads at speeds well into the three-digit range. We cannot expect them to countenance the use of a damaged tire, however slight the damage. If you're just going to a track day, and you're using road tires in the first place, it's hard to see you putting in long high speed runs as Porsche would define that term. Maybe at a track like Daytona, but not many track days can afford the rental for tracks that fast.

We amateurs can heat our tires in ways that make professional drivers cringe of course. That is a different form of stress and the patch might fail from that, but for that situation I do agree with sjfehr. If the patch fails from carcass heat, it will just revert to the slow leak that brought the nail to your attention.

Use your own judgment of course. On a track, it's your car and your ***, so your opinion is the only one that matters. But since you ask, on my car, I would use either a patch or a plug and not be worried.

Unless I was going to Le Mans.

Gary