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I have a set of Falken Azenis RT660s as a set of track wheels for my 991.1 C2S. After a track weekend at VIR, I noticed a slow leak in the right rear wheel after trailering home. When I went to swap the track wheels for the street wheels this weekend, I found a nail in the tread (guessing I picked it up in the paddock???). Is this plug & patchable for HPDE? If not, do I need to replace all four tires or just the rears? These tires have two track weekends on them.
Accepted industry standard tire repair is use a plug to seal the carcass from moisture, then patch the inside to seal the air.
I've plugged tires in the shop for 40+ years, with and without the inside patch.
Never, ever had one come out, regardless of use.
But then I've been known to run 7 year old track tires, too...
Accepted industry standard tire repair is use a plug to seal the carcass from moisture, then patch the inside to seal the air.
I've plugged tires in the shop for 40+ years, with and without the inside patch.
Never, ever had one come out, regardless of use.
But then I've been known to run 7 year old track tires, too...
In my formative years i worked at a gas station and also for a Goodyear shop. I also have plugged and patched many tires.
I never had someone come back and say this plug or inside repair leaked (inside the tire repair always superior) but I would never track a repaired tire.
Its already a risk that a tire will blow - why add to it?
In my formative years i worked at a gas station and also for a Goodyear shop. I also have plugged and patched many tires.
I never had someone come back and say this plug or inside repair leaked (inside the tire repair always superior) but I would never track a repaired tire.
Its already a risk that a tire will blow - why add to it?
Accepted practice is that no tyre should be repaired if the defect is within 1”-1.5” of the sidewall, and that obviously looks as if it is.
If it was further away and that being such a small nail, then a professional applied plug/patch combo would be extremely safe for street usage. Some drivers might trust it on some road courses unless there was a banked/high speed corner where that specific rear was subjected to major lateral loading. But are you willing to risk that? I wouldn’t be.
Just to be clear, we're talking about a street tire, with typically robust street tire construction.
It just happens to be used on a track.
I don't advocate repairs on 'real' race slicks. I'd even hesitate to repair a Hoosier...
From Falken tire: Always have the tire removed from the wheel and inspected before any repair is performed.
-Tires with less than 1.6mm (2/32 of an inch) of tread should NOT be repaired.
-Never repair a tire with a puncture larger than 6mm (1/4 of an inch).
-Repairs should be limited to the tread area only.
-Repairs cannot overlap one another. -A plug and patch or plug/patch combo should be used to effectively repair a tire puncture.
Nothing indicating the tire is rendered unusable for any purpose. If they were concerned, they'd certainly have made a warning!
I've seen conflicting information regarding the speed rating after a repair is made.
It was always that the speed rating would be devalued by one range (Z to W, or maybe to V...). Recently saw something that said speed rating is maintained....
Assuming the former, the Z rating at worst would be reduced to V. If his top track speed is over 149... ditch that tire. Hell, get some real tires!
Likewise, if the tire is on the RR (it currently is...) and he runs ovals, ditch the tire...
Street tire or track tire, you don’t use a plugged and patched tire on the track, period!!!
I’m kinda in disbelief that this is even being contemplated here.
Using it on the street is one thing, but this advice going to someone who doesn’t know what he doesn’t know about using a plugged tire on the track is just downright irresponsible. This game is dangerous enough without adding that kind of unknown risk.
OP, please just replace the tire and go have some track fun. Save the plugged tire as a spare for the street if you want to, but please do not plug it and take it to the track. Please.
11-26-2023, 02:35 PM
Plug & Patch this tire for HPDE?
