Depends on the condition of the tyre, and the nature of the puncture.

If the tyre is in otherwise good nick with plenty of tread, and the puncture isn't near the sidewall, it can probably by easily fixed. As you probably know, the nail (for example) will be pulled out, then a rubber 'mushroom' plug is pulled firmly through the hole, and the excess on the outside nipped off. The air pressure, the friction of rubber to rubber as well as the centrifugal force of the spinning wheel will all work to keep the plug firmly in place. The tyre carcase is so thick and strong, and the hole so small, I don't see a problem.

The garage wouldn't attempt a fix unless it were safe.

 

Can you find the cause? The tyre could be fine and you have a cracked alloy.

 

I'll take it off this weekend and check where is the leak, I thought at first it is a loose valve but no. Strange thing is, it can go days without a leak and then suddenly, one morning, almost flat.

 

thread depth is on the limit, just don't like the idea of the plug in a high speed tyre....you don't know our garages here in good 'ol Africa, they'll put anything on anything, wouldn't be surprised if they put a patch on it,lol.

But yeah, I hear you, should be ok but it will always be on my mind when I am driving above 200...

 

thread depth is on the limit

they all have similar wear

That'll be a perfect opportunity to replace all 4 then!

 

With your tread depth already low there is nothing to gain from saving the tyre. Replace with new. Carefully inspect the wheel.

 

With your tread depth already low there is nothing to gain from saving the tyre. Replace with new.

Yeah, i'd rather replace but then I'd have to replace all 4 at the same time as they all have similar wear...

 

There are places that patch properly wall to wall bands attached inside. Cost about 15 pound here and it's a solid job unlike those crappy plugs

 

yes of course...let me visit the money tree in the back and pull some change... from one slow puncture to replacing all 4 tyres at 2k a pop....

 

You don't have money for tyres, but you want to do major engine work like a 3.8 conversion or a turbo?
I pity that poor car.

 

If you have four tyres all on the wear limit...... REPLACE THEM.....

You were asking about a 3.8 conversion earlier..... if you have enough to even think about that, surely you can replace four wornout tyres... :banghead:

 

indeed, I have an extra tree just for more power, always room for more power, but tyres are now unexpected and all 4 at once puts a dent in my plans...maybe I should have bought the fart-rocket...pffftbrrr pffft brrr

 

... but tyres are now unexpected and all 4 at once puts a dent in my plans...

Come on.... the tyres didn't SUDDENLY reach their wear limit, so you must have known the need for four new tyres was approaching. I mean surely nobody drives a 250hp V6 without checking the tyres occasionally...!!

 

Don't feel you have to buy branded. I've had good experiences with budget tyres at half the price of Pirelli.

 

If you're driving with an under inflated tyre the heat can cause a blowout as the air expands. Not worth the risk. Replace it .

 

lol, what does it matter to you how much money I have to spend on tyres or whatever or debate when exactly I noticed my tyres,lol, whats up with that? Can't you stick to the thread topic?

 

Can't you stick to the thread topic?

I thought your tyres were the thread topic

You said the current tread is on the limit, so when were you planning on replacing them?

Cost of a puncture repair isn't that much less than a new tyre anyway..

 

yeah, they need to come onto the back, even on FWD.

Africa, land of wide, long open roads and hidden traffic cops in the middle of the bloody dessert..

 

I'm sure the "new to rear" mantra comes from the vast majority of cars being FWD and if you just kept putting new tyres on the fronts, the rears would be failing through age long before they wore out.

I prefer to replace all four together, then swap front-rear when the fronts are half worn.

 

I think we just need to use some common sense when it comes to tyres. I put new cheap budgets on the front of the Mondeo last year. What was on the front I swapped to the rear because there was still several mm of tread and even wear, and the back end of the car always feels stable even in the wet....a result of a decent 90's chassis and light weight build in comparison to modern day cars. Today I went to the car to find the off side rear was flat due to a screw in the tread. Due to the angle the screw entered I was told that a repair wasn't viable, so even though there was around 3mm of wear left (around 4-5 months driving I reckon...these are very cheap tyres and don't last as long as some) I opted for two new budget rears. I replace the punctured tyre and the spare, because despite having nearly twice as much tread depth as the near side rear, the spare was older and had significant cracking in between the tread.

 

FWIW, Front tyres displace the water, rears don't as they just follow along the same tracks.

I have driven both FWD & RWD (and a rather powerful one for that) cars with bald tyres in the front and rear respectively in the rain, and found the former much more scary.

Of course, I sould not have to re-iterate, DO NOT DRIVE IN THE RAIN WITH BALD TYRES.

 

FWIW, Front tyres displace the water, rears don't as they just follow along the same tracks.

In a straight line the fronts do clear a path for the rears and at speed the rears are on a dryer road than the fronts.
Situation changes when you start turning a corner though as the rears don't follow the same path as the fronts even before they start sliding...

 

A pointed out by David C & Giorget2, of course front and rear track deviate in a turn, but at the radiuses this is significant (i.e. more than half a tyre width?) it's unlikely you will going fast enough for aquaplaning to be an issue.

I suppose different cars/tyres/roads/driving styles come into play here, I have always disliked understeer. I also don't consider myself 'master of opposite lock', specially of the unexpected variety!
(while in a FWD, usually prefer catching it early with a blip on the throttle instead).

Seriously, each should do what they feel more comfortable with, 'change all 4 and rotate at reasonable intervals' being the optimal :happy:

 

A pointed out by David C & Giorget2, of course front and rear track deviate in a turn, but at the radiuses this is significant (i.e. more than half a tyre width?) it's unlikely you will going fast enough for aquaplaning to be an issue.

Seriously, each should do what they feel more comfortable with, 'change all 4 and rotate at reasonable intervals' being the optimal :happy:

Until you spin out on a large traffic circle or a highway on-ramp or when you need to swerve out of the way of something, which will not be very comfortable...
You shouldn't set your car up for what is "likely", but for the unlikely, but dangerous exceptional circumstances.

 

Its not my advice, it's what any GOOD tyre fitter should be following .. one near me has it on a poster in the reception area.

I was even waiting when a customer was arguing with their staff and demanded they put the new tyres on the front. The fitting staff reply was something along the lines of "we will do it the safe way, but if you want to swap them back when you get home, that is your choice". ... to which the owner responded .. "and how do I do that?" ... words fail me!!

But when you do the driving distances I do and commonly see people at the side of the road waiting for the AA/RAC for a puncture, I'm no longer surprised ..

 

If, and I say if, as I live where speed and booze is considered the most likely cause of death on public roads you wish to drive at over 200km per hour, I feel, as a long retired comp driver, I would not consider driving at those speeds with out the best rubber available and to say the least, 'NUTS". I also would not consider doing it in a vehicle without the best of brakes, suspension, and above all skill. Believe it or not an Alfa GT is not a full house touring car, and probably, regardles of how much money you have on your trees, never will be. Keep this crap for the track and enjoy it and spare some poor basterd or his familys life on the road.
Allan

 

Turns out the alloy rim is cracked at the back so no slow puncture. Funny though, right next to it is an even bigger crack but no air escaping from there.

Is this fixable or do I now need to buy 4 new rims as well...and how the hell does the alloy just crack..twice

 

Natural selection.