Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Tyre repair

Times that by a fleet of 9 vehicles with a tyre on each corner, each vehicle covering average 25k a year, i rest my case.

I have six private cars in 'fleet' and a lawnmower and two strimmers .....All self funded.
Cost vs safety no contest.

well i havn't got a Strimmer yet, funny enough just off to buy a one at the weekend, but i will include both mine and the misses spare tyre to make it 11.



and as you made an edit to add all self funded.... same here as i am 100% Director Shareholder, i appreciate safety hence the vans get the best commercial 8plys fitted to them and do in excess of 60K mls a year each so you can,t just go and put new tyres on each time you get a puncture.

M series BMW330 with run-flats just paid £276.00 each x 4 last week, Rep pointed them out, they are well within there safety limit. i aint telling anyone what to do, i am just saying it works for me and it works well.

My vehicles are stopped by VOSA regularly, never had a problem, only an over-load ticket once.

Thanks everyone for the Conventional Wisdom - which I acknowledge and appreciate.

But I refuse to believe that a perfectly good tyre, with what is effectively a pinprick from a thorn (in the tread), is not safely repairable.

Whether anyone has the equipment, or the will, or the legal authority to repair it, is another matter. As to the economics - well, that's obviously a decision for me to make.

Could it just be that the tyre industry has a vested interest in not encouraging such safe repairs? Could it be that they'd rather add to the vast stockpiles of scrapped rubber that pollute our planet just to flog more product?

Strikes me that there's an interesting business opportunity here for someone to invest in the technology to safely repair some of the many thousands of near-perfect tyres which are condemned to the scrapheap every year as a result of minor punctures near the tread edge. Note: I am not advocating repairing sidewall damage (although even that may well be possible with the right techniques and equipment - within limits, obviously). But I am interested in the possibility of effectively turning out a repair that's "as good as new" - and, incidentally, far better and safer than the mushroom plug that is currently the norm for allowable repairs.

Meanwhile: like everyone else I guess I'll end up paying up and cursing my luck

I'm not against repairs in principle ( I've had Defender tyre plugged at 5000 miles only 1/15 worn) but I wouldn't want to be doing 130 in my Roadster with a plugged tyre and all to save £40.
Fleet economics are driven with an eye on the bottom line, Morgan motoring is a way of enjoying some it

The main issue must be .. have any of the tyre cords been damaged? A puncture with something like a nail or a screw will do more damage than a thorn. Nothing to lose by getting the advice of a decent tyre specialist once the tyre is off and can be inspected. Different if the actual sidewall is damaged.....the tyre needs to be replaced.

Run flats are are acceptable to repair as long as they are not too damaged. I would certainly not repair a conventional type especially if the vehicle is capable of high speeds. In a Morgan I would never repair a tyre, too cautious probably, like too live longer definitely.

I'm with you Nick. A pinprick should not write off a tyre. Even if the repair failed it would be a very slow leak.

Sure, in porinciple I agree but how do you work out what damage has been done to the sidewall by the tyre running at reduced( very reduced pressure?

My take is that the tyre is the only surface between me and the road and I want it to do its job as well as it can.

While I'm not suggesting that what we're talking about here is in any way the same, it reminds me of what I was once told as a young motorcylist when I was trying to work out whether to buy a Bell helmet or another,unnamed) cheaper one.
My dealer was a guy who had a load of road race experience, including a couple of TTs and several Manx GPs and whose son went on to be one of GBs premier road racers. His response was, "Well son, fifty bob helmet, fifty bob head"! I bought the Bell
Cheers
G

There is a big difference in going to a Quick-Fit take your money centre and a Specialist you trust to show you the condition of the tyre, as suggested here by Jay.

When working on commission its easy to frighten someone by suggesting Safety is paramount, if you are lucky enough to of been involved in the Motor trade and worked around tyres all day, you soon learn what is worthy and unworthy.

A good tyre fitter will remove the tyre, spread it and show you the fault. plus its not only about safety at speed, HGV tyres carry very heavy weights over Hundreds of Thousands of miles pa, those tyres get re-cut and Vulcranize repaired daily and that is legal even when carrying Dangerous Goods.

Tyres are a cut throwt business, repairing them doesn't make the Company the profit it makes by replacing them, hence you will inevetably 99% of the time be informed IT NEEDS A NEW ONE SIR/MADAM