Are Tire patches Possible on my Rear Stock Pilots?

**BAD68GTO** · April 6th, 2004, 09:51 AM

My GTS caught a flat last night and I changed the tire and went home. I have yet to look at the tire really close, but the leak is in the tread area as the sidewalls look fine. Has anyone patched a tire on these monsters? I drive the shit out of the car, and have a new set of tires here when they went on sale, but I don't want to put them on as my tires have 75% tread left on them. I have heard about this and that type of patch for retaining the speed ratings and such, but I would appreciate input on this. I just spent $396 at Buhler for an alignment, swapped the pads for Brakeman 3 pads, new rotors, flushed the fluid with Extreme 6 and I didn't even get home before the tire died. [img]/images/graemlins/sad[/img] Remember, I do beat my car and go about 150 MPH weekly, but I am also a cheap bastard yet don't want to gamble my life. TY in advance and I appreciate any educated opinions on this thread from people who have patched Viper tires. I have patched a zillion tires in my life, but this is another matter entirely. Gary

GTS Jeff · April 6th, 2004, 10:02 AM

I picked up a screw on a brand new sport before and had it patched. I called Michelin and the proper way to do it is to have it plugged from the inside. They have to dismount the tire and pull a plug with a head on it through. It was also glued to seal it down. With this type of plug there is no way of throwing it out of the tire. I ended up using this tire for its full useful life with no problem what so ever.

**_Mark_** · April 6th, 2004, 10:39 AM

It can be done, but not down at the gas station. For example, the race shop that handles all my mount/balance and alignment (that's all they do actually) has a way to plug it. Like Jeff said, its a plug that gets pulled from the inside out. On the inside, the end of the plug is flat like a pancake. My shop actually will melt rubber and fuse the patch with the inside of the tire.

That's the only way I'd do it, and even still I lean more toward just replacing the tire. Put two new ones on, and keep the other 75% tread tire as a backup if you ever get another nail.

GTS Jeff · April 6th, 2004, 10:42 AM

I forgot to add this, it looks like this.[image]http://www.viperalley.com/gallery/data/500/133tirepatch1.JPG[/image]

**BAD68GTO** · April 6th, 2004, 12:07 PM

Thanks all for you quick assistance! I decided to replace both my rear tires with new and keep my good used one as a spare and throw the other one away as there was a little sidewall damage that I did not see from driving on the tire after it went flat. I think the tire would be fine as a driver, but I do high speed runs now and then and I love my life too much to gamble-especially with the sidewall wear. Thanks Mark and Jeff again for the posts-this is what the Alley is about helping each other out with Viper questions. :thumb:

plumcrazy · April 6th, 2004, 04:57 PM

Ive had two patches done...by a reputable tire shop. not a STS kinda place...

no problems......go for it

opnwide · April 6th, 2004, 10:38 PM

Same question.
During my last track session, I locked up all fours topping a hill and flatspotted my tires pretty good. The rears aren't bad (I guess I've trued them a bit since then), but you can hear and feel the fronts quite a bit still. tread was 75% before the mishap. Do you think I should replace them or have a race shop shave the tires to true them? Know of anyone in the Austin area?

**BAD68GTO** · April 7th, 2004, 08:21 AM

Question about the lock up for you Opnwide. About how fast were you going to flatspot them that bad? Were they cups, Sports, or other tires? Not that I can answer you myself on this, but I think it would be good for others, including me, to know how easy it is to flatspot them. I didn't think you could do it unless you were running very soft tires and even then you had to be going 100 MPH+, but this is why i am asking. Thanks in advance, and that sucks about the two tires.... Gary

opnwide · April 10th, 2004, 11:29 PM

Yeah, I was doing about 75mph. I had just lifted off the throttle and had my car positioned on the outside to make a sweeping left. I tapped the brakes to settle the nose, mostly steering. My RR tire went off (no biggie-I'm used to that) but as I turned in, the whole back end swung around on me. No chance to catch it so I put both feet to the floor. Surprisingly, I didn't go off the track. I actually slid INTO the turn and stopped with a BIG cloud of smoke. ROADHOG was behind me about 10 seconds and saw most of it. I'm running michelin pilots, not the cups.

I destroyed the front left tire--worn through to the inner rubber. This tire had 5000 miles on it! The rears I can true at the V-10 nationals in Shreveport (heh,heh). The front right has a cup on the outer tread, but due to the "aggressive" allignment, you can't feel it too much unless you're cornering left.

I remember years ago when I would go snow skiing with some of my college buds, and they would brag that they had only fallen once all day? I'd fall a hundred times a day, but then I'd smoke them when we'd race. You'll never find your limits if you don't push them.

Gerald · April 10th, 2004, 11:40 PM

Mich Pilots are special tires. The rubber formula is from NASA top secret laboratory guarded by the likes of HELL BOY. They are different than any other tire out there. You can't patch them, put air in them , nor even put armor all on them to make the shine. If they get a hole in them or even if you drive on them one day you have to buy a new pair.

NO, not really... [img]/images/graemlins/supergrin.gif[/img]

j/k!!!