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[ducati955]

so i have a small nail in the right front tire... when i get this fixed can i still speed at times, take corners, or get new tire? (i hope that the nail is so small, maybe it didnt even puncture it) not loosing air at all....
thanx

[02themax]

Should be fine, once punctured the tire is reduced 1 level speed rating after being repaired.

[Orient330iNYC]

Originally Posted by 02themax

Should be fine, once punctured the tire is reduced 1 level speed rating after being repaired.

not the case....

The guidelines for Michelin, BFGoodrich and Uniroyal tires allow up to three patch-plug repairs per tire in the tread area. However, punctures must be at least 90 degrees around the tire from each other.

Adhering to these Michelin rules will allow the tire to retain its speed capabilities.

Quoting from Michelin's repair guide: "If the above repair limits are followed, the tire will retain its original speed rating. Plug-only repairs done on the wheel are considered improper and therefore, not recommended. Such repairs are not reliable and may cause further damage to the tire. Tires with such repairs should be scrapped."

For Michelin Zero Pressure (ZP) self-supporting run-flat tires, the repair procedure is exactly the same with one exception: the tire can only be repaired once. A second puncture consigns the tire to the recycling heap.

Bridgestone also insists on the same patch-plug procedures to keep the tire's warranty in effect. The tire maker also only allows repairs to the tread area. Another issue is that there must be at least 1.6 mm of tread depth left.

However, any repair to a speed-rated tire means "the rating is void if the tire is repaired, retreaded, damaged, abused, or otherwise altered from its original condition. Thereafter, it should be treated as a non-speed-rated tire. Improper repair voids the tire limited warranty."

So it is time for a new tire if you have a performance car. To again quote the Bridgestone repair brochure, "To avoid reducing the speed capability of the vehicle, replace a speed-rated tire only with another tire having at least the same speed rating. It is the `top speed' of the `slowest' tire on the vehicle which limits the vehicle's top speed without tire failure."

i dont recall ever reading a mfr's guidelines that state subtract one speed rating.
some say no change as long as its a proper plug patch, others say, it loses the speed rating completely.