Nail in MT drag radial

[19BuickGN87]

I have MT drag radials with only 100 miles of wear and I got a nail in the tread of one of them,:frown: do I have any options other than buying a new tire?

 

[whitehot1]

I have MT drag radials with only 100 miles of wear and I got a nail in the tread of one of them,:frown: do I have any options other than buying a new tire?

I have those tires also and have been thinking about what kind of repair can be done if i picked up something off the road, people here throw all kinds of crap on the road just because they can.

I don't know for sure but maybe a patch on the inside and using an inner tube.

 

[SMS]

Depends where the nail is. If it is in the middle of the tread, it can probably be patched. If it is anywhere near the sidewall, the tire is junk, as the sidewall flex will tear the patch loose.

 

[GNsnake]

Be safe and replace the tire.

 

[UNDER-PRESSURE]

Use a mushroom patch on the inside & you should be fine.

 

[10secvega]

When my DR's where almost new i picked up a self tapper.I put a plug patch in it and 2 years later it is still working and they are about bald.

 

[NEARING]

Plug it.

Plugged my M/T dr at the track. Daily drove on it for 6 months(GTO) with no problems.

Long as it's not in the side wall as others have said.

 

[salvageV6]

Dismount it and use the inside patch if you are gonna race on them.

Regular patch from the outside should work for a driver that doesn't go over 75mph.

Near the side wall replace it.

Usually the plug patches will only develop a slow leak when they don't seal perfectly, easy to detect by checking your pressures often.

Just my .02, used both with success.

 

[UNGN]

If it's in the tread, patch it, it will be fine.

If it's in the side wall, a patch probably won't work, but likely nothing catastrophic will happen during a 1/4 mile pass, other than the tire going flat.

It takes a pretty large defect to lead to a tread separation in a drag radial which are designed to take a ton more abuse than a regular radial (for 1/4 mile at a time)

If you want to kill yourself with a drag radial, drive one at 150 mph for 60 miles. Short of that, the risks are pretty low.

 

[nordy racer]

Be safe and replace the tire.

+2.. do you patch a slick? these tires are made of the same type of soft rubber. i wouldn't trust it..

 

[jpwalt1987]

I have patched many Drag radials and ET Street Type tires with the plug patch mentioned above when I worked for firestone. IF you do the plug patch correctly(dont scuff too much of the rubber inside the tire, Let the rubber cement dry the right amount of time) It will be good as if it never happened but only in the tread area. There is a limit to how far you can go towards the sidewall. On a regular driving tire the Puncture can be right at the edge of the tread with some of the patch adhereing to the sidewall. These tires dont have soft and flexible sidewalls like a drag tire. On a drag tire I would make sure that the ENTIRE patch stays on the tread where there is no flex to make it come loose. Worst case scenario....... The patch comes loose and the tire starts to deflate...not great at 70mph.......deadly at 130mph. You will lose control of this happens. I would patch it if the tire is how I described above. If not then replace it.

 

[jpwalt1987]

do you patch a slick? QUOTE]

Slicks are made to be run with tubes as we all know. But I also know that most people dont run tubes. Myself included.

 

[19BuickGN87]

Thanks guys for all the replies,the hole is in the flat thick area of the tread half way between the center line and the edge of the tire. I think the mushroom patch will work.

 

[Bens87tr]

If it's in the side wall, a patch probably won't work, but likely nothing catastrophic will happen during a 1/4 mile pass, other than the tire going flat.

QUOTE]

I'm going to have to disagree with that statement. That sounds crazy to me.

 

[wile87]

what's crazy about patching it. it is a radial tire. i had a patch on on my bfg's for over a year with no problems. if your car is fast enough that you are worried about failure you are probably running to fast for dr's anyway. inside patch will be fine for a street car

 

[UNDER-PRESSURE]

These plug patches are safe legal patches rated up to ZR tires. You will be just fine.

 

[Bens87tr]

You would patch sidewall damage?

 

[UNDER-PRESSURE]

You would patch sidewall damage?

It's never legal or safe to patch a sidewall & that's not were the original poster has a problem.

 

[John Wilde]

I got a nice sheet rock type screw in my MT DRs about 8 months ago.
It was patched on the inside and I have driven it every day to work since.
No problems to report so far.

 

[Bens87tr]

It's never legal or safe to patch a sidewall & that's not were the original poster has a problem.

I am aware of that, but I don't think UNGN is. Hence my original post. Go back and read his to see what I'm talking about.