Tire question

[JCL]

Originally Posted by ard

Actually this brings up a question...

One can look at a RFT (or any tire for that matter) once it is dismounted and see it has been destroyed by driving on it- sidewall is shredded due to heating and delam..

But what CAN one reasonably get away with and not damage a RFT?

Is "50 miles at 50MPH or less" going to work? My suspicion is no, that this is the outer envelope on safety, not on 'tire will survive'.

Thoughts?

A

Agree that if there is visible heat damage, it is toast. If there isn't visible heat damage, it may be toast. Tire shops aware of liability issues will err on the side of replacing it. I figure it is always better to try and save it, but I don't have the published guidelines. 50 mph for an hour sounds like too much to me.

I had a flat on the X3 last summer, coming back from a vacation. Luggage for a week, 2 bikes on the roof, and 14 cases of wine in the back. Literally. We had a temp spare, but I couldn't check the pressure, my gauge only went to 50 psi. We were 50 km from the nearest town. I drove slowly, forget a RFT, I just wanted the temp spare to last to town. Same theory though, heat kills things quickly.

I had a low pressure on the Z4 on startup at work years ago. I checked it with a gauge, 20 psi. Drove slowly to the nearest gas station, put 30 in it, reset the TPMS. Drove home, 30 km, where a trusted tire shop is close by. Checked pressure once on the way. Got to the shop, it was at 23 psi. No highway driving. Asked the shop if they would repair it. They asked how long, how fast, etc. Listened to my story. Said it was fine to repair according to the manufacturer's published guidelines. I think it was a BFG. Inside patch with the mushroom patch/plug combo. Extra care on the 19" rim. Balanced it. $30, from memory. This was years ago, when common wisdom was that a RFT could not be repaired.

As we have often discussed, it pays to have a shop or two that you have a relationship with.

Good to hear from you again.

Jeff