Patching screw hole - Dunlop ZII's

[wparsons]

Since things seem to come in threes, I figured I was due for another one (first was a snapped wheel stud, second was rusted solid swaybar endlinks that had to be cut off the struts), and picked up a screw in my summer tires the other day.

I've never had to patch an extreme summer tire before, any concerns against it?

Anyone from the Toronto area have any recommendations for shops to do the repair in either Whitby or Yonge/Eglinton area?

[Wepeel]

I've plugged them before and autox'd on it. As long as it's in the tread and not the sidewall it should be fine. I did it with those kits you can get from wherever (plug from outside, don't need to remove wheel) - ream hole, shove the plug material in, cut off leftover gunk. No issues and held pressure as good as normal - not sure if racing orgs have any guidance about this though.

Edit: not specifically Z2's but other extreme performance tires.

[wparsons]

Tire shop had no issues patching it, proper plug from the inside. It's in one of the center grooves, so not even in a useful tread block. They said there should be no issues with tracking it at all.

[zimzum]

i would spend the extra 5 bucks and have a proper patch job from the inside done. takes an extra couple of min but its worth the piece of mind.

[White64Goat]

Using a reaming tool from the outside should only be used as an emergency fix as it damages the steel belts. In the old days before steel belts it wasn't as critical. Steel belted tires should be patched from the inside when possible.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by wparsons

Tire shop had no issues patching it, proper plug from the inside. It's in one of the center grooves, so not even in a useful tread block. They said there should be no issues with tracking it at all.

My club's tech sheet has this to say about tires:

Tires: No cracks, blisters, or cord evident. NO PLUGS! Front tires must be the same size. Rear tires must be the same size. Tread depth must be adequate for wet driving.

I've never asked why plugs aren't allowed. Thinking about it, maybe the concern is that the plug could give up and allow a rapid drop in tire pressure.