I had the unfortunate luck to get a screw in my front tire. Tire has 3700 miles on it. Pirelli doesn't recommend repairing these tires. So Now I'm left with should I get it plugged or do I need to replace.

If I replace I wanted to go with the Michelin Pilot Super Sport as I planned to eventually. But the tires don't have much mileage on them, so could I get away with just replacing the flat one with another Pirelli and only switch out when I'm ready to replace all 4?

 

If it were me, I would plug the tire. As long as the screw isn't in the sidewall, and it's plugged properly, should not be a problem.

 

Looks like it is in the thick part of the tread you can definitly plug that, if you have road hazard replace it.

 

I don't have road hazzard, so plugging it shall be. Just need to find a good shop. All seem to be closed right now.

 

Sorry for your bad luck.
As others say, plug should be good.. although dismounting the tire and patching from the inside is supposed to be better, at least according to a couple of tire shops I've been to over the years.. I can't remember if it was patch and plug or just patch.
Lawrence.

 

Yeah, did some searching and the general consensus seems to be patch > plug especially if you plan on driving faster than highway speeds.

In may I'm doing a rolling half-mile drag event so I'll probably want to replace both front tires then. Not sure I want to risk it with a patched tire even though some say with a properly patched tire they could do runs all day long. :/

 

Yep, a plug should be fine.

 

Ditto. First, are you sure the screw penetrated to the air chamber?? I ride motorcycles and this is a common problem, plug or replace? I carry plugs & a small compressor to get me to a shop then have the tire dismounted and a patch applied from inside. They actually have a plug that pulls from inside through to the outside attached to a patch for the inside. Never had one fail. Those are EXPENSIVE tires.

 

A dealer would refuse to plug. I do it all the time and have never had an issue. For most street driving, no problem. However, a plugged tire is no longer suitable for tracking the car. It certainly will no longer deserve a ZR rating. The cord may have been compromised.

 

As long as you don't do any prolong high speed driving, it should be fine. I've had the same thing happen to me and I just keep my highway speed to no more than 70mph except for an occasional burst to get around someone. I used it for several thousand miles before I had to replace it. This happened on a non Jaguar for the record, but still a Z rated tire. The main thing is not to get the tire to hot. Cecil...........

 

Depends on your driving. If you will be doing any track days or very high speeds then I would not get it patched. But if you're just cruising around then a patch is probably not a big deal. You will lose the speed rating and some shops will refuse to repair it.

 

Replace the two tires now and you'll be set up for your May event (which is only a few short weeks away anyway). From what you're saying, it doesn't look like you want to run 140-150+ trap speeds with a repaired tire. (I wouldn't either.) With new fronts, you can move past any "plug-patch" concerns the moment those bad boys are bolted on. And, if your installer finds the screw didn't penetrate, you'll have a spare.

 

Totally agree, no issues with plugging that damage in that location. I think it'd be crazy to replace that tyre in that good a condition with that tread left available, but each to their own

 

Agree with others here, I'd patch that tire in the OP without a second thought.

 

That looks like a sheet metal screw of the type used to attach sections of gutter together. If' so, the threaded part is about 1/4" long and hasn't come close to the inner structure of the tire.

It quite likely won't even need a patch or plug, but it will need to be extracted to know for sure. If it does need a patch, as the vast majority have said, given it's location, it would be crazy to replace it unless you see yourself running at 150mph for extended periods.

EDIT: Disregard, given additional info from the OP. Poster had not previously mentioned the tire was losing air.

 

My wife drove the F-Type for less than a mile and picked up a similar tire issue. I got to try out the jack that came with the spare tire kit. Not the right jack per the manual based on the shape of the jacking surface but I found a jacking point that looked ok. Now the tire is patched and I have an excuse to shop for new tires. Thinking about the trying the continental streetable track compound ones they now have at tire rack.

 

It's difficult to tell visually how stable the tire really is, at least from LynxFX's pic, even though it presents a goodly amount of tread and low miles. Neither plugs nor patches have ever given me an issue either, but I ran those patched tires on the street with no concerns whatsoever. Though I realize many have do so, there's just something about running a plugged/patched tire on the track or for that matter, on some strip for a few high-speed runs. But, as you say, to each their own. Peace of mind, at least for me, is worth the bucks.

 

Thanks for all the input. I'll take it in with the expectation of getting it plugged/patched for now. Once we see how long the screw is and how much actual damage will determine if I order a pair of new tires. I just hate to waste money if it isn't needed. It is a slow leak, as I lost about 18 PSI over the course of 12 hours.

 

Plugging is the easiest, I have done hundreds without a problem. You can buy a kit or have it done at a tire shop. Patching is more trouble and expense. Requires removing the tire from the rim patching the hole and reinstall and rebalance.

 

My dealer won't do plugs. They patch it from the inside and rebalance. Should only cost about $40. As long as it's in the middle of the tire there should not be a problem.