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First thing to do is put soapy water on the staple. If it bubbles, the tire needs to be plugged. If no bubbles, just pull the staple from the tire because has not gone through the tire. And no repair is needed.
I have a small diameter staple in my right rear tire so I called my dealer and they told me they don’t fix (plug or patch) run flats that I would need to replace it. So I called another Chevy dealer who also worked on my C8 (they installed my high wing) and they too said they don’t repair run flats that if it’s leaking I would have to buy a new tire. They said something about liability?
Reason I choose these two dealers and not a tire store is both dealers have the latest Hunter tire equipment that won’t scratch, nicks or damage the wheel unlike the old style worn out tire mounting equipment that is common at regular tire stores. And I have not had much luck using Tires Plus, Firestone, Discount Tires.
Judging by the length of the staple leg that’s not in tire it’s doesn’t look that long so not sure it actually penetrated through the run flat. IMPORTANT POINT: THE TIRE IS NOT LEAKING AT THE MOMENT
So what do you recommend I do?
1) Take my chances with a local tire shop?
2) Given it’s not leaking leave the staple in the tire and drive the car until it starts to lose pressure
3) Pull the staple then spray a water soap mixture to see if it leaks if it does bring it to a tire shop for repair
Odd that can definitely be repaired. If your dealer won't do it I would take it to Discount Tire. Only thing I would suggest is that you take a picture of the rim or review it with the advisor. The run flats are not fun or easy to remove and scratches are very common. You don't want to get in a issue where you are told the scratches were already there.
Appreciate all the replies and input which helped me plan my course of action.
My C8 is still up on the QuickJack (Hurricane preparedness from Idalia) so I am going to pull the staple to see how deep it penetrated and once pulled spray a soap solution on the area to see if it’s leaking. If it appears it’s not leaking I going to bring the tire pressure to 40psi then recheck it tomorrow. If it lost pressure I’ll remove the wheel then bring it in to Discount Tires to have it fixed.
I have not seen anyone addressing the elephant in the room. LEGAL LIABILITY. If a shop repairs a tire that has been punctured, thus possibly compromising it's structural integrity, the shop/company is now married to that tire. Should it deflate or destruct while being driven & causing an accident, law firms will be lining up to sue & collect! Most major retailers in tire sales will also not resell used tires, aka take-offs. Once dismounted the store will slice the side wall to prevent it from being resold & exposing them to further liability if that tire should fail a new owner on down the road. Yes, there is always pressure & incentives to sell new replacements. Safety or savings. The store & customer must decide.
Appreciate all the replies and input which helped me plan my course of action.
My C8 is still up on the QuickJack (Hurricane preparedness from Idalia) so I am going to pull the staple to see how deep it penetrated and once pulled spray a soap solution on the area to see if it’s leaking. If it appears it’s not leaking I going to bring the tire pressure to 40psi then recheck it tomorrow. If it lost pressure I’ll remove the wheel then bring it in to Discount Tires to have it fixed.
Again, I appreciate all the comments and input.
UPDATE: I submitted an on-line appointment with our local Discount Tire StoreCORRECTION IT WAS TIRES PLUS which is highly rated just in case it’s leaks when I pull the staple out. Just received a call back from the manager. He told me they can’t patch/repair Michelin Run Flats that are on Corvettes. They’ve had lots of problems trying to remove the tire from the rim/wheel. I asked him why not use a plug he said, “we tried that and we can’t get plugs into those tires”.
There are no Discount Tires near me so I’ll call the closet one to find if they repair run flats since others had success using them .
UPDATE: I submitted an on-line appointment with our local Discount Tire Store which is highly rated just in case it’s leaks when I pull the staple out. Just received a call back from the manager. He told me they can’t patch/repair Michelin Run Flats that are on Corvettes. They’ve had lots of problems trying to remove the tire from the rim/wheel. I asked him why not use a plug he said, “we tried that and we can’t get plugs into those tires”.
Amazing how things vary from shop to shop! So back to calling around.
I bet if you wanted to buy some new Michelin run flats they'd sell them to you and figure out how to install them.
Odd that can definitely be repaired. If your dealer won't do it I would take it to Discount Tire. Only thing I would suggest is that you take a picture of the rim or review it with the advisor. The run flats are not fun or easy to remove and scratches are very common. You don't want to get in a issue where you are told the scratches were already there.
Much better than a pic and arguing later is using a bribe to assure it's done right!!
I avoid risks when it's easy to took this tire off and brought it to Discount Tire where I bought tire insurance the week I got my C8 ($225 in 2020.) Did not see the 2nd nail until I took the tire off. The one near the outside required a new tire. About 4 months later had another nail in the other rear tire about where you see the one further in. It was repairable with a Plug/Patch all that they use. So the tire must come off the rim and be remounted and balanced. ALL FREE TO ME. BUT to insure no rim nicks (and as you note, it is a PIA to deal with low profile run flats on a wide rim) I told the manager wanted his best guy and there would be a $20 tip for no rim nicks! Tech looked it over carefully both times before he started for any nicks. As there were none, did a great job and both times got the TIP!
I just had Discount repair my run flat 2 weeks ago from a screw that was in almost identical location at OP. I have custom wheels and am picky and they always do a great job. It definitely can be repaired at Discount.
As I said in my previous post I have had great success over the years having Chevy replace my tires because they have the latest tire machines (like Hunter) unlike your routine tire stores that don’t invest in the latest and they have 10+ years old equipment that are used 30+ times a day! Not to mention they use impact drivers which are grossly out of spec and I doubt are never calibrated.
Then again, looks like I don’t have a choice when it comes to flat repair.
I disagree. Chevy dealers fix a smidgen of the tires in a week Discount does daily. Discount continually upgrades their equipment and if you have problems on the road there are Discounts across the nation. A dealer 1k miles from your home Chevy dealer will not back tire work done at your local dealer. Discount has even rapaired tires of mine not bought there, gratis. They also have balanced (4) tires of one of my Vettes gratis. Why do they do this? As the managers tell me "come back and buy tires from us"
Very few companies provide the kind of service Discount does. Rare these days.
So when the staple is pulled and it doesn't leak, what are they going to repair? Are they going to drill a larger hole, puncture the tire, damaging cords, just to put a plug in it? Are they going to dismount the tire to patch a nonexistent hole? About the only thing you could do is put some rubber cement where the staple was, still unnecessary.
So when the staple is pulled and it doesn't leak, what are they going to repair? Are they going to drill a larger hole, puncture the tire, damaging cords, just to put a plug in it? Are they going to dismount the tire to patch a nonexistent hole? About the only thing you could do is put some rubber cement where the staple was, still unnecessary.
Well said.
UPDATE: I pulled the staple and the leg that penetrated the tire wasn’t very long and from the pictures I took it did not puncture the tire. I sprayed a soap mixture which confirmed no air escaping. I filled the tire to 40psi and will check the tire pressure tomorrow to confirm no loss of tire pressure.
09-07-2023, 08:14 AM
I love my local Sugar Land store TX044. 
