Cut Tire

[JWhitcomb]

Well I cut a side wall on one of my outside tires. Curb with a metal edge that they did not bend around. It has been years since I have done this and wondering what the current thinking is.



What I want to do is boot it and use it as a spare only. My spare is brand new and I really can't afford a new tire right now. Will I be able to find someone to boot it or not? I understand they might not want to do it.



The tire will be used as a spare only, I did drive it 300 miles with the cut but it has started to bulge more.

 

[EMD Diesel Power]

My opinion...



run the spare until you can afford the new tire... then swap em out again and put the *new* spare back under the truck.



As for running the cut tire as a permenant spare... . I personally wouldnt do it..... I get suspicious when the sidewalls are damaged, especially in your case when its starting to bulge out now. I would not use the cut tire under any loaded conditions.



Never heard of *booting* a tire... . so I havent a clue if anybody would do it or not.



Is booting the same as patching??

 

[JWhitcomb]

EMD, I share your opinion and that is what I plan to do. Booting may date me a bit but that is what we used to call it when putting a large stiff patch on the inside. No way I would feel safe running a side wall cut but I did because I really had no easy way to get the spare with my camper loaded and the need to get home. Got to invent a way to get that spare down while the camper is loaded. I have always put my faith in Michelins and was not let down this time. Anybody know what the Michelin tire that has the extra steel in the side wall is called?

 

[EMD Diesel Power]

JWhitcomb



Michelins never let me down either when I had my truck. One heck of a tire, but you pay $$$ for it as you know. I had LTX A/Ts on the '96 2500. Got great milage out of em too.



As for the all-steel tires, the ones that come to mind are the XPS series (rib and traction). I might be wrong though???



Another one to check would be the LTX A/T Commercial... . but Im pretty sure these aren't all-steel. Just a hopped-up version of the LTX AT.



PS... I thought thats what you meant by the booting..... but wanted to be sure. I still wouldnt do sidewall damage though lol

 

[HBarlow]

JWhitcomb:



I'm not in the tire business but I don't think a radial tire with a damaged sidewall is repairable or usable. Think of the bulge at the bottom as the tire rotates and imagine the flexing the sidewall has to endure each rotation.



Harvey

 

[Deezul1]

The boots worked ok on the old bias ply tires but with radials there is so much sidewall flex it will eventually walk the boot off, prolly at the worst possible time. Check the used tire stores, I have been buying Michelins for my truck for $35. 00 ea mounted and balanced and they are about 80-90% tread left.