KO2 Sidewall Puncture

[EJD]

So I wake up to this today...

I was playing around in some rocky terrain yesterday, possibly aired down a little too much and apparently gouged the inner sidewall at some point. Not enough to give me a flat at the time on the trail or the 20 something mile drive home either...but this is what I find today.

Anyone know what the preferred fix is for this type of puncture?

 

[Boinked]

So I wake up to this today...

View attachment 57689 View attachment 57688

I was playing around in some rocky terrain yesterday, possibly aired down a little too much and apparently gouged the inner sidewall at some point. Not enough to give me a flat at the time on the trail or the 20 something mile drive home either...but this is what I find today.

Anyone know what the preferred fix is for this type of puncture?

Replacement is pretty much the only option.

 

[Daryl]

Replace the tire.

 

[Rob5589]

Duct tape on inside, gorilla glue in the hole. Trust me...

 

[Chris]

No way to fix that, you’ve got to replace it.

 

[EJD]

Well I guess thats why we get 5 at a time!
Thanks guys for the verification, all in all it had a good life...very bittersweet.

 

[ac_]

Replace them all with a kevlar sidewall tire! Especially if you are going to keep doing that.

Haha, in the picture it shows how cheap the sidewalls are made. "2 plies polyester" Sounds like a T-Shirt!

Sorry man, never been a fan of those!

 

[EJD]

Replace them all with a kevlar sidewall tire! Especially if you are going to keep doing that.

Haha, in the picture it shows how cheap the sidewalls are made. "2 plies polyester" Sounds like a T-Shirt!

Sorry man, never been a fan of those!

Lol sounds like a good t-shirt!
The treaded areas are more substantial obviously. I have always liked the KO2 and this is the first and only time i've ever had a puncture occur on the inner sidewall like this. Guess that sort of thing goes with the territory here in the Rockies. I'll likely just get another replacement KO2 though as they are semi-affordable in my size all things considering. My set has less than 10k miles on them so I am in no position to replace them all right now. But will definitely consider something beefier when the time comes for a new set. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Mr. Bills]

. . . the picture it shows how . . . the sidewalls are made. "2 plies polyester" . . . .

I'm not going to denigrate 2-ply sidewalls per se because many highly regarded offroad tires have 2-ply sidewalls, nor do I intend to re-ignite the debate over what load ranges are appropriate for tires mounted on jeeps. However, the photo does point out that sometimes, depending upon where and how one offroads, the number of sidewall plies and how those plies are constructed is as or more important than whether the tire is C, D or E load rated, i.e. sometimes the better choice is a tire with 3-ply sidewalls even if the tire is D or E load rated.

As for this particular damaged tire - replace it. Sidewall damage repair is rarely successful long term and many/most tire shops will refuse to even try. It is this kind of damage that demonstrates the benefit of the replacement certificates from Discount/America's Tire - no questions asked full replacement if the tire cannot be safely repaired and there is still legal tread remaining.

FYI - You can purchase Discount/America's Tire replacement certificates even if you purchased your tires elsewhere. I'm sure that there are conditions and restrictions and the price may be greater, but it is worth investigating.


Tire plugs in the sidewall can get you off the trail, and maybe even home, but its not a long term fix and it isn't safe at highway speeds.