Differential damage due to tire tread?

[bigred2015]

If the patch was the stumbling point why did they not just replace it with whatever method to their satisfaction?
My shop does repairs and routine maintenance for free. I try to throw money at the owner but never get away with it.
It would be time for a different shop for me in your situation.

i asked them to just put the tire back on and id take it somewhere else that can patch and plug it. they would not do that and i just said screw it, bought the cheapest tire and left. This is Discount tire.

 

[bigred2015]

No, you're not at risk of damaging anything including the differential & no gimmicks are required

I would get a new tire guy, nothing wrong with a patch only for a nail hole; you bought a tire for no good reason

I was quite frustrated because when they took the tire off before winter they made no mention of the patch at all but now when i have all but one tire back on "whoops we cant put this one back on and now you have to buy a new one"

 

[Marky Dissod]

argued with them asking them to just put the tire back on and they wouldn't budge. very annoying ...

What's the name of this place? So we can all avoid it?
EDIT: Discount Tire ... ok, thanks.

 

[bigred2015]

Agreed, they used it to sell you a tire but ideally they wanted you to get two.

Couple of things:
- Tire size means nothing... overall actual tire size for the same "labeled tire size" are different from one manufacture to the next. This is why they do not recommend mismatching tire brands but also this is due to tire compounds, handling characteristics, tread patterns and wear.

- Your truck has differentials which are either posi traction, or open with electronic locks to engage in 4wd. The point of a Posi is to lock the wheels but also to allow the tires to rotated at different speeds (when you are going around a turn vs straight). When you turn the inner tire moves a shorter distance than the outside tire. The posi will allow the wheels to move at different speeds so you don't get noise, uneven tire wear, added stress on the system. This is not to mean that you want this "slipping" ALL THE TIME which is what you are doing essentially. This will cause premature wear of the slip mechanism which can be friction plates, cones or some other mechanism. While I have put a single new tire on worn cars that tire was the same brand and size so its just the tread wear your making up and not the differences in manufacture size and compound. If this was me I would have taken it to a different shop, plugged the tire myself and had them install it or where you are now... get another matching tire for the opposite side sooner than later. Your not going to see huge changes between manufactures but there are so many things that affect the installed DIA. Vehicle corner weight, the air pressure, tire construction, compounds, layers of steel or kevlar belts and anything that affects the sidewall stiffness. That gets compounded by the tire compounds, and tread designs which affect how the tire behaves at certain temps and road conditions.

- Your truck is not as sensitive as some of the AWD systems (Subaru's are real bad) but I would still fix it with replacing with a matched tire on the other side.

- I'm not sure how the size of tire will affect your wheel speed sensors, or if the systems are even sensitive enough to measure that difference. I would suspect not as they have to account for wear but also would have tripped the ABS or traction control systems by now.

It was discount tire and they gave me the B.S excuse "we cant install a tire with a patch and not a plug for liability". I asked multiple employees to just put it on and id take it to a new shop and they refused. Not super thrilled with that. I was planning on buying some AT tires in a few months so as long as i can wait that long with the tread differences ill do that.

 

[bigred2015]

What's the name of this place? So we can all avoid it?
EDIT: Discount Tire ... ok, thanks.

yup i've used them plenty of times for tire swaps/ installs but this latest experience rubbed me the wrong way. They did nothing but cause me more headache.

 

[Goldwing2000]

i argued with them asking them to just put the tire back on and they wouldn't budge. very annoying but it turns out its quite difficult to drive with only 3 tires. good to hear it's a non issue. If i keep the tahoe for more than a few months which i hope to do, ill buy a full new set anyways

Personally, I would have had them put the spare on, put the "bad" tire and bare wheel in the back and driven to a different tire shop... but I completely undestand the urgency and need to make a quick decision. Things happen.

 

[EddieC]

i asked them to just put the tire back on and id take it somewhere else that can patch and plug it. they would not do that and i just said screw it, bought the cheapest tire and left. This is Discount tire.

Sounds like a ransom.

It's good to have a relationship established with private local companies and individuals.

It is amazing the impact that a bit of cash or even the gesture of a box of doughnuts has when our mechanics (or tire dealer in this case) has when we are old "no charge". The next appointment or service tends to get preferential treatment and we get on first named basis.

Our tire dealer is a one shop business whose parking lot is generally full and overflowing onto the street. Their prices always beat the on-line big boys of TR and DT to the amount equal to at least getting balancing and installation free. And then there is free followup of rotations and repairs if needed.

 

[Marky Dissod]

... on-line big boys of TR and DT ...

Tire Rack ... Discount Tire ... doesn't one of them own the other?

 

[tuckerrnr1]

It was discount tire and they gave me the B.S excuse "we cant install a tire with a patch and not a plug for liability". I asked multiple employees to just put it on and id take it to a new shop and they refused. Not super thrilled with that. I was planning on buying some AT tires in a few months so as long as i can wait that long with the tread differences ill do that.

Can you at least use the new tire a replacement for an aging spare?

 

[West 1]

There is a small independent tire shop near me. They will work with me and pretty much do what I ask. I always do what is safe but the big shops have rules and will not move on them. A good tire patch is a good repair. Should not come into play in your case.
I will say my small shop can't balance worth a bean so I end up getting balance work done at another shop.

 

[tom3]

I'd guess your Tahoe has the GovLok differential and that newer tire won't hurt anything.