Bubble on my tire :(
I was wondering if there's a way to fix it at all cause my tires are brand new 
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,205
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Bitkahuna is generally correct, with one catch........."sidewall" being defined as the part of the tire above the tread. But, with today's modern radial tires, the tread often overlaps and extends part-way up the sides of the tire....this is done for added water-displacement while cornering. If the bubble is clearly above the tread, in the sidewall, replace the tire.....it probably can't be safely repaired. If it is in the tread portion up on the side of the tire, but still below the smooth sidewalls, then consult an honest tire shop for advice. I say "honest", of course, because some of shops just want to sell you a new tire, even if you may not need one and the old one can be repaired. I have generally found the folks at NTB (National Tire and Battery) to be pretty good. 
The main reason why sidewall punctures or defects (on the smooth part of the sidewall) usually can't be repaired is because unlike the old bias-ply tires, modern radials flex back and forth while cornering (and on bumps) to keep more of the bottom of the tire's footprint flat on the road for better grip. If you put a typical tire-patch or plug in the sidewall, the flexing in normal driving may just force it out again or have it pop open....with maybe even worse tire damage than before.
One other catch....if you have an AWD vehicle with a center-diffrential, and all of the tires are low or badly-worn, don't just replace one or two....sorry to say, you may need to replace them all. That is because if you put one or more brand-new, unworn tires on and leave some old worn ones on, it will cause the four tires to have different rotation speeds in relation to each other.....and continually driving the car like that will put added heat and stress on the center differential, shortening its life. That is just one of the compromises you may (?) sometimes have to make with AWD in return for its superb winter traction.
The main reason why sidewall punctures or defects (on the smooth part of the sidewall) usually can't be repaired is because unlike the old bias-ply tires, modern radials flex back and forth while cornering (and on bumps) to keep more of the bottom of the tire's footprint flat on the road for better grip. If you put a typical tire-patch or plug in the sidewall, the flexing in normal driving may just force it out again or have it pop open....with maybe even worse tire damage than before.
One other catch....if you have an AWD vehicle with a center-diffrential, and all of the tires are low or badly-worn, don't just replace one or two....sorry to say, you may need to replace them all. That is because if you put one or more brand-new, unworn tires on and leave some old worn ones on, it will cause the four tires to have different rotation speeds in relation to each other.....and continually driving the car like that will put added heat and stress on the center differential, shortening its life. That is just one of the compromises you may (?) sometimes have to make with AWD in return for its superb winter traction.
Last edited by mmarshall; Mar 20, 2011 at 05:26 PM.
if your tire is brand new though, the tire itself may have a warranty that will cover partial replacement.
i get my tires now only from discount tire and i get their replacement warranty coverage for peace of mind. and they do repairs like nail in the tread for free. and lifetime rotation and balance for free. they rock.
i get my tires now only from discount tire and i get their replacement warranty coverage for peace of mind. and they do repairs like nail in the tread for free. and lifetime rotation and balance for free. they rock.
Sidewall bubble always almost means you hit a pothole or something else hard enough for it to damage the sidewall. Almost all tire shops will tell you to replace it because sidewall damage is not repairable.
You can try taking it to where you bought the tires from and seeing if they will help you with the cost by using the manufacturers warranty to cover a new tire (it will be prorated) but 9 times out of 10 they are going to tell you its not covered since, it is not a manufacturer defect.
You may just be SOL and have to replace that one tire. +1 on Bitkahuna recommending Discount tires, their road hazzard warranty is so worth the cost. I've replaced so many tires through it, and all i have to pay for is the warranty coverage on the new tire..which is only something like $16.
You can try taking it to where you bought the tires from and seeing if they will help you with the cost by using the manufacturers warranty to cover a new tire (it will be prorated) but 9 times out of 10 they are going to tell you its not covered since, it is not a manufacturer defect.
You may just be SOL and have to replace that one tire. +1 on Bitkahuna recommending Discount tires, their road hazzard warranty is so worth the cost. I've replaced so many tires through it, and all i have to pay for is the warranty coverage on the new tire..which is only something like $16.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 807
Likes: 36
From: Ca
This just happened to me Friday. I hit a huge pothole on the 405 and when I got home noticed a bubble in the tire. Luckily I bought the tires at Americas Tire, which is the same as discount tire. I had also purchased the certificates for replacement. Thank god I did this b/c it would have been $300 had I not. The tire only had 8,000 miles so I was happy. It was $32 to get a replacement certificate for the new tire.
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Damn.... Yeah I hit a pothole in the middle of the night was tired from work and the loud BAMMMM woke me up. I pulled over next thing you know.....bubble..... I guess I gotta buy a new tire again :\
so did you check to see if a warranty or the place you bought it from will help like was suggested (twice)?
lol
Bitkahuna is generally correct, with one catch........."sidewall" being defined as the part of the tire above the tread. But, with today's modern radial tires, the tread often overlaps and extends part-way up the sides of the tire....this is done for added water-displacement while cornering. If the bubble is clearly above the tread, in the sidewall, replace the tire.....it probably can't be safely repaired. If it is in the tread portion up on the side of the tire, but still below the smooth sidewalls, then consult an honest tire shop for advice. I say "honest", of course, because some of shops just want to sell you a new tire, even if you may not need one and the old one can be repaired. I have generally found the folks at NTB (National Tire and Battery) to be pretty good.
The main reason why sidewall punctures or defects (on the smooth part of the sidewall) usually can't be repaired is because unlike the old bias-ply tires, modern radials flex back and forth while cornering (and on bumps) to keep more of the bottom of the tire's footprint flat on the road for better grip. If you put a typical tire-patch or plug in the sidewall, the flexing in normal driving may just force it out again or have it pop open....with maybe even worse tire damage than before.
One other catch....if you have an AWD vehicle with a center-diffrential, and all of the tires are low or badly-worn, don't just replace one or two....sorry to say, you may need to replace them all. That is because if you put one or more brand-new, unworn tires on and leave some old worn ones on, it will cause the four tires to have different rotation speeds in relation to each other.....and continually driving the car like that will put added heat and stress on the center differential, shortening its life. That is just one of the compromises you may (?) sometimes have to make with AWD in return for its superb winter traction.
The main reason why sidewall punctures or defects (on the smooth part of the sidewall) usually can't be repaired is because unlike the old bias-ply tires, modern radials flex back and forth while cornering (and on bumps) to keep more of the bottom of the tire's footprint flat on the road for better grip. If you put a typical tire-patch or plug in the sidewall, the flexing in normal driving may just force it out again or have it pop open....with maybe even worse tire damage than before.
One other catch....if you have an AWD vehicle with a center-diffrential, and all of the tires are low or badly-worn, don't just replace one or two....sorry to say, you may need to replace them all. That is because if you put one or more brand-new, unworn tires on and leave some old worn ones on, it will cause the four tires to have different rotation speeds in relation to each other.....and continually driving the car like that will put added heat and stress on the center differential, shortening its life. That is just one of the compromises you may (?) sometimes have to make with AWD in return for its superb winter traction.
Good explination MMarshall!
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