Money and willingness to spend money is always a hard topic. You can only spend your money once, so many people try to look for cheap alternatives. An example I want to discuss is car tire repairs.
If you drive, sooner or later you will get a tire puncture. Obviously you should have a solution for this problem; spare tire (and tools), sealant or plugs. These solution will get you to your destination or at least to a tire shop.
But what to do to fix a punctured tire? In the old days people would just plug it and continue driving on them. Plugs are dirt cheap and usually quite effective. However with modern tires you will have a special weave in the steel belts of the tire. The plug method might work well as a short term solution, but for longer term use it might weaken the steel belts depending how the tire was punctured and by corrosion effecting the steel belt. Since you are not removing the tire from the rim, you can't tell the actual damaged on the tire.
The proper method to fix a tire it to take the tire of the rim and inspect from the inside. Depending on the damaged it might be repaired or not. If it's deemed repairable, a patch will be placed from the inside. This doesn't even have to be expensive.
A puncture near the sidewall is deemed unsafe to repair. (The side wall flexes a lot and is thinner). However a lot of people will try to plug a puncture near the sidewall, after a tire shop have refused to fix there puncture. Often saying they had done it before without problems, they keep the wheel on the back and/or drive only short distances. Having been in a car which had a blow out on one of the rear tires, I experienced swerving cross 3 lanes followed by 2 and half 360 degree turns...
My opinion on this:
First of all my opinion is, that if you can’t afford to maintain your vehicle properly, you shouldn't have bought it in the first place. A good thing about a cheaper car, is that maintaining them is generally cheaper too.
How much does having another flat will cost you? A tire with a plugged hole on/near the sidewall cannot be seen as a proper repair. If this repair starts to leak again you will need to change to a spare tire (maybe in a dangerous location) or get road side assistants. Both take time and roadside assistant can cost a lot. Reliability will save money in the long run.
If the tire fails and you get involved in an accident, it will probably damage your car, yourself and posibly others. If other cars get involved you will also be liable for their damages. There is a saying in the safety industry ‘If you think safety is expensive, try an accident’. Remember risk = Chance X damages.
This not only applies to tire, but all other aspects in life. What repair or equipment do you buy? How reliable is it and what are the risks? Is it a proper decision or just your wallet talking?
If you drive, sooner or later you will get a tire puncture. Obviously you should have a solution for this problem; spare tire (and tools), sealant or plugs. These solution will get you to your destination or at least to a tire shop.
But what to do to fix a punctured tire? In the old days people would just plug it and continue driving on them. Plugs are dirt cheap and usually quite effective. However with modern tires you will have a special weave in the steel belts of the tire. The plug method might work well as a short term solution, but for longer term use it might weaken the steel belts depending how the tire was punctured and by corrosion effecting the steel belt. Since you are not removing the tire from the rim, you can't tell the actual damaged on the tire.
The proper method to fix a tire it to take the tire of the rim and inspect from the inside. Depending on the damaged it might be repaired or not. If it's deemed repairable, a patch will be placed from the inside. This doesn't even have to be expensive.
A puncture near the sidewall is deemed unsafe to repair. (The side wall flexes a lot and is thinner). However a lot of people will try to plug a puncture near the sidewall, after a tire shop have refused to fix there puncture. Often saying they had done it before without problems, they keep the wheel on the back and/or drive only short distances. Having been in a car which had a blow out on one of the rear tires, I experienced swerving cross 3 lanes followed by 2 and half 360 degree turns...
My opinion on this:
First of all my opinion is, that if you can’t afford to maintain your vehicle properly, you shouldn't have bought it in the first place. A good thing about a cheaper car, is that maintaining them is generally cheaper too.
How much does having another flat will cost you? A tire with a plugged hole on/near the sidewall cannot be seen as a proper repair. If this repair starts to leak again you will need to change to a spare tire (maybe in a dangerous location) or get road side assistants. Both take time and roadside assistant can cost a lot. Reliability will save money in the long run.
If the tire fails and you get involved in an accident, it will probably damage your car, yourself and posibly others. If other cars get involved you will also be liable for their damages. There is a saying in the safety industry ‘If you think safety is expensive, try an accident’. Remember risk = Chance X damages.
This not only applies to tire, but all other aspects in life. What repair or equipment do you buy? How reliable is it and what are the risks? Is it a proper decision or just your wallet talking?
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