Curbed new tire. Need to replace?
 

This evening I misjudged the entrance to a parking garage and clipped the rear wheel -- hard! When the four letter words finally subsided I found that the wheel is scratched and tire raised rib is cut. Both the tires and wheels are only a few weeks old!

Based on these photos, do I need to replace the tire? The cut is to the raised rim protector but it does not go deeper. I'd rather not buy a new tire unless there is a safety issue. The tires are Bridgestone Potenza RE050A.

http://timrost.com/photos/IMG_3669.JPG
http://timrost.com/photos/IMG_3673.JPG

I'm by no means a tire expert but in this case I would suggest pumping the pressure up to 50 psi and make sure there isn't any bubbling. I believe the sidewall of the tire is primarily to hold the shape with the rubber sealing it. As long as you didn't damage the interior makings of the sidewall then I think you would be fine if it holds air.

Obviously if you have a choice a new tire would be peace of mind.

Bro, that really sucks (in case you didn't know). Was this after coming home from the problem free 700 mile trip? Not the ideal way to end it.

It's a sign, sell the car and move to Finland. No, that's blasphemy!

I drove the 868 Boxstoberfest miles without any problem. It was the monday night drive home from work that got me. I left early too, meaning this would not have happened if I had been a good little worker and stayed past 6:00.

And don't worry, if I move back to Finland a new Boxster will be pretty high on my shopping list :)

I'll swear on a stack of Bibles that when that cop pulled me over in your car, I did NOT take the corner too close and cause this problem.

Sorry to hear about this. Sammy had a good idea about putting 50+ in the tire and seeing if it bulges up. If not, keep driving on it and watch it carefully.

I tell you what though, I wouldn't do any speeds over normal highway speeds if I were you until that tire is replaced.

For the record, Randall got off with a warning so he is still 16 years without a ticket.

Ouch Timothy! That really sucks. You just got those tires too.

I honestly wouldn’t be too worried about it. It just looks like cosmetic damage to the tire and I don't think that is worth buying a new one.

My dad did a very similar thing to his MBZ with 18" AMG wheels and Michelin Pilot Sports (ACTUALLY CONTINUES TO DO IT). It’s just cosmetic and boy are his wheels banged up. Exactly why he doesn't drive any of my cars.

My suggestion is to have the wheel/tire re-balanced and you should be fine. Have the tire shop that installed them take a look at it, just be careful of any salesmanship like mumbo jumbo in which they will try and sell you a new tire.

Adding PSI to see if it bubbles is a great idea as well. If it doesn't bubble then the tire probably isn't damaged on the inside.

Let us know how it turns out and what you decide to do.

~James

I think that's one for the tire swing. Had the same thing happen to me with my Toyo RA-1's. Tires were on for about two days, pulled into a dark drive way in a strip mall and nicked the high end of the curb. Left rear $250 down the tubes.
Sidewall damage is not worth the risk to you and others.

Didn't you buy any type of road hazard warranty? Since the tires are brand new they should have some type of warranty. Even though this is your fault, it still falls under this type of damage and protection for you. I get my tires from Discount tires with the road hazard warranty and this happened to me too. I brought it in and it was covered under that warranty and they replaced it for free! I did pay $15.00 for a new warranty for the new tire that was put on. :cheers:

I bought the tires from Tire Rack but didn't get the road hazard. On the way to work I stopped at RUF and they suggested not to worry since it does not go deeper than the reinforced sidewall protector rib. Still I'm going do the 50lbs test as suggested, and considering I like to drive hard, might replace the tire anyway for that extra peace of mind. I once had a blowout at 75mph and don't care to relive that experience.

Hi,

Unfortunately, the Tire is compromised. Pumping it up isn't going to tell you anything about the belts possibly delamming, or the Tire being out of balance (albeit slightly).

It's best to replace it now so that your treadwear will be closer to the 3 other new tires.

You can of course gamble and keep the Tire in service. But, it is a gamble, and one, which if you lose, will make the cost of replacement pale compared to the possible alternatives. Good Luck!...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

i suggest that you replace it, since you other tires are fairly new, otherwise you would need 2 new matching ones. so if you replace this one you will still have 4 'new' tires kinda deal.

and i agree with Jim, if that thing blows out, you got bigger problems then just that one tire.
and since you already had that happen, i say forget it and get a new one

New tire ordered! Thanks all for the advice.