# Driving 300 feet on a flat tire- is the tire toast now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 27, 2021, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-300-feet-on-a-flat-tire-is-the-tire-toast-now/940822 "2021-04-27T01:02:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-300-feet-on-a-flat-tire-is-the-tire-toast-now/940822/21 "2021-04-28T15:20:26Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > I agree with this but that kind of damage seems unlikely as long as the OP really only drove on the flat tire for 300 feet. I’d agree (though I’m no tire professional) that 300 feet doesn’t seem like a lot, but it only takes a few miles. A few months ago I had a tire suddenly lose about half it’s pressure. I drove about a mile to somewhere that I could refill it, brought it back up to the correct pressure and then about 2 miles (leaking the entire time) to my mechanic. I drove, 3 or 4 miles, tops, with a tire that was that was low enough that I could hear it starting to make that signature low tire flopping sound, but not 100% flat (I wasn’t driving in the rim yet). The mechanic took it off the rim and it was filled with all those little rubber shavings. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-300-feet-on-a-flat-tire-is-the-tire-toast-now/940822/22 "2021-04-28T17:36:13Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > If the tire is full of little chunks of rubber (looks like rubber sawdust), you’re getting a new tire. Since it’s a RAV4, OP might be getting 4 new tires if AWD. Though depending on how new, the new tire could be shaved to match the old tires. ---
**Author:** ![RedSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/67e7ee/32.png) [@RedSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSky)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-300-feet-on-a-flat-tire-is-the-tire-toast-now/940822/23 "2021-04-30T06:00:49Z")
The original tyre plugs were literally a cone shaped plug pushed in from the outside as a temporary repair, once they become illegal the sting type was released and are much more reliable, offroaders routinely use them and I’ve never seen a failure. Not sure how legal they are now but the string type are certainly widely available . ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-300-feet-on-a-flat-tire-is-the-tire-toast-now/940822/24 "2021-04-30T14:32:38Z")
> [@Chickenwrangler](#): > > Why not swop it for the spare and only use it in emergency. Or at least put it on the back so in the case of a blow out you might still have some control of the car. Sometimes the spare is on a steel wheel rather than the nice alloy wheel on each corner. I know my pickup is like that. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-300-feet-on-a-flat-tire-is-the-tire-toast-now/940822/25 "2021-04-30T16:27:30Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Or you can plug it yourself. Yep. I’ve plugged motorcycle tires from the outside with this: > **[Stop & Go 1066 Motorcycle/ATV Tubeless Flat Tire Repair Kit Leak Seal](https://www.stopngo.com/products/7850)** > > This assortment of patches and plugs provides you with the tools & materials needed to repair and re-inflate your tire on the spot. Once again, dismounting tools are necessary to repair or replace your tube. But the enclosed Rasp and Split-Eye... And then ridden hundreds or even a thousand and more miles on the plugged tire. Yes, I know it’s not as good as a permanent, tire-off examination and repair. Or a new tire. But when you’re 2,000 miles from home and hundreds of miles from a bike shop, these things work. ---
**Author:** ![LivingGhost371](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@LivingGhost371](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LivingGhost371)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-300-feet-on-a-flat-tire-is-the-tire-toast-now/940822/26 "2021-04-30T19:13:31Z")
So, once again, I can’t just use the spare because while full size, it’s a different brand and model then the other tires and this is an AWD vehicle. I took it back to where I bought the tires yesterday, Discount Tire. They fixed the flat for free, and said the tire was fine, after I asked them three different times while telling them what had happened. Since I didn’t buy the warranty and would have had to pay full price for a new tire there was nothing stopping them from telling me I needed a replacement and they did not. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-300-feet-on-a-flat-tire-is-the-tire-toast-now/940822/27 "2021-05-01T00:16:44Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > in CA at least it’s retreads that they can’t sell anymore due to accidents/fatalities caused when less savory places cheaped out on repairs … Many, many, many years ago, my father made a distinction between ‘recaps’ – same sidewall, but new tread rubber – and ‘retreads’ – cutting deeper into the tire to make more tread. Evidently, that was a thing – perhaps during WWII rubber shortages. ---
**Author:** ![Chickenwrangler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chickenwrangler/32/91_2.png) [@Chickenwrangler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chickenwrangler)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-300-feet-on-a-flat-tire-is-the-tire-toast-now/940822/28 "2021-05-01T05:06:07Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > Sometimes the spare is on a steel wheel rather than the nice alloy wheel on each corner. I know my pickup is like that. If the actual tyre is the same just swop the rims 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-300-feet-on-a-flat-tire-is-the-tire-toast-now/940822.md?page=1)