[JimD]

I am unfamiliar with Discount Tire but I've done a bit of research on patches and found a local tire dealer who does patch run flats. He did it for a neighbor with a 135i and it is working fine. To patch properly the tire must be removed from the rim. The inside needs to be inspected and if there is damage, the tire (regardless of type) cannot be safely patched. If the inside is OK, then a mushroom shapped patch - bigger on the inside - or a plug with a patch attached is used. The local dealer patched a tire for my son less than a week ago for free. He has purchased a couple sets of tires from the, however.

The plugs you can insert yourself from the outside are not as reliable from what I've read. My daughter had one "fixed" that way and it leaked immediately afterwards. This method also does not allow an inspection for damage on the inside which is important to understand if the tire is safe.

I wouldn't take a patched tire to 155 mph but for the driving I do, I would use it normally. My replacements are very unlikely to be run flats. I am thinking I will use ultra high performance all seasons to get a much higher tread wear rating. I carry a 12V pump in the car now and that is the only protection I plan against getting stranded with a flat. All my leaks so far have been slow ones that a pump would have gotten me home.

Jim