I plan to keep the car for another year or two.Īny light you can shed on my dilemma would be greatly appreciated. I am at a loss as to what would be the most cost-effective option, I don’t want to do something that would be detrimental to the car safety/ride. Apparently replacing one is OK if it used. Yet another option would be to get a used strut assembly and just replace the affected side. I know that spring must be replaced, do I just have that spring replaced or do I need to replace both sides at the same time? Another option I have been presented with is to replace both front strut assemblies with new struts as I am told you can’t replace just one with new. The rest of the spring is intact and solidly in place, the car ride is not affected, except for that periodic noise. Some time ago I became aware of a periodic noise from the front right end, and after a thorough search in that area, I discovered that the last three inches of the spring end was broken and was loose. I own a 2004 Jetta wagon that I bought when it was three years old, it is a great little vehicle that has served us very well. If they are still doing it the old-school way, I would suggest it might be time to go looking for a new facility. Next time you are having a flat tire repaired at your repair shop, ask them what style of repair they are performing. When a licensed technician or any tire professional repairs your tire and contravenes known procedures, they will be assuming the liabilities of any subsequent tire failures, even if the tire fails from something else. Therefore, if you, as a consumer, go to your local parts store and buy a tire plug kit and repair your own tire, you do so assuming your own liability. They also state that a tire plug alone is an unacceptable repair. In this case, the tire manufacturer’s association states that a tire must be removed, and the inner liner inspected. All professionals regardless of industry must follow guidelines as set out by the appropriate industry association. While I am not a legal professional, the understanding that I have is the assumption of liability. The legality is a little confusing, as there is no law that says a tire cannot be repaired with a plug. Once the technician determines that the tire is repairable, they must prep the inner tire surfaces according to industry guidelines and use an approved stem/patch along with vulcanizing compound, effectively sealing the injury from the inside out. Keep in mind that driving on a flat tire for a block or two will usually cause sufficient damage to the inner tire liner, rendering it garbage. The proper way to repair a puncture is to demount the tire from the wheel and then thoroughly inspect the condition of the inner liner. Unfortunately, there are still many repair shops using this antiquated technique to repair their customers’ flat tires. But let’s face it: There are less and less drivers fixing their tires on Sunday morning in their driveway. Tire plugs are still available today and sold as a temporary tire repair kit. This repair is considered temporary primarily because it does not seal the inner tire liner. The key word here is temporary, as this style of repair was meant to get you safely off the side of the road, and originated from a time period when some had the skill to be able to repair their own tires, on-site. A gooey-coated plug made of a multitude of materials such as rubber and leather strips is then forced into the hole as a temporary repair. The old-school plug repair technique leaves the tire mounted on the wheel. What’s the difference between the two most popular tire repair techniques, a tire plug and a tire patch? And did you know one is illegal? Well, it’s sort of illegal. But I want to do it properly and that requires more than the five minutes that they have allotted. While I am eager to introduce myself and my services to new customers, I’m afraid I aggravate many of them by refusing to repair their tires. Often, the ask involves inflating their tires or performing a hasty repair on a tire puncture. I am fortunate that my business is located on a major thoroughfare, which most of the time leads to a steady stream of potential new customers.
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