Tires: Repairing a Run Flat Tire, flat tires, financial benefit


Question
Can I get a Run Flat Tire repaired?  Some people say yes and others say no.  What is the right answer?

Answer
The real answer is:

There is always a risk associated with repairing anything - and that includes tires.  In the case of tires, the tire may have been run underinflated for quite some time before it was detected and that weakens the structure of the tire and increases the risk of a tread separation.

But in the case of Run Flat tires, some of the signs that a tire was operated underinflated are completely disguised, so even someone trained to look for these signs would not be able to see the and so would not know if the structure of the tire is weakened.  

So some tire manufacturers say you shouldn't repair a Run Flat and others, recognizing they are fairly expensive, say it is OK, knowing that the risk is being borne by the guy getting the financial benefit - the person who is riding on the repaired tire.

So the end game is - Are you willing to accept the risk or not?