So, while inspecting my stock 255 70R 17's at the gas pump, I found one tire to have two sidewall punctures. Once puncture is shallow and I can only see black within it. The second one, I can see "white". I assume this is "chord" and that can't be good, right?

Tires have ~14K on them.

Full Size Spare has never been rotated in.

Would this be covered under a warranty at the dealer?

Is something like this repairable?

My memory is fuzzy about tire warranties with dealers. I figure a sidewall puncture wouldn't be covered...

I have to say... I've been looking for an excuse to get some 33" Duratracks...

Next set of questions:

Without a Lift, would I be ok with Duratrack 285 70R17's on Stock Moab Rims?
(Anyone with this exact set up and pics are welcome).

Will I need spacers? I don't want any rubbing.

My driving is primarily highway and I'm about to drive from Chicago to NV, NM, AZ, UT, ID, and CA (starting in January, ending in October 2011). I plan on hitting up some trails as well. (Secretly hoping I'll be near the EVO shop, as last year I was only a mile away from them and didn't know it!) Duratracks the way to go?

Thanks for answering a newbie's questions.

 

Sidewall damage is not repairable and can be dangerous.

With 33s and no lift, ur going to need aftermarket wheels or spacers. I always recomend getting steel wheels because they are almost as cheap as decent spacers but that is up to you. than u could sell ur wheels to offset cost. If u do get spacers get good ones. They should cost at least 200 bucks for set or they are not good. If u dont want to spend all this money, I assume u have the crappy street tires that came on ur jeep, if u dont plan on doing alot of offroading, jsut get rubicon take off tires. They r nice tires for mild trails and DD. If u want something that has supper strong sidewalls and is good for DD, Goodyear MTRs with Kevlar would be the ticket. They also come in 255-75-17 I think. The duratracs would also be a good choice for DD and mild trails. I wouldnt trust them for what I do to my jeep but I like to push it a bit.

 

From where I sit and not a good gauge of how bad the sidewall punctures are I wouldn't recommend anything other than a replacement. My tires and seeing the actual damage, that might not be the case. I'm also a pretty firm believer in if things are bad enough to ask the question, then you already know what you need to do. I'm not going to tempt fate and continually tell myself I should have replaced the tire while I am changing a flat, hopefully without having caused myself, my vehicle or anyone else any harm.

 

Thanks for the replies!

I decided to take it to Discount Tire after reading this thread. To my surprise, they told me it wasn't that bad, just cosmetic. What I thought was "Chord" was actually just white wall near the white Good year lettering. They claimed that there is a "White Ribbon" for a lack of a better term, that was showing. They said it would have to be a deeper puncture for Chord to show.

While I was there I priced some Duratracs 185 70R17 for $1265.36, installed along with the fees and lifetime rotations, the whole meal deal.

 

That's a good price for the Duratracs (I'm sure you meant 285/70-17s). However, you'll still need spacers or aftermarket wheels with 4.5" of backspacing. Without either, the Duratracs WILL rub before you reach the steering stops. You can shim up the steering stops, but you'll be trading turning circle for clearance.

I went with Spidertrax spacers (1.5") because I like the look of the factory wheels. However, you can buy 5 steel wheels for around $400.