Continental tires - nail magnets?

[Louis-Alain Richard]

Confirm the tread depth theory:

2 weeks ago, I installed brand new studded Pirelli Carving (so far so good,
nice bite but noisy). First trip to Quebec City (250 km, on snowy secondary
roads), got me a wallboard screw in the front left. 

After shoveling the 6 inches of fresh powder, I replaced the flat tire with
the new (albeit 22 years old...) spare tire. Less than a mile later, the
spare was flat too, despite the fact that I filled it to 60 psi no later
than this last September. 

Grrrrrrrrrr..... 

With no more spare to install, I just drove on the flat spare (oxymoron?) to
the nearest garage to fill it up. Guess what?  No more problem! I drove the
entire week-end on the refilled spare tire and it was just fine. What the
heck? A self healing flat? 
Never seen that before.

Anyway, I too find that deep treaded tires are prone to sharp metal debris.
Winter tires are the worst IMO. Must be the soft rubber.

Cheers,
Louis-Alain


> -----Message d'origine-----
> la part de Fred Munro
> 
> How deep is the tread? I find deep treads are better at shrugging off road
> debris.
> 
> Merry Christmas!
> 
> Fred Munro
> '94 S4
> 
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
On Behalf Of Mike Arman
>  
> 
> I'm running a set of four Continental 16" tires on S4 rims on my V8Q.
> 
> Three weeks ago, I picked up a wallboard screw in the left rear - tire
> damaged beyond repair (according to the local Goodyear dealer, who has an
> acceptable reputation), so I got to buy one new tire to match the other
> three.
> 
> Today, I get a part of a nail or a staple or something in the right front
> -
> we were able to fix the tire, but it is still a PITA.
> 
> Am I just having a run of bad luck, or is there something about
> Continental
> 16" tires that attracts nails, screws, glass, and other debris?
> 
> 
> Best Regards,
> 
> Mike Arman
> (Audi V8 . . . it isn't just a car, it's an ADVENTURE!)