Facepalm - Yes you can repair that tire!

[Le Poisson]

OK, I'm venting a little bit, but also hoping no one on here is dumb enough to believe what I just read on another car forum.

Apparently a first-car owning dude on there got a nail in his tire and was asking what he should do about it.

Slightly dumb people advised him to replace the one tire. 'Better informed' people suggested that just replacing the one tire was good, but it was better to replace both rear tires so tread wear would be even. Some 'absolute genius' suggested replacing all four tires and getting an alignment, and while you're at it, this is an excuse to buy new rims.

Ugh.

So in case you get a nail in your tire (and this is the season for nails in tires) here is what you do to fix it...

1. Today - before said nail appears - stop in at your local car parts place and buy one of these kits: http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/victor-car-tubeless-tire-repair-kit-0092139p.html#.VQwxb47F9xA

2. While you're there, grab a mini air compressor and throw it in the trunk as well. I got mine with a 70% off ticket from Canadian tire gas bar. I think it was $3 or so. http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/bellair-500-tire-inflator-kit-2991905p.html#.VQwyFo7F9xA <-- This one is overpriced! Never pay over $15 for these!!! They come up on sale all the time.

3. Alsi pick up a pair of pliers. You probably already have a pair in your vehicle breakdown kit anyways, but in case you don't - you need a pair. You can get cheapys for about $1 in the bins in the middle of the store, or you can buy good ones. Your call.

Note that the total cost of this stuff is cheaper than either an autoclub membership or a new tire.

I put both of these in spare tire space along with a piece of chalk. It all fits nicely into a little zippered plastic bag saved from a sheet set I bought long ago. Now when your nail happens, here's what you do.

1. Drive slowly to a sidestreet or into a parkinglot. Don't fix your car on the side of a highway/freeway/busy road. You've had a flat for at least a few seconds before you stopped. You can for a few seconds more for safety.

2. Run your hands along the tread to find the nail. It can be hard to locate it. If you can't see it, use the chalk to mark the sidewall at the bottom of the tire, then roll the car forward a foot so you can see the rest of the tire. If you still can't see the nail, you may have to remove the tire from the car to find it.

3. Once you find the nail, circle it with the chalk. mark it really well. You may be surprised how hard the nail was to find. Once you remove the nail, you will need the chalk marks to help find the hole.

4. Use your pliers to pull out the nail. This may be harder than you expected.

5. In the repair kit, there is a reamer. Following the instructions on the back of the package, poke the reamer in the hole and clean it up.

6. Put a plug into the plug insert-er, and shove it into the tire. *muscles required* but not impossible. Pull back and voila - you have patched your tire.

7. Use the inflator to air up the tire again. Continue on your merry way.

If you don't have to remove the tire, this whole process will take less than 30 minutes, should not bugger up TPMS systems, and allows you at least a little longer on your tires. With luck the plugs will last indefinitely.

Worst case is the plug holds for you to get to a garage to have the tire looked at and saves you a tow. I hate slime and its friends since I've had tires ruined by using it.

[Spork]

Around here: tire stores will plug a tire for free -- just because it's good for future business.

[Melf]

Excellent advice especially if you don't have any sort of emergency roadside assistance membership.  I normally carry one of these plug kits and mini compressor on my motorcycle and in the car for long trips.  I'd rather be able to get going again on my own rather than wait possibly hours for someone to rescue me.  The pliers are an essential.  Nails, screws, etc. don't come out of a tire as easily as they seem to go in.  It's a good idea to check the condition of your kit occasionally also.  Some of those plugs can start to dry out and will be even more difficult to get in.  Some kits also have tubes of cement and those tend to dry out after a year or two also.

[StarswirlTheMustached]

A cautionary tale about tire repair:

I had a decent hole in a winter tire this year; I elected to get a patch-and-plug repair job done at the local Canadian Tire. It didn't take.
Not only did it not take, when I brought it in for repairs, they declared that the puncture had damaged the sidewall (no, it hadn't) and the tire was a writeoff. They killed my tire!
Never again. I'll just plug the darned thing myself.

Also: those little pumps have one glaring flaw: the power cord insulation isn't rated for winter temperatures -- I got the crappy tire store brand, because, hey. Canadian. Should handle winter, right? Nope! The insulation shattered. The cable shorted. Oddly enough, while the plug is fused, it's fuse is rated higher than the one on my car. Go figure.

So thanks to Canadian Tire, I was out a tire, a fuse, and I need to solder a new cable onto my brand-new 12V air compressor. Needless to say, I am never going back there.

[Forcus]

Around here: tire stores will plug a tire for free -- just because it's good for future business.

My experience around here is flatly opposite. Most will not willingly do a plug or plug-patch even if the cords aren't damaged. I end up just fixing my own.

Couple notes:
- If it's a hole in the sidewall, forget it. At best it will not hold for long, at worst it could cause a blow out (which is in itself not dangerous but most people panic and make it dangerous).
- If cords are broken it is generally not advised to plug; however I have done this multiple times with no issue.
- I would generally NOT advise driving on a flat unless it is simply too dangerous to change / fix it where you are at. It does not take long for the rim to damage the sidewalls of the tire and make it unfixable (or at least, weakened and possibly dangerous when reinflated).
- This seems like a no brainer but make sure (1) your spare is aired up, not cracked, etc., (2) your jack is present and working, and (3) if you have a (stupid ass design) winch type mechanism that drops the tire from the bottom of the car, make sure it works. I fought with the FIL's winch last winter for an hour until I broke the damn thing and gave up. Also it will always be raining, snowing, on a freeway with cars going by at a million miles per hour when you first use the winch..

[Le Poisson]

Good points everyone.

IMO - the sidewall repair isn't a good option if you have a spare, but if you don't, its better to be safe than sorry.

Also, I was shocked to learn that in a cost saving and weight saving/fuel efficiency move, many small-car manufacturers are omitting a spare tire in favour of a bottle of slime and a roadside emergency plan. Before buying a car, check the trunk and see if it has a spare. Also, many minivans and trucks have a spare that hangs from the undercarriage by a piece of airplane wire. If that wire rots out, your tire will go missing. Don't ask how I learned.

[JLee]

Around here: tire stores will plug a tire for free -- just because it's good for future business.

My experience around here is flatly opposite. Most will not willingly do a plug or plug-patch even if the cords aren't damaged. I end up just fixing my own.

Couple notes:
- If it's a hole in the sidewall, forget it. At best it will not hold for long, at worst it could cause a blow out (which is in itself not dangerous but most people panic and make it dangerous).
- If cords are broken it is generally not advised to plug; however I have done this multiple times with no issue.
- I would generally NOT advise driving on a flat unless it is simply too dangerous to change / fix it where you are at. It does not take long for the rim to damage the sidewalls of the tire and make it unfixable (or at least, weakened and possibly dangerous when reinflated).
- This seems like a no brainer but make sure (1) your spare is aired up, not cracked, etc., (2) your jack is present and working, and (3) if you have a (stupid ass design) winch type mechanism that drops the tire from the bottom of the car, make sure it works. I fought with the FIL's winch last winter for an hour until I broke the damn thing and gave up. Also it will always be raining, snowing, on a freeway with cars going by at a million miles per hour when you first use the winch..

+1 on not driving on a flat. You'll destroy the tire and possibly the wheel.

+9999 on not repairing a sidewall. Just...don't. If a tread plug fails, you'll leak air and the tire will go flat. If a sidewall fails, you're looking at a higher chance of an explosive / blowout failure. The sidewall carries a lot of load and stress.

[Forcus]

Yeah sorry I should have quantified that. Using plugs in the sidewall in an emergency (middle of nowhere, etc.), got to do what you got to do. Usually with a sidewall puncture you'll need a lot of the gooey worm rubber plugs and cement though.

Also tire places HATE tire slime and personally it has never worked for me anyways (along with those cans of air / slime). I heard before that it is flammable but I think it's mostly just the mess.

[Le Poisson]

+1 on not driving on a flat. You'll destroy the tire and possibly the wheel.

I've driven (on the shoulder) to the next interchange to pull into a park and ride for a tire repair more than twice, and so far, its been fine. The reason for this is that there are too many stories out there like these:

http://globalnews.ca/news/1867661/driver-killed-in-crash-on-southbound-hwy-400/
http://www.cbs46.com/story/27812548/part-of-i-75-north-blocked-in-bartow-county
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/teens-hit-by-car-while-changing-tire-2-dead/nFDGB/
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/traffic/1-killed-on-i-75-accident/nZcdz/
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/02/mayfield_man_dead_after_helping_change_tire_on_womans_car.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2602574/Tenn-teen-hit-car-killed-changing-tire.html

Sorry, but I'd rather risk replacing a rim. I'm not saying to drive 40 miles or 40 miles an hour. Take it easy, stay well off on the shoulder, find a spot that is safe, and do your work there.You can replace a steel rim for $25 on craigslist for most cars. A factory alloy rim is $100 at the wreckers. Not worth the risk.

[Gone Fishing]

I've probably plugged 10+ tires.  Only one didn't hold. A larger truck plug may have done the trick, but the entire set was about shot, so I replaced all 4 and saved the other three as backups.  I usually keep the best 1 or 2 out of an outgoing set.  Then if I blow one out, I have a spare that can stay on until the entire set gets replaced.  I bought a $50 mounting setup from Harbor Freight that works fine and has probably saved me twice that.  I haven't had any that needed balancing real bad, but a shop will do that for $5 or so if you bring in the mounted tire remove from the vehicle.  Not so sure I would try the mismatch tire strategy with an AWD.  I've heard some have issues.

[Le Poisson]

@Soclose - you know how to balance a tire the old fashioned way right? A handful of sand or a few BB's (birdshot) and you're done. If you are mounting, you might as well balance too.

I've never mounted my own tires, but I'm thinking this spring will be my first try at that. Our local garage charges $10 each to mount and balance, so I've never bothered, but he's about to close up shop, so I have to learn.

[JLee]

+1 on not driving on a flat. You'll destroy the tire and possibly the wheel.

I've driven (on the shoulder) to the next interchange to pull into a park and ride for a tire repair more than twice, and so far, its been fine. The reason for this is that there are too many stories out there like these:

http://globalnews.ca/news/1867661/driver-killed-in-crash-on-southbound-hwy-400/
http://www.cbs46.com/story/27812548/part-of-i-75-north-blocked-in-bartow-county
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/teens-hit-by-car-while-changing-tire-2-dead/nFDGB/
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/traffic/1-killed-on-i-75-accident/nZcdz/
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/02/mayfield_man_dead_after_helping_change_tire_on_womans_car.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2602574/Tenn-teen-hit-car-killed-changing-tire.html

Sorry, but I'd rather risk replacing a rim. I'm not saying to drive 40 miles or 40 miles an hour. Take it easy, stay well off on the shoulder, find a spot that is safe, and do your work there.You can replace a steel rim for $25 on craigslist for most cars. A factory alloy rim is $100 at the wreckers. Not worth the risk.

I don't disagree with moving to a safe location, but if you've driven on a flat (not low) tire you have probably damaged the sidewall and the tire should be replaced, not repaired.
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/81-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension/18080-how-far-can-you-drive-flat-tire-until-ruined.html
http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/tires-101/tire-care/tire-repair.page
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=187

Tires are subject to extreme stresses and it's critical to the driver's/occupants' safety (and the safety of everyone else on the road) that they be maintained properly. You could shoot a gun in the air 100 times and be fine too, but that doesn't mean it's safe! :)  Do what you gotta do to get home, but if there's sidewall damage (or if the tire has been driven on the rim for more than a very short distance) the tire needs to be replaced.

[Syonyk]

Not so sure I would try the mismatch tire strategy with an AWD.  I've heard some have issues.

It depends on the system involved, but, in general, mismatched tires on an AWD system will save you a bit of money on tires and cost you a lot of money on drivetrain repair.

If you have open differentials around, the system won't care (though it will also be a one wheel wonder in slick conditions unless you lock stuff).  If you have any limited slip differentials, mismatched tires will cause constant differential slip which will, at best, wear them out early, and at worst, cause significant transmission damage (Subaru center differentials are a common item damaged by this).

If you have a Subaru, you've probably got at least one limited slip differential floating around in the center.

One neat solution, though, is to match the tread depth.  Tire Rack will do this if you ask, and at least some local shops can do it.  If you have a tire that's catastrophically destroyed, and the others still have decent tread on them, you can get a replacement tire, then have the tread shaved to the proper depth - they literally remove rubber until it's the same size as the other tires.  It's a bit wasteful of tread, but it can be a huge cost savings - one tire plus shaving is radically cheaper than the cost of 4 tires (when 3 are still fine), or the cost of drivetrain repairs.

[Gone Fishing]

@Soclose - you know how to balance a tire the old fashioned way right? A handful of sand or a few BB's (birdshot) and you're done. If you are mounting, you might as well balance too.

Not familiar with this method.  Please explain.

[Le Poisson]

@Soclose - you know how to balance a tire the old fashioned way right? A handful of sand or a few BB's (birdshot) and you're done. If you are mounting, you might as well balance too.

Not familiar with this method.  Please explain.

Its an old farm trick. The centripetal force of the tire spinning will force BB's or other weights inside the tire to the points that are out of balance, creating a dynamic balance. You can pay for 'special' balancing BB's ( www.innovativebalancing.com )or just go to Walmart and buy a tube for a bb gun.

Here is a writeup for an Off-roading forum: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/general-4x4-discussion/516446-airsoft-pellet-tire-balancing-including-charts-calculators.html - and here is a chart of how much weight you need in standard tire sizes: http://www.innovativebalancing.com/Classicchart.htm

There is a video on youtube that shows how it all works, but basically, you throw a handful of BB's inside the tire and let physics take care of the rest. I am not sure how well this would work with TPMS sensors in the tires but if you have an older car, its not an issue.

[Syonyk]

Pretty common for some brands of motorcycle as well. I hear it's well worth it if you do your own tire changes.

[guitar_stitch]

Also tire places HATE tire slime and personally it has never worked for me anyways (along with those cans of air / slime). I heard before that it is flammable but I think it's mostly just the mess.

Green "Slime" is not flammable.  Fix-a-flat is flammable due to the propellant in the can.

Tire techs hate either one, as it makes a horrible mess on their machines.

Slime and Fix-A-Flat can plug up TPMS systems.

If you're stuck and your options are limited, you have to take calculated risks.  Towing is not cheap.

Also, how far are people driving where you can pick up a nail on the road and end up completely flat before you arrive at your destination?  I typically walk around my vehicle before taking off for a cursory inspection.  I look for tire problems, visual or olfactory indicators of serious fluid leaks, toys, kids, pets, and other hazards before I even get in the car.  Takes an extra 10 seconds.  I have only had one roadside flat and that was because I caught a pothole with my trailer that bent the rim and busted the tire.

[Syonyk]

I haven't tried slime on car tires, but it rocks in bike tires.

... and I may have driven for a few years on fix-a-flat.  I had a slow but annoying leak I could not find, had a can of fix-a-flat, figured it wouldn't do anything, but that tire sure held air the rest of the life of that car (a set of new tires literally would have totaled it, so I was motivated to find cheap fixes).

[Lis]

I can't believe people actually believe you need to replace one tire (even two!!!) because you drove over a nail. I know next to nothing about cars and even I know that's ridiculous. Sheesh, if I had to replace one or two tires every time I drove over a nail.... you'd think I aim for them. A local place does patches for $10, which for me is well worth it.

[Syonyk]

It depends on where the nail penetrates.

If it goes through the sidewall, it's probably not wise to keep the tire around.

If it goes through the tread, absolutely, patch and move on.

[thurston howell iv]

Why not just get AAA? It's relatively cheap, super reliable, and good for insurance discounts as well.
It's also much lighter than carrying a spare and tools around.

If I have an issue I call them up. They tow the car on a flatbed to my home and I can perform the repair in the safety of my driveway- at my leisure.

Seriously, just get AAA.

[Syonyk]

Because I'd rather just install a spare and continue with my trip or day? :)

If you're not using a car as a daily driver, being towed home is likely a rather significant diversion. It usually doesn't take more than 15 minutes to change a tire anyway, though I've certainly seen exceptions to that.