Can this be repaired?

[RoGuE]

Discount Tire said they wouldn't touch it, as expected. He agreed that there is a chance it didn't puncture due to the weird angle the nail went it. He did offer to give me about $45 off any tire of my choice due to the manufacturer road hazard prorated value...even though these tires are almost 3 years old now. He also said I could replace ALL the tires too and get that amount for each one if I wanted to...it's tempting.

I decided to just leave the nail in and borrow a family members car to go to work. I got home not too long ago and barely pulled on the nail and it came right out. It is about 1.5" long. I sprayed some soap on it and there is a VERY slow leak. One little bubble every few seconds.

Plugging it myself would be impossible it seems due to the weird angle it was in there.

It drives me nuts not having all four tires the same...am I crazy for contemplating replacing all four tires? I would get about $160-180 to apply to any new tires. These Kumhos are only rated at about 30,000 miles with 8000 miles on them now, which was fine when I was driving 8 miles a day but now I drive about 27 miles a day to work.

 

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted By: RoGuE
........am I crazy for contemplating replacing all four tires?.....


No, you are prudent.

A 27 mile commute means you spend quite a bit of time above 50 mph. At that speed any tire failure could result in something tragic.

If you were to spend your time below 35 mph, it might be OK to just run the tire and take the risk, but those higher speeds not only create more stress on the tire, but also put you in a position where a failure is less likely to be recoverable.

 

[WhyMe]

For $45 you can get a safety seal kit to fix it and then leave it in your car for emergencies.

The call is up to you though.

 

[SatinSilver]

Put a new tire on there. Same brand and model.

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted By: RoGuE

Discount Tire said they wouldn't touch it, as expected....

Yep, no surprise there that's SOP for DT in this situation.

Question, when you say you can't stand not having all four tires the same, I'm assuming you are now talking about tread depth? Surely DT can get a matching Kumho tire. Only 8k on the tires you got now, isn't much. Guess I'd consider the depth difference between current and new, before laying out the extra cash for a set of four, even with DT prorating them. Based on only 8k I'd say just take the $45 off and get one new tire and forget it.

Now, if they can't get the exact same tire (don't see why not) then I'd lean to negotiating with DT for the lowest price with your pro rated tires on a new set. My 02.

 

[RoGuE]

That would be ideal, but this tire (Kumho Ecsta ASX) was discontinued in 2011 and DT said they could not obtain another one. Tirerack seems to still have some on closeout, but not in my size anymore.

But an update now...a week after pulling out the nail, it does not seem to be leaking air anymore, or just not very fast. It is down only 1 psi, but that might also be attributed to checking the air pressure so many times.

Now I know I did see some bubbles forming directly after pulling the nail out, but could it have sealed itself? Is the tire safe to continue driving on if it is not leaking at all anymore or just very slowly?

 

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted By: RoGuE
.......But an update now...a week after pulling out the nail, it does not seem to be leaking air anymore, or just not very fast. It is down only 1 psi, but that might also be attributed to checking the air pressure so many times.

Now I know I did see some bubbles forming directly after pulling the nail out, but could it have sealed itself? Is the tire safe to continue driving on if it is not leaking at all anymore or just very slowly?


First, there is damage and it is in a sensitive area - so, No!, it is not safe. If your commute was a short distance at moderate speeds (say 35 mph and under), then it might be worth the risk, but a tire failure at high speeds is not only more likely, the actual failure would be more catastrophic.

 

[michaelluscher]

As much as I hate to say it

.........If the money off the new one's is working in your favor, That's a deal I'd take in a heartbeat.

This is a (pun intended) grey area when it comes to repairs.
If you want to save it, Patch & PLUG it.

 

[another Todd]

Originally Posted By: pbm
Yes...that can be plugged or patched.


+1