Nail In One Tire, Replace Two?

Yesterday I discovered a nail in my rear driver's side tire. It's not able to be patched because it's too close to the sidewall, at least according to Just Tires. I'm sure I could get it plugged but I won't feel comfortable driving around on a plugged tire. Anyway, I have almost 25,000 miles on my Falken Rocky Mountains in 285/70r17. I don't have access to a tread depth gauge but these tires have worn great and even though 25k sounds like a lot, they still have tons of tread left. My question is, do I need to replace both rear tires or can I get away with just buying one? The salesman at the tire shop told me I would be fine just replacing one because the other tires still have so much tread but I'm sure I'll be able to tell the difference when the new one is installed and I can see them side by side. My bigger concern is how one new tire will affect the handling.

 

Patch it, it will be fine. Replacing one tire won't affect anything but will notice the visual difference

 

Yep, a correctly plugged tire will last as long as the tire.

 

Patch it. worst case you change a tire later. It is a good learning experience, Autozone sells tire kit for 15 bucks. I have 6000 miles on a plugged tire, the tires have 30k on them. Haven't aired it up since the day i plugged it. You can use a ruler from the house to measure tread depth if you really want to. Also when you rotate the tires it would put both tires on the same side of the truck anyway

 

I don't have a problem with a patched tire since it is sealed from the inside. Plugs are what make me a little uneasy. Just seems a little unsafe to drive on a tire with a plug shoved in from the outside. I was told it was not able to be patched because it was too close to the sidewall but maybe I should get a second opinion.

 

Most tire shops will tell you that due to the liability they will not repair a sidewall and I do not blame them. But, your specific repair is not sidewall.
I would plug all day over a patch and have plugged many offroad tires. In fact, you might consider putting one in your truck. ARB sells a great kit btw.

 

You're in so cal...go to Pepe or Juan's tire shop and have them patch if lol

That's what I did...and mine was on the edge of the side; yours is still pretty far in to where mine was

 

I just had a tire patch plugged. It is both a patch and a plug all in one.

 

Plug it and run it!

 

Plug it. It's not even in the side wall.

 

Is it leaking? If not I know some people who have driven over 10,000 miles with no problem by just leaving the nail in it

 

Plug. Ive done it on 3 of my vehicles and never had a problem. Its worth a try. Do it, and if it leaves or you still feel uncomfortable, then replace. But itll buy you time.

 

i have been plugging tires for 25+ years, 0 problems this is on a tacoma i assume,if it was on a speed rated tire i might be leary but on truck or regular car tire,PLUG IT AND FORGET IT.

 

terrible advice.

 

Is that even through the tread? I've pulled a bunch over years that were just stuck in a lug.

 

Even with free flat repair I still plug my own and done maybe 30 in my life. Takes a few minutes is all. On the front I even leave the tire on the turn the wheel. I have never had a failed plug. I keep plugs, tools (including long nose pliers) and fresh rubber cement in all vehicles.

 

just plug it, ive plugged in the middle of the sidewall before when i put a tree branch threw a tire on my old f150, it held just fine

 

Terrible advice would be to pull the nail out and then NOT plug it.

 

That puncture is in the shoulder, and that's why they won't repair it. Big tire shops will only patch punctures in the crown.

The problem with nails in the shoulder and plugging it from the outside is you can't see what the nail has done to the inside of the tire. There may be unseen damage.

If you can dismount the tire, break the bread and look inside you can eliminate the unknown.

That's what I would do. Then plug it.

I say plug it, be careful to follow the angle of the puncture when reaming. I have three plugs in my tires right now.

Tire repair is serious too, do it right. A couple from San Diego died in a roll over from an improperly repaired tire at a dealership (Mossy) a year prior to the accident. The tire blew out on the highway in AZ. It was a 14M settlement against the dealer. The kids of the deceased sued.