Stock Dunlop 8090 tire with approx 10k miles. The nail has been lodged in there for at least 2 seasons now. To give you an idea of how serious the puncture is, I pumped all four tires to 32psi in June.. when I switched to winter wheels today, 3 of them measured 29 psi and this one was 24 psi. I knew there was always a leak but the air loss was so gradual I didn't spot the nail until today.

 

Yes it can be fixed, the correct method involves removing the rim from the rim and fixing it from the inside out.

 

Yes. It can be plugged. Probably cost 10 bucks at a local tire shop. Those wear bars tell me that your tires are due to be replaced soon though. maybe another 5-10K miles.

 

that's probably the better choice. Will cost a little more since you'll need to unmount, repair, mount and re-balance.

 

Small hole = plug...works well....

They have these cool plug/patch combo things that work even better

I don't ever take a patched/plugged tire to the track...but for street driving they are fine

 

Thanks for the responses--I wasn't sure if it was too close to the sidewall but it sounds like it can be repaired. I'll take it to a local shop tomorrow.

No intentions of driving on a track. I would love to a few years down the road though, if the opportunity ever presents itself. I don't put many miles on the car--only been averaging 5k a year.

 

A shop will most likely not repair because of how close it is to the sidewall. Most shops go by the 1 inch rule...if the puncture is approx an inch from the sidewall they will recommend a new tire. Just speaking from my past experience...