Do I Need to Replace a Tire with a Nail Puncture?

[VanRyan]

Tire punctured by a nail: If the nail punctures the sidewall, replacement is necessary; if it punctures the tread, only repair is needed, not replacement. Whether to replace the tire depends on the location and extent of the damage. If the nail punctures the tread and isn't too thick, it can be repaired at a professional repair shop. Conditions requiring tire replacement include: puncture hole diameter in the tread exceeding 6mm; sidewall puncture; deformation of the bead or tread; corrosion of the tire; damage caused by driving underinflated. Tire repair methods include: plugging, sealant injection, cold patch, hot patch, and mushroom plug. Plugging is the most common method, involving inserting a special rubber strip into the puncture. This method is quick and convenient, taking only minutes, and doesn't require removing the tire from the rim. Tire sealant is a white foam-like liquid, a synthetic polymer compound stored in a compressed canister. When used, it's injected through the valve stem, simultaneously sealing and inflating the tire. Under the centrifugal force of driving, the sealant evenly coats the inner tire surface, forming a sealing film that repairs the puncture. Cold patching requires removing the tire from the rim, locating the puncture, cleaning the area, and applying a special patch from the inside. Hot patching is similar but includes an additional step of heating the patch with a curing machine until it melts and bonds with the puncture. The mushroom plug uses a mushroom-shaped rubber patch inserted from inside the tire, with the stem pulled through the puncture, trimmed on the outside, and secured with adhesive on the inside.