Nail in my 37. Can I plug & off-road?

[NoDoorsNoProblem]

Parked two days ago and was checking out my truck when I spotted a nail in my passenger rear General Grabber ATX. It’s not leaking at all, even over the two days I’ve noticed it and been obsessively monitoring TPMS. I had to drive about 200 miles from when I noticed it to get home and all still seems fine on it.

I have a full-size 37” spare on the steelie, but it’s a BFG KO2 (bought because it was cheap at the time, and I had concerns about it fitting between the frame rails.) So while it matches enough to get to a tire shop or off a trail, I can’t relegate the nail tire to a spare. I’m kicking myself for being a cheapskate and not just ordering a 5th wheel and matching tire and doing 5 tire rotations for just this event.

Can I plug this and continue using? I’ve seen conflicting reports on this on different forums. Some say plug and only use as a spare. Some say plug, but only use on the rear axle, in the event of a catastrophic failure on the highway at 65 affecting steering and losing control. Others have patched or plugged and put 10-20k more miles with no issues. I really have no experience in this area and don’t know what to believe. I do a decent amount of moderate to difficult wheeling at least once a month, and air down to 15 every time.

I’ve got 30k miles on my ATXs so selling them wouldn’t be a total loss, although I was hoping for another 15-25k miles out of them. Should I just bite the bullet and replace them, or can I plug the nail and ride the tires until there’s no treat left?

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[Richard79]

I would take it to a place like discount tire and let them repair it from the inside and drive it as normal personally, I have one on my wrangler that they repaired and it’s been fine for two years now

 

[NoDoorsNoProblem]

I would take it to a place like discount tire and let them repair it from the inside and drive it as normal personally, I have one on my wrangler that they repaired and it’s been fine for two years now

Have you done any airing down/off roading on it since you got it repaired?

 

[Rusty PW]

To pick up a nail. It's in the best spot, middle of the tread. Plug it yourself and go. Or take it to a tire shop and let them repair it.

 

[mx5red]

I personally don’t have experience with repairs but reading this 1,000 times over here, people have patched these and driven as normal. Wouldn’t worry about it or sell the tires.
Question is whether doing it yourself with a plug would suffice (seems like it), or do it right and have a patch placed from the inside. Again, seems like people do just fine doing plugs, so not sure a patch is necessary even though it’s “better.”

 

[bd100]

I used a plug once and it lasted the rest of the life of the tire. Also had a patch once which was also fine.

 

[Richard79]

Have you done any airing down/off roading on it since you got it repaired?

Yes

 

[Blade1668]

Heck I've plugged many tires with a "Safety Seal" plugs like that and ran the tire(s) until needing replaced. That's a best case situation (center of tread) for getting a nail in tire. Damned if most of mine was in that good of place in tread. Most I get are where no tire shops will patch near edge, as of why I've plugged many (one tire had 6 or more). The reason why I changed the tires from OEM was due to having so many plugs in one or more tires with thin tire carcass. With "heavy duty" tires patches/ plugs last or work better. Most of the nails or wire I found was in front tires, with the stock tires "Sport, Overland" you could about push a nail though by hand.

 

[Blade1668]

FYI: I've plugged a 33/12.5x15 MT and a few 31/10.5x15 MT sidewall/edge of tread that lasted life of tire or tread wear with Safety Seal plug kit plug. I've had a Wrangler 31/10.5x15 MT tire as a spare tire for probably 5 years on my LJ without losing air pressure. It was a sidewall puncture, that was a spike in sidewall... it did become a (spare only).
I would always try to do is get a full set of 5, always. In the past I've been stuck by ripped out sidewall of a tire or 2, then the company has changed tread pattern, dropped that tire size or something making them into orphan tires and matching replacement unavailable.... it really sucks to have less than 1000 miles on set of tires with 3 good and 2 with torn out sidewalls.
Not funny but the same the Matt of "Matt's Off-road" had when he was in TN with "Bleeping Jeep" Matt. I had hit metal fence post on trail at Tellico.... ? I wonder if not placed there by same a## holes that got Tellico closed..

 

[Jaxmax]

I work in quarries we always get stuff in our tires ,they have us stop at the tire place for an inside patch and plug, my Goodyear Wrangler Kevlar tires have had less flats then my other sets and have about 75,000 on them now (and in need of replacement), but I have two plugged and patched tires with at least 45,000 since fixing. I would take it and get it done right, and forget about it, might even be a short roofer type nail and not leaking. ....Jack

 

[Viper501]

Inside patch / plug combo should work fine for the speeds our trucks will go. I’ve previously had to use my emergency plug (no spare in the car) on a much higher speed tire and it lasted as long as I had the car.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

For some peace of mind you can make up some really soapy water in a spray bottle and spray the nail. If you have an air leak, you’ll see a bunch of bubbles form around the nail, and if it’s not leaking, there won’t be bubbles.

I’ve often just used plugs and been just fine for the life of the tire but if you have patch warranty from where you got your tires, then just go in and have it done.

I got my tires from KAL so I get free patches, rotation and balance

 

[AmishMike]

If it is not leaking air, it might not even be through. Believe it or not, I have seen tubes of urethane window sealer used successfully in repairing tires, it does vulcanize. I have plugged probably 100 tires and not had a problem with simple nail punctures.

 

[Sandevino]

I’d bet it’s stuck in the tire but hasn’t broken the layers to actually puncture it. Rip it out and see what happens.

 

[Elff]

For Road use, you can plug that and have zero issues.

Depending on how much you air down and what you do while offroading, I am not so sure. For Rock Crawling, I would think if you flex it at that spot on a rock, it might pull away from the plug.
it might take a while for that to happen, or it might never happen.
If you only do mild trails, and don't air down below 10PSI, I would think you would probably be ok and since you have a spare, do have the situation, where if it fails, you are good to go.

So I would say, plug it and give it a try

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