So I got a flat tire (with not 1, but 2 nails 
) Fortunately I have a decent sized spare. Stock sized tires on my car are 185/65/14, and my spare is 175/65/14. The spare tire is on the right rear. I’m hoping my old one can get patched otherwise I’ll have to find a replacement. In the mean time though, how bad would it be to continue driving it with the spare on? I do a lot of driving, about 95% highway, so I can easily put on close to 400 miles a week. Just trying to gauge what the risks are of doing this. The car in question is a 2000 Chevy Prizm. TIA!
Assuming the nails were in the tread just go to walmart, buy a tire plug kit, and fix it yourself. If it was the sidewall the tire is trashed.
It takes more time to jack the car up and pull the tire than it does to make the repair. You pull the nail, run the rasp through the hole a few times, then stick a plug in with the included tool. Trim the plug off flush with the tread and re-inflate.
I hit a big roofing nail just after pulling out of my driveway on the way to work a couple weeks ago. I knew something was in the tire because I could hear it going “click click click” as I turned around and pulled back into my garage. Since I keep the kit stocked and ready to go it was fixed and I was back on my way in 10 minutes.
Thanks I never even thought of using a kit. It’s only a few dollars more to have it done at a shop but maybe I’ll give it a try this weekend. The larger of the two nails is right in the middle of the tread. However the smaller one is very close to the sidewall, it’s coming out right around the outer edge of the tire. I think I’ll bring it by a shop this afternoon just to get their opinion of it and if they think it can be saved then I’ll patch it over the weekend and see if it goes flat again before Monday.
i keep the kit handy too…its nice to have if you ever need it
It’s a few dollars more to have it done at a shop, but it’s much more time wasted and the next time you’ll be paying all over again. Buy the kit and you can fix tires yourself for free for a long time, and when you eventually run out of plugs you can buy just the plugs.
Spending money on tools that let you fix something yourself is always a good investment over paying a shop to do it, especially when it’s a simple job.
I do have to add the disclaimer that some tire shops say a simple plug is not a proper repair. This usually comes from shops that sell tires though so read into it as you will. My personal experience with plugs includes running a track day on a plugged tire on my GTO, about 20000 miles on my Expedition with a plugged tire, and a full season autocrossing my Fiero on a plugged tire. Right now my Murano is running around with a plug in one of it’s rear tires as well, a repair I made a couple months ago. Looking at this history I’ve realized Amherst has a lot of fucking nails on it’s roads.
In your experiences with these nails, were they always easy to pull out? Both nails in my tire are in fairly deep. The smaller one should be easier to get out. However the larger one is sticking with the sharp end coming out, as if it were punctured from the inside out? Seems strange although I’m sure if the nail’s head was sharp enough that would be all it would take to puncture the tire. I’m just thinking ahead right now that I can see that nail being a bit more of a process to remove since it’s deeply embedded and might have a greater resistance in pulling out once I get to the head of the nail.
Are any of the tools in that kit intended for pulling nails out or would needle nose pliers do the job?
And I’m still curious as to the effects of prolonged driving with that spare tire on, if any.
I went to Pep Boys and needed a tire patched and they did it for free. I was told by the guy there that it’s something they do, but haven’t been back and never looked up their policy.
Might be worth looking into.
^^If you’re a rewards member they do tire repairs for free. However after reading the fine print you’ll be charged for re-mounting and balancing if necessary. Did they need to take your tire off the rim when they did it? I’m assuming I might fall under that category since the nails are pounded in so far. I guess my first task is to see if I can remove the nails without losing them to the inside the tire.
I don’t know exactly what they did but when I went to pay they told me it was free. I wasn’t about to argue, lol. I did tip the kid who did the work though.
I’ve always just pulled them out with a pair of vice grips. What ever went into the tire came in from the outside so it will come back out that way too.
I’ve always used the patch/plug combo. (take the tire off the rim) They work very well, wile it does take a LOT longer to have a shop do it, its a very good seal. 
I appreciate the input from everyone. At this point now I can’t get to fixing it until the weekend. In the mean time I will have to drive on the spare. Should I be concerned? Again it’s the right rear tire that is 175/65/14 and the other three are 185/65/14. I know it’s only for a couple of days but I have some considerable (200+) miles to log before Sunday.
The place you bought the tires from will usually plug them for free. A patch requires dismounting the tire. Otherwise plugging will cost around $15 and you might as well buy the kit, it is super easy.
I wouldn’t be concerned about such a small size difference on the rear of a car. Running shorter tires on the rear of a fwd will offset the handling, but if you drive like a normal human you should have nothing to worry about.
Well I took the tire to Midas and they said the one nail is too close to the sidewall, so it’s not salvageable.
To Deathproof, I know it’s not a big deal when both rear tires are a little shorter but is it still ok if just the one rear tire is shorter? I wasn’t sure how to interpret your response since you mention running shorter tires in the rear and in my case it would only be one.
If it’s not a big deal I will probably just ride on the spare another month if possible and then throw my snows on for the winter.
Look at it this way, having one 175 and one 185 would be better than using a donut, and you can drive safely on a donut. Sure, donuts say not to drive above 50 or 55 but they aren’t made for extended highway use, the 175 is and it is less of a difference in height than a donut would be.
^^^Got it, thanks to everyone’s input here :tup: At least now I know what I can do in the future should I get a flat that is fixable.