i have a rear wheel drive car and there is a nail in the back right tire. i took it 2 big o tires 2 have it patched but they said they couldnt patch it and i would need a new tire. my tires are almost 1 year old and i am going 2 the sane place that i originally bought my tires from. but should i have them balance my tires or what do i need 2 do 2 make sure the tires are all even??
You must be taking it to the wrong place, If the nail is in the tread of the tire then yes it can be fixed, If it is in side wall of the tire then no , it is against the law to repair a tire that has a bad side wall ( the side of the tire) They will not and they are not suppose to repair a hole in the side wall.
They should be able to patch the tire as long as the nail is not on or near the edge or sidewall of the tire. If you do need to get a new tire then you should not need to have the other 3 balanced as long as you have had this done recently. If you have some sort of vibration then I would have them balance all the tires.
The best and safest way to repair a tire is with what is known as the patch-plug. It is a patch and plug in one unit (Sears Auto Centers and their affiliates utilize this method, it looks like a mushroom w/a stem). The cost of the repair is about $20. and includes high-speed balancing. In order to perform such a repair the tire would have to be dismounted from the rim and the patch-plug is installed from the inside of the tire. The tire is slightly sanded on the inside where the repair is being made to ensure good adhesion of the patch-plug. Being that the tire is removed from the rim the tire has to be re-balanced with any patch repair. A cheaper and not as safe in the long-run repair, would be a standard tire plug that is essentially just stuck into the hole from the outside of the tire (no need to rebalance with such a repair). Please realize that this repair is not as reliable as the plug-patch. However unlike the patch repair this repair can be done close to the sidewall area of the tread. Please note: if the hole is on the sidewall do not repair the tire and replace it. You may want to consider road hazard coverage next time you purchase tires , Costco Wholesale includes this pro-rated insurance with their tires. Good Luck!
