[dmcmahan60]

Places like Firestone will only patch it if the leak is in the center of the tread or over an inch away from the sidewall. I would plug it but that is me. Good luck, and surely a Nankang tire is not too pricey. have a great day.

[95 imp]

Originally Posted by VinnAY

To a point the tire industry likes to sell tires.

Or save your life, especially on a high performance car....

But, hey, people around here seem to know more than the engineers who design and test this stuff all day every day.

So, the best answer is to plug it, or get fix-a-flat, and roll the dice on a blowout because it's cheaper to do it that way than damage your car, wreck your car, or hurt someone....

[4THGEN Z]

Soak the area with a soap and water solution, remove the screw slowly, if you start seeing bubbles it has obviously gone thru, if not, its only in the tread and your good to go.

[s346k]

Originally Posted by Jeb114

Never plug a performance tire it splits the cords inside the rubber have it patched.

the passenger rear gy sc3 has held up for the last 6k miles just fine on my 1LE. it endured several burnouts and a trip to the drag strip. it has 2 plugs in it.

[ctrlz]

I would plug it. You probably have about 1/2" of belt extending lateral to that plug. Maybe some would call that the shoulder and say "no way," but I would try it.
I worked at a gas station for years in the 80's and plugged tires all the time. Big holes we would even double plug. I never had anybody come back and say the plug failed. The plugs I saw fail always started popping out as soon as you reinflated. I have continued to plug all my tires when needed. For best results the plug should be coated (or precoated) with rubber cement and it needs to be inserted so the end you can't see pops through the belt. Then trim the outside as close to flush with the tread as you can. Done right it will all vulcanize as you drive on it.
I don't dispute hot patch from the inside may be a safer solution, and maybe that is even less technique dependent for success.

As 4thgen z says above, you may just have a short screw there which did not fully penetrate. Based on what I see, I think that is a big enough screw that you won't get off easy.

[Tim M]

I couldn't get past the Chinese tires on a Camaro...

[BMR Sales]

it can definitely be plugged or patched

[Mighty Mouce]

Plug that mutha.

[dmcmahan60]

Originally Posted by Tim M

I couldn't get past the Chinese tires on a Camaro...

Hello, that is what I was thinking. It is a Camaro SS not a Bugatti going 200 mph

[Mighty Mouce]

Originally Posted by Tim M

I couldn't get past the Chinese tires on a Camaro...

Chinese tires on a Camaro...no can't be fixed....replace all 4 immediatly!

[Silveradoss573]

I've plugged my own tires for the past 15 years and have yet to have one fail. I use the plug kit from like O'Reilly's. I'd plug that with zero concerns.

[ctrlz]

switched from my summer to all season wheels this past weekend.
Found:
A heavy duty staple which did not penetrate
A screw with the head sheared off, did not penetrate
(my favorite) a frickin' torx bit which found its way into a tread groove and fully penetrated tire and belt at a perfectly perpendicular angle. Funny it had been holding pressure without issue. I pulled it, plugged it, reinflated, and soaped for bubbles. Back on the shelf for next summer. At least it was a security type torx bit, so I feel special.

[s346k]

Originally Posted by ctrlz

At least it was a security type torx bit, so I feel special.

i have a pic somewhere...a friend of mine managed to completely impale a 315 nitto with a 15?mm wrench. it was hilarious. not for him but we all laughed our asses off.

[LT4Greg]

I ran over a spark plug that was in the street years ago and of course it punctured the tire between the thread and went flat. Couldn’t avoid it in the road because of traffic! That was probably 25 years ago though!