Getting out of your car after arriving at work then noticing that there’s a nail stuck in your tire can be a scary experience.
You may have thoughts that something bad might have happened if it got deeper in the rubber, but how scary it may be, there’s often nothing to worry about when you find that there’s a nail in one of your tires.
However, before getting your hands dirty trying to remove it, there are some things you need to know first.
Driving with a tire puncture
When there is a nail in your tire, you should heavily consider if the situation is safe enough for you to keep driving, at least until you get to the nearest service station.
While having a nail in the tire is not that big of a problem, you never know if the puncture will worsen until it completely destroys your tire.
If it’s just a short drive from where you are to the mechanic, then you can get there safely.
However, do not use the car as a daily driver, and don’t take it on long trips until you have your tires repaired or replaced to make sure that you’ll have a safe journey.
Repair or Replacement
Well, it depends on a few factors.
First, you need to determine the area of your tire punctured by the nail.
Depending on where it penetrated your tire, you can easily get away with it with a quick repair from your local mechanic.
However, you’re very unlucky if it’s on the outside of the tire’s tread or the sides of the tire.
Depending on the severity and place of the puncture.
It’s up to the mechanic to decide what to do with your tire.
Most of the time, the fix to this is patching the punctured area and filling it up with air again.
However, if your mechanic sees that there’s a risk of danger with the nail in your tire, that’s when you’ll need to hear their advice to opt for a tire replacement.
Here are some signs that you need to replace your tire:
- Air leakage – If air is leaking from the tire, especially if it’s leaking fast, you’ll end up with a flat tire sooner rather than later. If it’s leaking slowly, then you may get away with just refilling the air for the first few times. But, if you want to be safe from suddenly having flat tires while you’re at high speeds, drop by the nearest mechanic shop and have it replaced.
- Flat tire – If the air is leaking so fast that you have flat tires right after you run over the nail, it’s a no-brainer that there’s no way that you can make it work again with repairs, and you have to buy new tires.
Preparing for nails in your tire
While running over a nail probably won’t happen that often, there’s nothing wrong with the pleasantness of driving knowing that you’re prepared if anything happens to your tires, may it be having a nail stuck in it or other tire-related problems.
First, you need to have an air compressor ready in your car if you suddenly feel your tires getting flat in the middle of the road.
Also, when you have your own vehicle, it’s better that you know how to change tires, especially when you can’t get immediate help from mechanics.
Yes, there are service centers everywhere.
However, you never know when you’re on the outskirts of the country if there are mechanics near enough to help you.
Furthermore, before driving out, make it a habit to check your tires’ air pressure or if there’s a nail or other stuff punctured in your tire.
If it has low pressure, then fill it up with an air compressor.
However, if you notice that it happens every time you check, you may have a broken tire, and you should consider a trip to the nearest mechanic.
Going D.I.Y.
If you want to be practical and save money, or you just want to know how to do it, there are patch kits you can buy at service centers that include instructions on how to fix a tire with a nail in it, and it can also guide you if you need a tire replacement rather than repair.
Fixing and replacing a tire isn’t that hard if you know what you’re doing and you follow all instructions.
However, if you want to avoid trouble and you want to make sure that it’s a perfect job, contact your local mechanic and have them take a look at the state of your tires.
Assess the tire situation
With a nail in your tire, it’s up to you to decide if you’ll leave it like that for a short time, you’ll do it yourself, or you’ll go to the service center for a repair or replacement.
Whatever your call is, just make sure that you consider safety.
If your tires are not safe enough, then you should be a responsible vehicle owner and have it checked by an automotive technician to make sure that you’re driving a car that’s safe for you and the other people on the road.
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