i decided to rotate the tires.. and also to check them over since they were off. the car has 8k miles and has the original tires. i bought it 3k, and i've never rotated them, so i'm sure this has to be the first time they were taken off, unless that's part of the "certified used subaru" process. here's what i found: http://bixsti.com/tire1.jpg http://bixsti.com/tire2.jpg http://bixsti.com/tire3.jpg the tire hasn't even lost 1/4 of a psi in 5000 miles so i never worried about anything being in it. the larger nail is embedded pretty snug. was wondering how much confidence you guys would have with this. like i said, not even a hint of losing any pressure. this was on the rear tire, i decided not to rotate it since i know it'll have less stress on it.
One note - if they(discount) think it won't be safe, they won't plug it. I had a nail near the edge of a tire that had some wear. They said since the edge was too worn they would not plug it. Had to do it myself. Kit from Autozone FTW!
the best way to repair the tire would be to patch the tire from the inside and then you would not have to worry about it again.
I carry a plug kit in every car just for that road side convenience, but always patch a performance tire on the first opportunity and make sure they balance the wheel afterward
this. i have a locally owned tire/wheel shop i have dealt with for a very long time. it costs to pull the tire off the rim and patch from the inside, but this is what i do. its the right way, and the safest way. if i was only hoping to get a few more hundred miles outta a tire, i would plug it and go, but most all flats are caused by a nail or screw picked up on the road on tires that have a lot of use left in them otherwise.