An acquaintenence has a nail in a tire (not sure if they are still driving on it or if it is in the trunk now). How do you fix these? do you use a patch on the inside like the ones used for inner tubes or do you need a plug for the hole/plus a patch or? they might even still be driving on it/not sure which I'd sure think would either worsen the damage when the time comes or possibly all of a sudden give em a flat. Your thoughts please & thank you for your time.

I keep a tire plug kit in the car. Never a problem

Tire plug kit here too. I seem to have to use them right after I purchase new tires. I have a kit in my car at all times.

If it's directly in the tread & the hole can be reamed straight then a plug is quick, cheap, & great. If the puncture is anywhere near the sidewall, forget it, not safe, not even with a patch inside. But sometimes even a puncture in the tread that looks straight will actually be angled & trying to install a plug will only make it worse.

Plug it been doing it for over 35 years

So you plug it from the outside? EDIT & dont need to dismount the tire I am assuming

Yes. No need to dismount. I like to remove the wheel/tire assembly from the car, but if you lift up on the car so you can rotate the tire/wheel to get to the hole, that would work too.
Just follow the instructions in the kit and in a couple of minutes, you have a sealed tire if the hole is not too big.

A plug kit and a plug in the cigarette lighter compressor has saved me many an hour of aggravation. Yes you plug it from the outside.

Is it the latest and greatest way of doing it? Nope, but that way entails a trip to the tire store because you need to dismount the tire. Unless you want to rassle the tire off the rim with a couple of tire irons, BTDT, not fun. Make sure you mark the location of the weights so you can reinstall the tire properly.

Plugs are a cheap, fast way to fix a tire. I've used them.

One possible issue though is that unless things have changed, tire manufacturers won't warranty a tire that separates if there's a plug in it.

I know that was BF Goodrich's stance 25 years ago when I was the store manager of a BF Goodrich tire store.

The said that the only acceptable repair was a patch on the inside.
It kept the tire from separating, a plug could possibly allow air to get in the cords and separate.

If there's a warranty on the tires you might want to check that out.

thanks guys for the fast & comprehensive replies! Much appreciated, I will see what I can do for her

Reference instructions:

We used plugs for years at the shop.Years ago we patched them inside.The black plugs are good.We used gray ones from tech rubber.They were great.As long as its not in sidewall or on the tread way outside plugs are safe.Oh yeah make sure it wasnt driven on flat.Then they have to be dismounted to check inside.Rocky

New patches from the inside also has a plug to fill the hole

As my old cars often have differing size tires front and rear, I normally carry no spare. If on the way to an important event such as a Goodguys show, I carry this kit. Move it from car to car. A normal flat in an emergency, this and a AAA card should turn a very bad day into an inconvenience. Even with a mini spare of some sort,,,,your car is not going to look too serious at the car show that you have been planning for.

https://www.amazon.com/Slime-70004-Power..._1_6&sr=8-6

I used a plug kit on a tire on Jeff's Dart. That tire failed because air got through the plug into the area between the case and tread. I will never use one again. I've got 100-mile tow on my AAA membership.

Ding Ding Ding - we finally have a winner . . . Unless you are CERTAIN that the tire wasn't run low, it should be dis-mounted and the inside inspected for damage. Most people don't know that raised patterns on the inside are actually wear bars, and if the tire is run very low or flat they get ground off. If they are worn through anywhere, the tire is supposed to be replaced. The tire seminars I attended years ago taught us to dis-mount and inspect, and either use a plug-patch, or mount and plug.

We would not repair any with holes in sidewalls.You cant believe the people that drove flat and had a pound of rubber inside.They actually wanted the tire fixed.Rocky

Well its my psychiatrist & she mentioned it in session last week & also said that her husband ain't mechanically inclined at all. not sure if she drove on it or not or if it is in the trunk but I will find out more this Thurs. I very much appreciate all the love I have recieved on this Q. the tech/knowledge/experience here is off the charts! Maybe I can do her a favor, she does say that I am her favorite patient!

Sometimes you can hear the rubber moving inside if flat and you spin it.Also at times you can see and or feel the softness where the tire has be trashed from running flat.hey its like 10 bucks here to plug a flat.My brother bought a big and I mean big pro kit like 3 years ago at garage sale for 3 bucks.We have used it quite a bit.Rocky

I will find out Thurs how it has been dealt with. I dont have a problem getting the plug kit mentioned & plugging it from the outside but I'd hate to have air get inbetween the cords as mentioned & end up messing up the whole tire for her. I do have a HF manual tire changer & it is OK on some tires I have mounted/dismounted & some are hard to get on, not sure why that is but that has been my experience with it, but I do not have that spreader tool to get easy access to the inside surface to apply a patch but I could probably get a patch cemented in there as without it. I think the next step is to find where the nail is & if the tire is in the trunk or being driven on