I had this tire plugged from a nail that had gone through it. It held air fine for about 2 months and just today begun leaking again (soapy spot). I'm posting this to get some opinions on the location of the plug. Is this new tire worthy or should I just put a new plug in?

 

Way to close to the side wall IMO. Should have never been plugged but the tire replaced.

 

Yeah I agree with securityguy... that looks a bit close to the sidewall.

 

Above opinions are correct, typically most shops won't even plug a tire with a leak in the sidewall or that near the shoulder. You shouldn't. However, since you still have a bunch of tread left, you might consider getting it both plugged and patched at a mom and pop shop. It should hold for the life of tire if done well. Not optimal, but it's up to you.

 

So if I go the new tire route, am I able to just replace that one? You guys think I will get a variance in diameter that the all wheel drive will notice?

 

Agree on the slight possibility that a plug and patch may be ok but trying to use a patch that close to the sidewall may not adhere correctly. Still think a replacement tire, albeit more expensive, is the way to go. As far as tread and AWD issues I think you'll be fine but how much tread do you have left on the existing tire?

 

That much.

 

Looks ok to me so I would say not going to be an issue at all but would be nice if you had a tire gauge to measure how many /32 of tread you have left. Plenty of Lincoln's head below the tire line so that a great thing to see:-)

 

Those are the oem Dunlop Sp sport maxx a1-a a/s tires. The car has 22,000 miles on it but I'm the second owner so I guess I can't assume they are all original. It's a bummer I'll be running one with 22,000 less than the rest

 

You can certainly replace them all but I, personally, don't think it's necessary but your call. My wife's G has 23K miles on her OEM tires when I replaced them just 30 days ago. Didn't much care for the OEMs but still had 6/32 on them.

 

Regardless of how much tread is left, that's too close to the sidewall IMO. That area is subject to great stress while driving, esp while cornering. A patch and/or plug may hold until it doesn't resulting in a blowout or loss of control. Wonder what the insurance company will have to say about a claim if they discover this type of repair...

I had similar damage to a tire on my old car. Didn't replace all 4, but did replace both on the axle. Replacing just one may cause drivability problems or weird handling. At the very least, replace the damaged one.

My 2¢ worth.

 

Thanks for the advice guys, looks like I have some thinking to do on how I want to approach this. I will be replacing the tire but not sure with what. This does seem like good a time as ever to get all 4 done. What did you replace the oem's with?

 

Since my car is driven daily by my wife, I was not looking for a true "performance" tire but more of something in the line of a great quality and noise-free all season tire. We went with the Michelin Primacy MXM4 and I am very happy with them. Have used them in the past on other cars and an excellent rated tire on both Tire rack and Consumer reports. Guess your choice depends on where you live and what type of "performance" you are looking for. You'll get a ton of opinions but need to select what's best for you and your driving style and weather requirements. Hope this helps!

Agree that may be best to go for all four.

 

The AWD setup can certainly tolerate the slight difference in tread wear. If you do decide to replace just the one tire try to match up the new one on the same axle as the tire with the least wear. At 22k on all season tires you're probably about halfway through the life of the tire, so you should get another 20k. If you aren't happy w/ the tires performance or lackthereof, then by all means bite the bullet and get the new full set of tires that you really want. The Gs are SO much better w/ decent tires, best mod you can do

As far as what tires to replace them with, depends where you live. If you can dedicate a winter set for that part of the year and then go w/ summer tires w/ better grip that would be the best plan if you have rough winters (but still want to have the most fun the rest of the year).
A/S tires are a compromise, but for some it's a compromise worth taking. As far as brands/models, that takes research as you'll get a dozen different ideas, depends on budget and the type of performance you really want (and need).

 

Good to know, I saw your Toyo's during my research which I think maybe a little to summer based for me. I live outside of Philadelphia so occasionally we get slammed but I could simply work from home during that time. However going out and drifting in a little snow is fun every once in a while. The extremecontactDWS from continental keeps catching my eye.