Need Comments On Tire Replacement
 

I found a nail in my left rear tire. It is about an inch from the sidewall, so the tire place I brought it to has recommended against patching it.

I currently have Yokohama AVS ES100's on the front and Toyo Proxes T1-R's on the rear. The front tires were installed by the previous owner in July 03 and have 22,000 miles on them. I installed the rears about a year ago and they have 10,000 miles on them.

I think I have three options:

1. Buy one new Toyo Proxes T1-R at a cost of $137. (Edge Racing)
2. Buy two new Toyo Proxes T1-R at a cost of $274.
3. Buy four new Sumitomo HTR Z II at a cost of $308. (Tire Rack)

All prices are without shipping and installation.

I'm leaning toward option 3. I would prefer to have a matched set of tires and folks seem to think the Sumitomo is a good mix of performance and economy.

Option one is the least costly, but I'm a little concerned about having two tires with different amounts of wear on the same axle.

I drive my car about 10,000 miles a year in all weather except ice and snow. I haven't done any track days with it, but I'd like to do that someday. Price is an important consideration, but I'm willing to spend more than the minimum.

Am I thinking correctly about this? Any other options?

If the puncture is in the tread as you describe, it should be patchable. Sure they don't "recommend" it but many people drive many miles on plugged tires. Now if you were planning to run on a racetrack, then you wouldn't want tires with a plug but otherwise, you should be fine.

Yeah, if the puncture was in the tread area (not in the sidewall) than take it to somewhere and have it patched up. If this is not possible I would go toward option #3 as the other options simply delay the inevitable and your tires have a decent amount of miles on them.

If you drove for any distance while it was flat, the sidewall may be damaged. BTDT.

The nail is in the tread area. It never went flat. I checked the tire pressure and discovered it was 20 psi. I refilled to 36 and it went down to 20 during the week I was on vacation. I checked it and found the nail.

It sounds like your decision making process is solid. If I were in your shoes, I would definitely go for four tires. I understand cost is a significant consideration. That said, there are better tires out there for the price of the Sumitomos. They're not "bad" by any means, just not up to the level of a Boxster. That particular model is several years old, and newer tire technology has provided more bang for the buck.
I'm not sure what other tires are in the class of those Sumi's, so I cannot recommend an alternative. I can tell you Kumho Ecsta SPTs are an excellent tire for the dollar. That said, they are a bit more than the Sumi's. If I were in your shoes, I'd give the new Yoko S.drive a try. I had a few sets of the ES100s, which I loved. The S.drive is Yoko's replacement for that tire, and just hit the US market a month ago. A little more than the SPTs, but still a solid value for the dollar, from the reviews I've read and the history of the ES100.
I know that's probably more than what you'd like to spend, but if you have the means, that's probably the smart, value-oriented way to breathe some new life and performance into the car.

If you have a lot of tread left, go to Wally World (Wal-mart) and buy their $10 plug kit and do it yourself. If you don't have a compressor, they have those for less than $20. I carry both in my cars.

If you cannot repair the tire and must purchase a replacement, go with option 3. Buying 1 tire only makes sense if you are in a temporary money crunch. Putting a new tire on the same axle with one that is 2/3 worn out is not a good idea. If your fronts have 22K on them, you're living on borrowed time with them. Buying 4 tires makes the most sense in your situation.

Don't have any experience with the tires you listed as alternatives so I can't comment on them. Bought some BFG G-Force tires in Apr ($780 installed) that I am very happy with. Don't know if the Kuhmo summer tire is different than the all-seasons I had, but they had a funny sidewall. It felt like the sidewall was really flexing during med to hard cornering and then would snap you through the turn like a sling shot. Might want to check TireRack comments for this before purchasing Kumhos. They did seem to get good wear and were reasonably priced.

If you had all-seasons, then yes, the summers are different. You may have run the Kumho ASX, which is a mid- to upper-grade A/S tire. They a far cry from the SPT in the dry.
SPTs are nothing special, but just a good all around tire.
I have to say, I'm a little surprised how many people here put mid-grade tires on such a nice car. Don't get me wrong, I'm as cost-concious (read: cheap) as anyone, but why buy a Porsche if you're going to put sub-par tires on it? Just get some other good but cheaper car, put nice tires on it and you'll perform better than the Boxster.

I agree with your comment. I remember when I had my Miata and put some nice tires on it for the first time. It made a noticeable improvement to the car's handling.

I just returned from vacation and we have already scheduled some home improvement work, so I'm thinking about cash flow right now. I may try to plug the tire despite the recommendation from the first tire place. If it lasts about three months I will be in a position where I can splurge on some good tires. I also want to get the car on the road rather than wait a week until tires are shipped and installed. I haven't driven it for two weeks due to my vacation and it is calling to me.

The Sumitomos did have good ratings on Tire Rack and several recommendations on this forum.

I had the tire plugged today, but I returned home from work too late to put it on before it got dark.

The guy who plugged it said the plug would last the life of the tire. (The first place I brought it to said it was a waste of time to fix it. I love it when I receive conflicting information like that.) Of course he could mean that when the plug goes, the tire will be finished.

The plug is about an inch and a half from the inside sidewall. The hole was very small. It would stop leaking when the tire went down to 20 psi of pressure.

I think I've bought myself a little time to sort through all the confusing information about tire choices. If anyone hears of any good deals on tires, just let me know.

I got a nail in about the same place as you and had it patched and plugged. It has held up fine since and I've been quite hard on that tire. I wouldn't trust it on a top speed run, but I feel good enough about it for daily driving. Maybe that's just me.

If you would rather repair the tire it should be fine. I was concerned when I had a nail hole (just before a track day). I consulted the tire manufacturer and this was their response:

"If all of the following below was completed by a competent tire professional, then the repair should be fine for the life of the tread.

The tire was thoroughly inspected prior to the repair, with the tire showing no signs of run low or run flat.
The puncture was ¼” diameter or smaller and in or near the center area of the tread.
The tire was properly repaired using a plug patch combination

Please note that the Tire should now be de-rated by one speed rating. So if you have a “W” (168 mph) speed rated tire- it should now be considered a “V” (149 mph). This maximum would be for the vehicle, even if the other three tires had the W rating or higher."

Just to throw my two cent's worth in here, it should be stated that with a plugged tire, you should not drive the car at speed. Freeway speeds are probably fine, but any speeds over 100 mph are going to heat the tire a lot while the plug and patch, due to their thickness and the difference in the material used to create them as well as the glue, remains cooler than the tire rubber.

You risk a high speed blowout by riding on patched tires. This is why most Porsche owners replace the tire when it is punctured. They like to drive fast.

My set of track rims has Sumi's on them and they're actually very good cheap budget tires. Nice and quiet and sticky in dry weather and rain from what I experienced.

There's no way in hell I'd drive a plugged tire at the track. You're just asking for trouble.

HI I know you said you put the Proxes T1-Rs on the rear but you REALLY dont want these on the front. It's funny that I have the exact opposite of you on my 02. The ES1000 on the back are super sticky but OH SO LOUD! Having the Proxes on the front are like driving on bars of soap. You probably didn't notice how bad they are on a Boxster because they are in the back but trust me, these are not good for our cars. Spend a little more and get some tires that are at least closer to what should be on your fine auto. (an extra $400.00 is only about .02 per mile but you get better, safer, more fun handling-and I'm guessing that one potential accident will easily outweigh the $400 as well). I am putting 4 new Bridgestones on my Boxster in 2 weeks and cant wait!
Theres my .02 of experience. Best luck to you!

Thanks for the additional comments. Taking my car to the track is probably at least a year away due to other commitments. I will definitely put new tires on before that happens.