The nail could have penetrated the entire thickness of the tire and leaked air, and with a simple plug, the tire would be fine at the top limits of it's speed rating. Our cars can never reach the speed limitations of the tire. I have plugged V and Z rated tires and ran them at real speeds (130 and above) and the whole discussion about a 1/16 of an inch puncture is rediculous!

As I said, I've driven at high speeds with plugged tires also and had no problem. I would say the added risk is minimal and it doesn't bother me, but I'm not about to dismiss it to others who may be concerned about that kind of thing. I'm sure many, many people drove Pinto's that didn't blow up and Explorers with tires that never had a problem. And some have played Russian roulette with no consequences whatsoever. Sure, I may be going overboard with the examples now, but my point is that saying it was fine for one or two people is not the same as saying there is no increased risk.

Also, I'm very impressed with the fact you were able to come up with the 1/16" depth of the puncture. Guess I'm just not as capaple with my scientific analysis.

Where did I say anything about depth? I was referring to the width of the nail or whatever it was. No worries.

Alright, alright ... I was wondering where the heck that number came from. Sorry if I started getting sarcastic there ... like I said, I agree that it's not something to worry too much about, it's just that I've seen a number of warnings about increased risk of high-speed driving with plugged tires. Oh well ... I eat plenty of red meat and carbs, so risk doesn't bother me ... I'll probably die early anyway.