# Nail puncture through rim...is it shot?



## allenpg (Sep 13, 2006)

I had one of my weirder punctures the other day. Thought it was just a piece of glass, but I found a nail had gone straight through my tire, tube, rim tape, and rim. The photo is below. It's a Kinlin XR270 rim on a wheel built by me. The wheel seems to ride OK (have put about 100 miles on it since the puncture). Should I replace the rim or just fill with some JB Weld and keep riding?

Thanks for the advice!
-Pete


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## sgellekanao (Oct 23, 2009)

That was one hell of a nail to puncture right through the rim A damage can weaken the structure of the rim. I'll replace it if I were you.


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## TOflat (Oct 7, 2009)

Definitely replace that. We've got a wheel hanging up in out shop with a piece of metal still lodged in it.


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## euro-trash (May 1, 2004)

In college I had a friend with the same thing, and he rode it for over a year. Use Velox rim tape and you can eek some life out of it. With that said, if you aren't a broke college student, spend the money and replace it. It's hate to have that in the back of my mind going 'round a corner...


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## rruff (Feb 28, 2006)

Silly boys... keep riding it. No worse than all those other holes that are put there by design.

Happened to me 3 years ago on a Kinlin XR300 rim... on it's very first ride. The nail almost went through the side of the rim as well. Still riding it, and I intend to ride it for a long time.


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## ridenfish39 (Jun 20, 2008)

Happened to me with a Ksyrium. I had a really hard time pulling it out. It went through both sides of the rim. I sealed it with epoxy and smoothed it out. 
The wheel is on my cross bike and is set up tubeless. You wont have any problems


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## filly (Feb 6, 2003)

yeah, no worries. you've got 20 or so other holes in there already. just file off the rough edges. velox rim tape, or performance house brand (both cotton), and you're good to go.


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## medimond (Apr 26, 2009)

Holes are not holes. The OEM holes are round, basically perfect. The nail hole is a tear through the rim, the material has been localized cold work. Those rough edges are a great place for corrosion and a crack to start/propagate. 

Why not just replace the rim and be done with it? You built the wheel up, surely you could just replace the rim. The last thing that I want my rim to do is fail at 40+ miles per hour on a downhill. 

Mark


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## ohdee (Nov 9, 2007)

I'm in the camp that says keep riding it.


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## allenpg (Sep 13, 2006)

Thanks for everyone's feedback. I'm leaning towards just replacing it, since the Kinlin rims are great for the price and I can rebuild the wheel myself. I could probably just keep riding it, but this is my main training wheel and I'd hate to have a failure after hitting a pothole 30 miles from home (which happens all of the time in Chicago).


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## fast ferd (Jan 30, 2009)

Whoa. Impressive. Considering you probably chucked the tire and tube, bearing the cost of that already, I'd go for saving the rim.

I went over a drywall screw dead on one time. A few revolutions drove it straight into the rim like a hammer. Luckily, it happened right next to a gas station, so I used a pair of pliers to work it out. Ended up tossing a low mile front tire and tube for a loss of $40. Super thick deep dish Rigida rim only shows a clean 2mm hole.


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## olr1 (Apr 2, 2005)

Ride it!

It's only a flesh wound...


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

QUOTE=medimond: "Holes are not holes. The OEM holes are round, basically perfect. The nail hole is a tear through the rim, the material has been localized cold work. Those rough edges are a great place for corrosion and a crack to start/propagate. 
[/QUOTE]

If worried, use a drill to make it a round hole. Then you won't have to worry about cracks starting.


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## bahueh (May 11, 2004)

on the rear wheel (bummer on the powertap hub) its probably not as much of a safety issue as it would be with the front...I'm 50/50 on the replacement. if you can find a cheap rim, do it...


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

Ride it.

I put a screw all the way through a CX, through the inner wall of a GL330, leaving a dimple in the outer wall. I'm still racing on that wheel three years later.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Stressors*



medimond said:


> Holes are not holes. The OEM holes are round, basically perfect. The nail hole is a tear through the rim, the material has been localized cold work. Those rough edges are a great place for corrosion and a crack to start/propagate.


Do you think that the inner rim surface is a high stress area such that crack propogation is an issue?  I've seen lots of rim damage like this (inner and outer surfaces) and people have ridden the rims for years afterward. Just saying.


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

you could probably ride it but surely for the relatively small amount of money involved you would just replace it


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## wankski (Jul 24, 2005)

since u're obviously worried about it replace it...

if it were me i would leave it... that damage is no problem, especially if it did not damage the spoke bed/outer wall of the rim... 

mate that inner wall can be drilled out repeatedly (within reason) and u'd be fine..


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