Tire Repair... ?
Nordschleife Master
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 5,956
Likes: 331
From: Kaukauna Wisconsin
Well, here is my .02 (worth about that much, too):
Plugs work. I've used them on a few different tires over the years, including rear tires on a motorcycle (not really the best idea).
Simple and effective. You ream out the hole, coat the plug with glue, shove it in, pull the tool out and let it sit.
On the minus side, tread separation is a real possibility. I haven't had it happen to me, but it can happen.
A "real" patch is a far better fix. That is where they pull the tire off, clean off the inside of the tire and patch it from the inside. I've had a bunch of semi truck tires patched and run them for a very long time with no issues.
But, as was pointed out, pulling a low profile tire off and then putting it back on poses a danger to the tire. And tread separation is still possible. Less likely, but possible.
And any warranty usually goes out the window with any sort of patch or plug. So does any speed rating. That is not a real problem here in the US. What happens is that the patch/plug creates a "hot spot" where heat on the tread won't dissipate as well. For extended runs at real high speed (say 100 or more), it can be a problem. But for what we can usually get away with (extended maybe 80-90, short runs above 100, never above 130 or so) it doesn't really pose a problem.
Like Stan and Bertrand said:
Plug it and move on.
Plugs work. I've used them on a few different tires over the years, including rear tires on a motorcycle (not really the best idea).
Simple and effective. You ream out the hole, coat the plug with glue, shove it in, pull the tool out and let it sit.
On the minus side, tread separation is a real possibility. I haven't had it happen to me, but it can happen.
A "real" patch is a far better fix. That is where they pull the tire off, clean off the inside of the tire and patch it from the inside. I've had a bunch of semi truck tires patched and run them for a very long time with no issues.
But, as was pointed out, pulling a low profile tire off and then putting it back on poses a danger to the tire. And tread separation is still possible. Less likely, but possible.
And any warranty usually goes out the window with any sort of patch or plug. So does any speed rating. That is not a real problem here in the US. What happens is that the patch/plug creates a "hot spot" where heat on the tread won't dissipate as well. For extended runs at real high speed (say 100 or more), it can be a problem. But for what we can usually get away with (extended maybe 80-90, short runs above 100, never above 130 or so) it doesn't really pose a problem.
Like Stan and Bertrand said:
Plug it and move on.
