Tire Plug - Temporary or Permanent

[WCB]

I've plugged many tires and zero issues running them. However never had to use two. Well I have actually put 3 in one tire at one time (not the same hole) just to get it back onto a gravel road where I could get the truck level to change the tire. Guess who makes tire appointments immediately after buying a new vehicle now. Absolute shame this shit tires they put on new trucks now. Figured I could get one week on them.

 

[GotDraw?]

I live 40 miles from a tire shop. I have plug kits in every rig and trailer I own. Used a bunch and never seen one fail.

Just trim it flush and rock on. Think about the physics. You have pressure trying to push a big blob through a small hole.

It ain't going.

Tire plugs rarely fail, but they do fail and I have had one fail.

I would not trust a tire plug in demanding off-road conditions and/or when towing because sure as shi* it would fail 15 miles back on a dirt road that has turned to gumbo during a hard rain at 35 degrees on a steep downhill single track slope.

JL

 

[Fowl Play]

Did not read the whole thread but wanted to comment that I worked my way through college slinging tires at Discount Tire. They paid the highest wage around me at the time, have good training for their employees, treat their employees well, specifically are trained not to use scare tactics and speak the truth, etc.

Overall a very reputable, stand up company. If I was not working towards a career in aerospace, I would have taken the offer to be manager of the store I worked at. They were paying $80,000 back in 2012.

Said all that to say. Take it in and have them check it. They will plug and internally patch your tire for Free if it can be repaired. I would have no problem running it with the internal patch. (They will dismount your tire to install it) They also will fill your tires for free at any time if you swing by the back. Just throw the employees a dollar or two. We used to rotate who got to fill tires to get additional tips.

By the end of my time there, I could drive your car in, lift it, change all 4 tires, replace valve stems, balance them, torque them with an actual torque wrench, doing a 2nd confirmation pass on every lug nut. In 14 minutes. And I wouldn’t scratch your rims.

I still go out of my way to purchase all my tires from them. And it’s very convenient to swing in and get your tires filled in about 2 min flat. The big commercial air pumps they use are lightning fast and automatically press to the pressure requested very accurately.

 

[Ice-kub]

My buddy and I put a plug in a tire on his f350 three years ago. It's still in there haha, its in the middle-ish of the tread nowhere near a side wall.

I'd run it til its time for new tires

 

[Wrench]

Tire plugs rarely fail, but they do fail and I have had one fail.

I would not trust a tire plug in demanding off-road conditions and/or when towing because sure as shi* it would fail 15 miles back on a dirt road that has turned to gumbo during a hard rain at 35 degrees on a steep downhill single track slope.

JL

How did it fail?

 

[BCsteve]

I had a tire shop tell me they wouldn’t patch a plug tire. I just left before hearing whatever dumbass reason they were going to give me to sell me a new tire.

I had a tire shop repair a tire then tell me I wasn't getting a receipt and I was never here! Lol

 

[wyosam]

I’ve been putting plugs in tires for decades. Some in brand new tires. I’ve always considered it a permanent repair unless it was in a sidewall or right on the shoulder. Never had one fail.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Marbles]

Plenty of people use them as permanent. Most likely it will be fine. However, a plug does not reseal the liner and you can end up with this separating from the outer wall leading to a blowout. Or, if the hole is not sealed well water can get onto the bands leading to their breaking down and causing a blowout.

Blowouts can lead to catastrophic crashes, to me it is not worth it. Either get a proper patch and stim repair or get a new to tire.

I will ask new tire shops to plug a flat without dismounting the tire, if they agree to it I don't use them and take my business elsewhere.

 

[Marbles]

If Discount won’t do it, find a local owned tire shop. The old man in there will do it. Discount will have rules to avoid lawsuits and stuff.

Yep, because as proven in court plugs can lead to catastrophic failure resulting in death, and every time the tire shop that plugged it looses.

Low odds of it happening, but why gamble on it?

 

[Steve300xcw]

How many folks here have had a tire fail because of a plug? Or even had a plug fail?

 

[Fowl Play]

How many folks here have had a tire fail because of a plug? Or even had a plug fail?

I’ve not personally had it happen but have seen it. If using it as a permanent fix you really should have the internal patch put in. What I don’t think most people realize is just how much water can be in compressed airlines. I’ve removed tires that had 2-3 full cups of water in them. Unless whatever compressed air system you are using has a dryer in the system it is going to pass water. Gas station pumps, cheapo emergency air pumps, etc are all pumping water into your tires (especially in very humid environments) . Do it enough or stop at the wrong gas station and it will add up. You give that water a seem to leach into around a temporary repair plug and it can begin to separate the rubber from the steel belt over time. Which can lead to bad things.

That being said, I think these were extreme cases. Slow leak over years filling from a crappy gas station every couple weeks, gets lots of water. Add in some freezing weather, to help make the water split any seems it had gotten into, etc But internal patches are a very quick install and eliminate this from being a possibility.

 

[Wrench]

If air doesn't escape around a plug, and water molecules can never be as small as air.....how does that happen?

I'm not saying that plugs are the greatest solution to a problem, but hearing about tires delaminating and bubbling is saying that the plug is "kind of working" and frankly one in a longshot in my perspective.

If the plug is put in dry....I can see it as a solid maybe, but a glued in plug is either going to hold or not hold air. If it holds and the tire separates....odds are low pressure, excess load or massive speed was involved.

 

[Fowl Play]

If air doesn't escape around a plug, and water molecules can never be as small as air.....how does that happen?

I'm not saying that plugs are the greatest solution to a problem, but hearing about tires delaminating and bubbling is saying that the plug is "kind of working" and frankly one in a longshot in my perspective.

If the plug is put in dry....I can see it as a solid maybe, but a glued in plug is either going to hold or not hold air. If it holds and the tire separates....odds are low pressure, excess load or massive speed was involved.

How it happens is water weighs allot more than air. So the centrifugal force of the spinning tire is actually trying to drive that water outside the tire, in addition to pressure. It may not get out of the tire, but could start getting into the layers.

I agree though that if it’s truly not leaking you are probably fine. When you get into issues is “feeding the leak” over months or years.

I still stand by that a plug should be temporary. A plug and internal patch is a permanent repair.

 

[SDHNTR]

Did not read the whole thread but wanted to comment that I worked my way through college slinging tires at Discount Tire. They paid the highest wage around me at the time, have good training for their employees, treat their employees well, specifically are trained not to use scare tactics and speak the truth, etc.

Overall a very reputable, stand up company. If I was not working towards a career in aerospace, I would have taken the offer to be manager of the store I worked at. They were paying $80,000 back in 2012.

Said all that to say. Take it in and have them check it. They will plug and internally patch your tire for Free if it can be repaired. I would have no problem running it with the internal patch. (They will dismount your tire to install it) They also will fill your tires for free at any time if you swing by the back. Just throw the employees a dollar or two. We used to rotate who got to fill tires to get additional tips.

By the end of my time there, I could drive your car in, lift it, change all 4 tires, replace valve stems, balance them, torque them with an actual torque wrench, doing a 2nd confirmation pass on every lug nut. In 14 minutes. And I wouldn’t scratch your rims.

I still go out of my way to purchase all my tires from them. And it’s very convenient to swing in and get your tires filled in about 2 min flat. The big commercial air pumps they use are lightning fast and automatically press to the pressure requested very accurately.

It’s obviously a good company, well run, and offering a good product at a fair price. Obvious, because every store I’ve ever been to is slammed. Way more business than they can handle. That said, I’m personally done with them! I don’t have the time to be their customer. To get anything done at their two stores local to me takes hours. My biggest gripe is that even with an appointment, a simple rotation is still a two hour process. What’s the purpose of an appointment if I still have a long wait? A little too much of a good thing!

 

[Fowl Play]

It’s obviously a good company, well run, and offering a good product at a fair price. Obvious, because every store I’ve ever been to is slammed. Way more business than they can handle. That said, I’m personally done with them! I don’t have the time to be their customer. To get anything done at their two stores local to me takes hours. My biggest gripe is that even with an appointment, a simple rotation is still a two hour process. What’s the purpose of an appointment if I still have a long wait? A little too much of a good thing!

Yeah, should not be the case with an appointment. I’d hate that to. Although, San Diego might be a skewed perception than the rest of the stores. You could probably have 15 bays running from sun up to sun down, every day. Just too many people. If your schedule is slammed, you are one missing wheelock away from your entire days schedule being nuked.

 

[doc holiday13]

I'm here in the thread a bit late, but try to see if the tire can be patched. A patch goes inside the tire and its a much better solution to a plug. Plug works but they can pull out

 

[OregonSteeler]

I do appreciate everyone's thoughts and responses. I will probably end up taking it in to hopefully get it permanently patched; eventually. It's not high on my priority list at the moment. I won't be pulling the trailer for another couple weeks and I'm confident with the plug on gravel roads.

And for further explanation. The hole was right in the middle of the tire (not sidewall or shoulder). I reamed it as you're supposed to and plugged it. The only reason I put another plug in it was because that evening I poured soapy water on it, and it was slowly leaking (like very slowly as to where you could not hear it). Been checking pressure periodically since it happened and holding good pressure.

 

[OregonSteeler]

Update:

Got ANOTHER hole in the same tire while out hunting. This time on top of the tread, which really pi$$ed me off. I am not happy with the Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Plugged it with 2 plugs and went on our way.

Took the tire to Discount Tire where I bought the tires today. They said they cannot permanently fix my tire because I plugged it, it's still leaking, and they would sell me a new tire at a "discounted rate" at $250. I told them to pound sand and took it to a locally owned shop to look at it.

Told them the story and he checked the plugs and rest of the tire for leaks in front of me. No leaks! Plugs are holding up fine! WTF? He said keep an eye on the plugs, but they should hold and last the tire.

Will NOT be going back to Discount Tire ever again. Very disappointed that they lied to sell me a tire. They lost a lot of business with me having 3 cars, a boat trailer, a double axle 5th wheel, and a utility trailer.

 

[browning2480]

Update:

Got ANOTHER hole in the same tire while out hunting. This time on top of the tread, which really pi$$ed me off. I am not happy with the Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Plugged it with 2 plugs and went on our way.

Took the tire to Discount Tire where I bought the tires today. They said they cannot permanently fix my tire because I plugged it, it's still leaking, and they would sell me a new tire at a "discounted rate" at $250. I told them to pound sand and took it to a locally owned shop to look at it.

Told them the story and he checked the plugs and rest of the tire for leaks in front of me. No leaks! Plugs are holding up fine! WTF? He said keep an eye on the plugs, but they should hold and last the tire.

Will NOT be going back to Discount Tire ever again. Very disappointed that they lied to sell me a tire. They lost a lot of business with me having 3 cars, a boat trailer, a double axle 5th wheel, and a utility trailer.

What ply are your tires? Load range? I have had two sets of E rated Ridge Grapplers and never had a flat. What is causing the holes?

 

[CorbLand]

Update:

Got ANOTHER hole in the same tire while out hunting. This time on top of the tread, which really pi$$ed me off. I am not happy with the Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Plugged it with 2 plugs and went on our way.

Took the tire to Discount Tire where I bought the tires today. They said they cannot permanently fix my tire because I plugged it, it's still leaking, and they would sell me a new tire at a "discounted rate" at $250. I told them to pound sand and took it to a locally owned shop to look at it.

Told them the story and he checked the plugs and rest of the tire for leaks in front of me. No leaks! Plugs are holding up fine! WTF? He said keep an eye on the plugs, but they should hold and last the tire.

Will NOT be going back to Discount Tire ever again. Very disappointed that they lied to sell me a tire. They lost a lot of business with me having 3 cars, a boat trailer, a double axle 5th wheel, and a utility trailer.

Dont forget that corporations, like discount, have strict rules that they follow. If you had to use two plugs, the hole was most likely outside the diameter that they can fix. I have seen tires hold air for a long time with in the teens of plugs in them. No shop would touch trying to patch that.

Like someone said earlier, its CYA and yes they may have lost you as a customer but that is a lot less of a loss than replacing your pickup, camper and the 4 other cars you hit when the tire blew up on the highway.

I am not saying you are right, or discount is wrong, or vise versa. All I am saying is that sometimes things are just covering yourself. I know a guy that hauled some heavy loads and would never install trailer brakes because "his pickup should and always has stopped." Worked great until it didnt one time. He was pretty successful and had a lot to lose and those trailer brakes would have been really cheap compared to the lawsuit if it had went really bad.