Who plugs tires?

[Grumpycat]

Ive never had luck with plugs. I got a flat on my side by side and pulled out my old plug kit. The plugs were still real sticky. I plugged hole. A few days later it was flat again. I took tire to Les Schaub tire to get fixed. All they did was replug it and charged me 21.00

A week later, flat again. I took it back and made them pull tire and patch. We will see if it holds. This was done last tuesday.

Patch inside is best but when applying plug one must understand the plug in hole is not holding air, it is the part that folds over the inside surface of tire that holds air. Tread rubber is not formulated to hold air, only the thin innermost coating of rubber holds air.

When inserting plug try to form a knot inside to contact the inside surface of the tire.

 

[ttouring]

I use a tire sealant in both my motorcycles.. when I replaced the Goldwing tires I was told about a tire sealant that if you used it you will have balance tires, I have up 85mph and no problems and there's not balance weight on them.

 

[WinterDeere]

Patch inside is best but when applying plug one must understand the plug in hole is not holding air, it is the part that folds over the inside surface of tire that holds air. Tread rubber is not formulated to hold air, only the thin innermost coating of rubber holds air.

When inserting plug try to form a knot inside to contact the inside surface of the tire.

That is interesting. Never heard that before! I always figured the tails inside were more for mechanical holding, like a drywall anchor, than sealing.

 

[Runner]

That is interesting. Never heard that before! I always figured the tails inside were more for mechanical holding, like a drywall anchor, than sealing.

This reminds me that there are actually two ways to install plugs. The tool I use as a split in the head that allows the plug to slip through when you extract the tool. This leaves a loop in the tire.

The other tool just has an eyelet that is solid. On that one, you push the entire plug all the way into the tire, then pull the loop out and cut off the loop to retrieve the tool.

Don't know if one type is supposed to be better or not, but I've had really good luck with the "open hook" design that leaves the loop inside the tire.

 

[WinterDeere]

Interesting. The only one I've ever used has the forked eyelet, with a narrow gap at the tip.

Like you said, it leaves the loop in the tire, but only after pulling it half way back thru, I think. I suspect what's left inside looks like a 2-petal clover leaf.

... and this is why I always re-read the instructions before use, given how infrequently I have to use a plug. I seem to remember you're supposed to give the thing a quarter turn after insertion, and before withdrawl, to ensure the loop on the end pulls back part way into the hole.

 

[Runner]

Interesting. The only one I've ever used has the forked eyelet, with a narrow gap at the tip.

Like you said, it leaves the loop in the tire, but only after pulling it half way back thru, I think. I suspect what's left inside looks like a 2-petal clover leaf.

... and this is why I always re-read the instructions before use, given how infrequently I have to use a plug. I seem to remember you're supposed to give the thing a quarter turn after insertion, and before withdrawl, to ensure the loop on the end pulls back part way into the hole.

I don't need no stinking instructions

I just pull until I start feeling resistance, then give it a sharp, fast pull and the tool comes out leaving just one loop in the tire.

 

[rontaki]

When I use plugs, I lube them up with the rubber cement used for patches. Kind of a belt-and-suspenders approach.
The glue helps the plug slide into the hole, and I figure that it will help seal and help the plug last longer. Sometimes the glue makes it difficult to withdraw the split head tool without pulling the plug back out.
Next time, I'll consider burning the stubs to vulcanize, as my SxS won't get the tire hot enough to do the job.
I've not had a plug fail, except when used on the "corner" of the tread and sidewall. I double-plugged it, that held (I forget if that tire was replaced before wearing out, it was a while ago.)

 

[ray66v]

I have plugged a lot of tires. Usually, I do it just to be able to drive home, and plan to have it patched later.

When I worked in the body shop, we regularly had to drive vehicles into the building with flat tires after being in a wreck.

Often, I would plug the flat, just to make it easier to move the vehicle, especially if the vehicle didn't run.

These tires were going to be replaced before the vehicle was going to be driven on the road, so they got plugged even if the hole was in the side wall. Though we usually didn't expect it to hold air, they would.

Recently, I had a tire that was relatively new, that got a screw in it. I took up to get patched. Now, they say they can't even patch a tire if the hole is 1 inch from the edge of thread. I said, you know how many hundred of those I did in the gas station as a kid? They said, "we can't patch it".

I went home, and put a plug in it.

 

[Grumpycat]

That is interesting. Never heard that before! I always figured the tails inside were more for mechanical holding, like a drywall anchor, than sealing.

Spoke at length with a Dunlop tire engineer decades ago, tubeless tires get one last layer of thin rubber formulated to hold air, from bead to bead. It may actually be the first thing they apply to the tire mold in making a tire. That is where the magic occurs and why an inside patch is the best to hold air. A T-patch combo patch-plug fills the hole so as to keep water and dirt out of the cords.

Dirtbikers sometimes use a product called Tu-Bliss to convert a tube type tire/rim to pseudo-tubeless. Installs what seems like a bicycle tire with small tube at 100 PSI to hold tire on the rim, then the space between that bicycle tire and the motorcycle tire is inflated to desired pressure. Doesn't always hold air very well, most simply add Slime when mounting the tire. Seals gaps, and seems to make the tube-type tire more air proof.

 

[Grumpycat]

Interesting. The only one I've ever used has the forked eyelet, with a narrow gap at the tip.

Like you said, it leaves the loop in the tire, but only after pulling it half way back thru, I think. I suspect what's left inside looks like a 2-petal clover leaf.

... and this is why I always re-read the instructions before use, given how infrequently I have to use a plug. I seem to remember you're supposed to give the thing a quarter turn after insertion, and before withdrawl, to ensure the loop on the end pulls back part way into the hole.

I think the quarter turn is to wrap the excess around the tool inside the tire so when the tool is pulled out there is a ball on the end to seal against the inside of the tire.