So my tire needs a plug...

[Hetfield03]

Originally Posted by gringo

Smoking the herb, earning near minimum wage and a don't give a $hit attitude equals a bad experience for the customer who cares about their car.

And of course they had a new guy back there, wouldn't you know...

[Moto-Mojo]

I picked up a nail just today. Here’s my fear...I take it to Stoner Tire Store Du Jour and they HACK my lugs up, HACK the wheel up, all in the name of repairing a tire correctly. If I plug it myself, as some have suggested, I avoid all that crap. It looks like I’ll have a clean hole.

[MyLocalDJ]

I have also plugged a many a tire and never had a leak and never thought twice about it. Even if a plug were to leak, I doubt it would be a catastrophic blow out because of a leaking plug. Maybe a slow leak over a period of time. Done properly, I think plugs are fine.

[JusticePete]

It isn't the air leak that is the concern, it is water getting in between the layers of the tire leading to separation. A rubber plug from inside the tire does two things. One it is a better air seal. Two the rubber plug is better at keeping water out of the layers of rubber and belts.

[Iron Lung Jimmy]

How is a rubber plug from the inside better at keeping out water than a rubber plug from the outside? Seems to me a plug is a plug.

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by Iron Lung Jimmy

How is a rubber plug from the inside better at keeping out water than a rubber plug from the outside? Seems to me a plug is a plug.

Most use a rope like plug.

Rubber plugs from the outside tend to work loose over time. We have patched slicks with these. They seal air from inside and the layers of the tire with the plug on the 'outside'.

[gto mark]

Pete is correct. The patch/plug is the only correct way to repair a tire. The patch part seals the puncture in the liner while the plug extends out from the inside to prevent water getting into the belt area causing belt separation. In talking to the tire reps I worked with in my job patch/plug is the only repair that they accept, just jamming a plug into a tire will void their warrenty.

[frankwjr]

...properly installed...jeez...worm plug using the rubber sealant glue/lube does all of the above (seals protects yada yada) for
A: a SH!T load less money
B: a SH!T load less hassle

Thread is goin no where, it's YOUR money, YOUR peace of mind and YOUR life. This argument will never end...MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

[JusticePete]

I am not sure why people seem to think a patch plug is expensive. You index the tire to the valve stem so no balancing is required. Places like Discount Tire do this for $15 to $20.

[xstuntman]

Everytime I've had someone else do anything to my Camaro they do a crap job or something gets damaged. Why risk it?
I plug tires myself since its not rocket science and have had zero issues. Heck I've even super glued small holes and it's worked great.

Why so many act like your throwing a hand grenade with a tire plug makes no sense.

[JusticePete]

There is an industry standard, an approved way to repair a tire and keep the warranty. That is the patch plug. Are other ways functional, yes. Are they the best way, no.

[MyLocalDJ]

I am also not so sure I agree that indexing a tire and using this plug being discussed here would result in not needing to balance the tire. Just normal wear on a tire sometimes results in the need to balance. So if the tire has been run a while, break the tire down, get it as close as possible to where it was when remounting, and we add a plug which is weight, I don't see how the balance remains true. Close maybe, but is close okay when you already have the tire off? I still stand by plug the tire on the car and keep rolling.

[TheInfamouSS]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

There is an industry standard, an approved way to repair a tire and keep the warranty. That is the patch plug. Are other ways functional, yes. Are they the best way, no.

I agree with JusticePete. I work at a tire shop, and the TIA standard is the plug/patch. Sure, many have used sticky plugs without any problems, but when done with the right prep, a plug/patch is a permanent solution all the time.

As far as your rim, I hate seeing stuff like that. It really comes down to the shop being irresponsible and not being careful with their work. The equipment we have is nowhere close to cutting edge, but a rubber duck head and a tech that takes pride in their work and treats every car like their own could have easily got that job done.

And it doesn't necessarily matter what the name on the store is. I work for one of those corporate tire shops (you know the ones attached to a retail store) , and I have people that have trailered cars, and I constantly get people with less than 1k on the clock. Word gets around fast.

Its not only the pay. A lot of people don't take pride in their own work anymore. It's a shame.

[PROZ11]