Leaking tire plug repair

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pishta

pishta

I know I'm right....
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Plugged a screw hole and the rope seal is leaking from within the rope itself? Weird.....do I relieve the pressure and put some more rubber cement on that and let it vulcanized? It's just barely leaking but it went from 44 psi to 35 overnight
https://youtube.com/shorts/3zUa7jgj6fA?feature=share



Tire are due but not until next month.
 
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IMHO, if you have a nail hole a patch on the inside is a better option. You are not enlarging a tiny hole.

That being said, if you are going to replace the tire in a month, and you are not going to be too far from home I would just keep an eye on it. Maybe put a can of tire sealer in the trunk.

Just looked at your video... Now I would say you're not going to make it 24 hours at that rate.

Pull the first plug, properly prepare the hole, and put a new plug in with the appropriate amount of adhesive.



Question... Why 44 lbs? Seems excessive.
 
pishta said:
Plugged a screw hole and the rope seal is leaking from within the rope itself? Weird.....do I relieve the pressure and put some more rubber cement on that and let it vulcanized? It's just barely leaking but it went from 44 psi to 35 overnight
https://youtube.com/shorts/3zUa7jgj6fA?feature=share

Tire are due but not until next month.
Click to expand...
We stopped using the plug about 15 years ago at the shop for exactly that reason, couldn’t guarantee a proper repair. We use plug/patches now but requires the tire to be removed from wheel. I would try and ream out the plug and try it again with a lot of cement as you mentioned. Your in Cali so I wouldn’t think temperature would be a factor in the cement curing?Also if the hole is close to the edge of the tread, close to the sidewall, it will never seal correctly because of the flexing.RJ
 
Wonder if rope seal was torn or ripped by the steel belt.
We used to ream out the injury to smooth out the steel fibers.
 
Tire plugs are crude but they do work. I've put them in several different tires and have never had a failure.
 
Did you rough up the hole and use the cement that comes with the kit? If so, try 2 plugs. I have seen as many as 4 plugs in a hole. A patch on the inside is a better option but then you have to skin and re-rim the tire. If this is your hot rod and you drive at “speed”, buy a new tire.
 
likewise I have never had a failure on many many plugs. But like I said I would never drive a car over 75 with a plugged tire.
 
It's important to install the plug into the hole at the same angle the nail? came out.
Shoving the plug into the hole entrance and pushing straight in likely won't work.
Probe the hole for direction s .
 
Internally installed plug/patches are the only manufacturer recommended repair. Only the inner liner of a tubeless tire is an impermeable layer.
The patch seals the liner and the plug attached to the patch seals the belt and body plies from outside moisture.
It does void the speed rating though.
Should never driven over 70 mph even with a proper repair.
 
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You need a professional vulcanizing rubber plug, not rope. The rope dries out and leaks....obviously. Once the vulcanizing rubber plugs heat up, they melt and become part of the tire. The plug patches are ok, but as long as you get a high quality vulcanizing rubber plug, that's all you need.
 
MoparLeo said:
Internally installed plug/patches are the only manufacturer recommended repair. Only the inner liner of a tubeless tire is an impermeable layer.
The patch seals the liner and the plug attached to the patch seals the belt and body plies from outside moisture.
It does void the speed rating though.
Should never driven over 70 mph even with a proper repair.
Click to expand...

Those work good, too!
 
According to my former employer Bridgestone/Firestone Tire co. Who I was a company store manager for and one of the worlds largest tire manufacturers, only DOT approved 1 piece patch/plugs can be used to properly repair a tire. This is not opinion. They make the tires. This is science.
The youtube video link I posted shows you the only proper way to repair a tubeless tire.
Anything else is a temporary, emergency repair. OK when you have no spare or are too far from a repair shop.
 
MoparLeo said:
According to my former employer Bridgestone/Firestone Tire co. Who I was a company store manager for and one of the worlds largest tire manufacturers, only DOT approved 1 piece patch/plugs can be used to properly repair a tire. This is not opinion. They make the tires. This is science.
The youtube video link I posted shows you the only proper way to repair a tubeless tire.
Anything else is a temporary, emergency repair. OK when you have no spare or are too far from a repair shop.
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Yes that's correct. As the owner of the tire though, someone can duct tape it if they want.
 
True, as long as you don't tell someone else it is safe to do it. The plug you talk about does not properly seal the liner. It is the liner that must be airtight.
 
MoparLeo said:
True, as long as you don't tell someone else it is safe to do it. The plug you talk about does not properly seal the liner. It is the liner that must be airtight.
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Well, I've done thousands like that over the years. Professionally with a huge local tire chain. I will say I've not been in it in quite some time, so I'm sure there've been enough sleazebag attorneys that have changed laws regarding it. I do completely agree 100% the type repair you speak about is the best.....well......second best. The best would be to replace the tire.
 
This was a fix at 7:30 PM on a Sunday evening. I used what I had but I never had an issue using these. I used the reamer, screw was straight in, so was the plug as you cannot make a new angle with the reamer. The (slime brand) instructions were followed: coat the plug with cement, insert 2/3 way in and pull straight out. The hole was only about a pencil lead size when I pulled the screw out barely hissing until I ran the reamer in a few times, then it started whistling. I've tried to use the ropes with a very small hole but the needle eye wont even go in so you have to make the hole about 1/4 for the needle with a folded rope seal to fit. Also the ends cannot be coated as you need to trim them after the rope plug is installed: you cut the rope to clean fibers with scissors, cutting the coated end off. After the wife drove it 5 miles, I aired it up again tonight and the plug was smashed in there pretty good and didnt bubble with a nice lugy on top of it. It may have just needed some good 'ol compression.
 
pishta said:
This was a fix at 7:30 PM on a Sunday evening. I used what I had but I never had an issue using these. I used the reamer, screw was straight in, so was the plug as you cannot make a new angle with the reamer. The (slime brand) instructions were followed: coat the plug with cement, insert 2/3 way in and pull straight out. The hole was only about a pencil lead size when I pulled the screw out barely hissing until I ran the reamer in a few times, then it started whistling. I've tried to use the ropes with a very small hole but the needle eye wont even go in so you have to make the hole about 1/4 for the needle with a folded rope seal to fit. Also the ends cannot be coated as you need to trim them after the rope plug is installed: you cut the rope to clean fibers with scissors, cutting the coated end off. After the wife drove it 5 miles, I aired it up again tonight and the plug was smashed in there pretty good and didnt bubble with a nice lugy on top of it. It may have just needed some good 'ol compression.
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I've used the rope ones in the past. When I had to.
 
OK as a last resort. Spare is to get you to tire shop. Slime is to get you to tire shop. The rope plug was a side of the road fix to get you to the tire shop. See any pattern here.
30 + years in the tire business, the last 17 as a store manager for a major tire manufacturer.
Safety first.
 
I've had nearly 100% good luck with plugs.

There is an art to it.

1- over inflate the tire (about 40 was right back in the 32 psi days (if you're good you end up with 32 when you're done).

2- wait until the plug is ready (see below) then ream the **** out of the hole and belt (leave the reamer in until ready to insert the plug).

3- use the inserter tool that has the gap in the center (not on the side).

4- I use 1/2 of a plug (see below).

5- rubber cement the crap out of it...then rubber cement some more. dripping is OK get all the sides real good.

6- push in until you feel the plug pass the belt. This is SUPER important. Once you get a feel for this, using 1/2 a plug becomes an option.

7- pull the tool out real fast and make sure you don't feel the plug come up out of the belt. Also SUPER important.

8- cut off the excess with a sharp razor blade (so it doesn't get pulled out by the pavement, esp when turning)


In over 38 years of plugging tires I think I have only ever had one or two come out, and those were real early ones back in the 1980's, before I learned all of the stuff I posted above.
 
I lived on 4 miles gravel road for over 30 years. I would have anywhere from 10 plus plugs in each tire . Some I would have to double up the plugs to stop the leak. Sometimes would have to replace plugs with new plugs. Tire shop would want $20 + to patch not to mention the down time to get one fixed. That's over $800 for a set of 4 tire patches, if they would even patch one that many times. 10 + plugs average 4 years of driving 50 miles to work at 75 -80 never an issue. Plug and replug and drive on !
 
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