Tire repair using "plugs"...what to carry with you...

Here's some good repair guides for your Tercel :) Look here for help first!
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takza
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Tire repair using "plugs"...what to carry with you...

Post by takza »

This is a simple guide for repairing a tire that has picked up a nail or similar type puncture...but NOT a cut...where the damage is along a line.

Below is a pic of some of the stuff you might want to carry with you...

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For the typical tire repair...you'll need the two repair tools at bottom left....one is a REAMER to clean out the puncture hole in the tire AFTER the nail or whatever has been removed from the tire using needle nosed pliers. Reaming also opens the hole up some.

The other tool is the repair pug INSERTION tool which has a split in it where you place one of the fiber/rubber strips shown at the bottom...in the split area with about 1/2 left on either end.

You then put some rubber cement on the reamer tool and try and get some into the puncture hole...then clean off the tool.

Then you cover the mounted plug with the same rubber cement covering all surfaces well.

Then comes the FUN PART. You next need to force the plug into the tire. You WILL want to take note of the direction that the nail or whatever went into the tire...and follow this exactly as you insert the plug. Sometimes this can take some serious force...so you don't want the cheapest tools you can find. You will need to follow the instructions that came with the tool...but generally...you pull them straight out after you've inserted the plug far enough that the open end or split is INSIDE the tire. Once the tool is out...you then cut off the excess on the outside...maybe leaving enough to get a hold of with your needle nose pliers...in case you'd want to remove the plug later.

My experiences with this type of tire repair have been mixed....some times it requires a second plug before you can get past a slow leak...where the tire will still slowly leak down...a little spit or soapy water will show up this type of leak when placed where the plug surfaces. 100% of the time...a second plug done in the same way...fixes it for good. You can either pull the plug out with needle nose or sidecut pliers...OR just push it inside the tire using the reamer tool.

Many times you can fix the tire while it's still on the car.

As far as what AREA of the tire you can repair...usually "they" say only the tread area. I have repaired tires maybe 1/2 inch to an inch above the tread area and have had them "hold"....and had an old dude who runs a tire repair place say he repairs sidewalls this way...but if you are up in the area where the tire sidewall flexes a lot I'm not so sure...plus the sidewall has much less fabric cord in it.

You ALWAYS want to use the cement...it also acts as a lube and you will find it very difficult to get the plug in without using it.

A problem with the rubber cement is that once opened...it can dry out and be useless when you need it. I try to keep the tube wrapped up in about 3 ziplock sandwich bags to slow the solvent evaporation when stored.

The next issue is...now that the tire is plugged...how do I get some air in it?

I always carry a 12V air compressor to re-inflate a repaired or low tire. These can cost from $10 to $20 and even more. The cheapo $10 compressors are surprisingly durable...but I usually need to disassemble then before using to lube the shafts and gears and maybe tighten screws and do some "swaging" here and there to keep bushings and so forth in place. Don't lube the piston though...maybe light oil at the most. Recently bought a Ryobi 12V compressor that should last a bit longer and puts out a little more air....but usually the better they are the bigger they are. Probably don't want to use these in the rain...it will crap out the motors.

You can also buy the "spare in a can" type inflators that use latex and a propellant to inflate the tire...but they usually don't fully inflate a tire.

Also handy is a tire valve tool (not pictured) that allows you to to RESEAT the valve core inside the valve stem in case it is causing a slow leak...you just back it out a little and retighten it...but not too much....sometimes the onset of colder weather can cause these to start leaking.

And a small dial type pressure gauge is handy to know when you have the tire inflated correctly.

How to find that elusive SLOW LEAK:

Sometimes whatever punctured the tire will not still be in the tire...or you might have a bead leak at the wheel...or a leak at the valve core or stem.

Usually in these cases you'll definitely need to remove the tire/wheel. I usually use a garden hose to thoroughly wet the tire down and get any debris off of it. Then I mix up a quart or more of soapy water...you want soapy water (reduced surface tension), but you don't want sudsy water.

You basically pour or dribble the soap water starting on the tread looking for air bubbles (you'll need air in the tire)...need to be real careful in looking...because the leak in sometimes not very fast or obvious.

If you don't find anything on the tread...you can then check both bead areas by laying the tire down on it's side and pooling the soap water in this area. Then check the valve stem where it inserts in the tire...and remove the valve cap and check the valve core for a leak.

This can take PATIENCE and you need to look closely.


note: feel free to add any additional bits of wisdom 8)
Last edited by takza on Sat Dec 04, 2010 5:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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keith
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Re: Tire repair using "plugs"...what to carry with you...

Post by keith »

If you ever use the "spare tire in a can", then you MUST dismount the tire and have it dried out or the rim will rust.
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Petros
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Re: Tire repair using "plugs"...what to carry with you...

Post by Petros »

You also need to still carry a spare, these plug type repairs are not reliable. You also run the risk of laminating the layers of the tire if air pressure gets part way in the inside (the side you can not see). The Les Swab chain of tires stores only uses the inside patch to do flat repairs because they have not found the plugs reliable. So they dismount the tire, patch it from the inside, remount and rebalanced it.

The "spare in a can" type of patch can make the tire go out of balance (all the goop builds up unevenly in the tire). It might get you home but than you will have to have the tire dismounted, the goop cleaned out, and than remounted and rebalanced. IT is okay as an emergancy item, but with a slow leak, or if your spare is available, I would wait until the tire can be properly patched from the inside.
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'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
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takza
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Re: Tire repair using "plugs"...what to carry with you...

Post by takza »

Like I said...I find the plugs reliable...but sometimes you need to do one over again...second time usually does it. Usually it seems to be a matter of whether you get enough rubber cement inside the hole BEFORE you insert the plug.

Seeing as taking the tire to someone to have it patched will result in time wasted...gas cost...and usually a charge of $10-12...it's worth the time to DIY?

I've heard the thing about a patch needed inside the tire...brings in the business at least....could be legal issue based too.

Yea...the "spare in a can" can unbalance a tire...and you also might need to warn the tire guy cause the propellant is sometimes propane. I usually carry a can...but mostly use the 12V pump.
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Neu
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Re: Tire repair using "plugs"...what to carry with you...

Post by Neu »

I just always take my tire to Les Schwab. Free flat fix.

So nice.
takza
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Re: Tire repair using "plugs"...what to carry with you...

Post by takza »

Les Schwab not live here in Tibet. He nice guy?
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splatterdog
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Re: Tire repair using "plugs"...what to carry with you...

Post by splatterdog »

While I can see most motorists position on the easy way out of a sticky situation by using fixaflat in a can. No matter what the blend inside the can, it leaves a real mess for the poor guy that has to fix it right(inside patch). Some, or at least half of the messes I've seen even have ammonia in the mix. As if the job doesn't already have enough hazmat flavor...

That Slime kit pictured is something I would consider for an all out adventure like that guy that T4'd up to the arctic circle or maybe the end of the world as Takza sees it(sorry, couldn't help myself). For now, I will use my spare. If that isn't enough,I have roadside assistance. Well worth it for any car of any age.

My last flat was fun. Stupid me. End of the camping trip, just leaving. Clipped a boat trailer while backing and opened up a sidewall. Crap! The car was completely stuffsacked to the ceiling. To top it off, 195/70r14's, even flat, barely go halfway in to the spare hole.

The last few times I even used a plug was when it was part of an inside patch. Plug patches are very heavy duty. I put a 3/8 bolt thru the very edge of the tread on one of my low mileage 32inch BF's. A regular patch just burst thru the hole. A plug patch lasted till the tires were done for.

I guess bottom line here is, tool up as necessary for your driving situation. For an extra level of self sufficiency, by all means carry an air compressor and plug kit. Both a fairly inexpensive. If you like to banzai off road, even more reason for it. I've seen big mudders with several plugs in a sidewall wound! Not pretty, but made it out.
takza
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Re: Tire repair using "plugs"...what to carry with you...

Post by takza »

splatterdog wrote: or maybe the end of the world as Takza sees it(sorry, couldn't help myself).
It gets nearer every time I look out the window. Pretty much baked in the cake. Many live in de Nile...with the crocodiles....
Give a boy a gun-give a biatch a cell phone-and pretty soon you almost got yourself a police state.

Orwell said: War is peace! Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength...

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Re: Tire repair using "plugs"...what to carry with you...

Post by ARCHINSTL »

takza wrote: Many live in de Nile...
de Nile ain't very positive...
Tom M.
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
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"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
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takza
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Re: Tire repair using "plugs"...what to carry with you...

Post by takza »

They like to play pretend....as in let's pretend we can continue to overpopulate and trash the earth to extract whatever we need...but the semi rational can see the brick wall up ahead. It's not a wall you can pretend away...and your gods won't save your asses either. Not that I dwell on the obvious a whole lot...there's not a whole lot one lone swami in the Himalayas can do anyway...but to watch the lemmings play....in de Nile.

But in the mean time...let's drive our T4WDs in circles....and have some fun. :D
Give a boy a gun-give a biatch a cell phone-and pretty soon you almost got yourself a police state.

Orwell said: War is peace! Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength...

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