Plugging a tire

37chief · Apr 3, 2015

I have a tire on my pickup that picked up a metal object. It is on a aluminum rim. If I tried to remove the tire to put a patch on the inside, I would nick up a good rim. The tire is too old for a tire shop to repair. Seams they get all worried if it is over 5 years old. I put a plug in it today. It seams to hold air. If a plug were to leak would it do it right away?. Stan

ralph1111 · Apr 3, 2015

short answer is yes

vscummins · Apr 4, 2015

Use extra glue on the plug even if I'd its got glue on it then let it dry a couple hours ive even plugged trailer tires that way and worked good

ohiojim · Apr 4, 2015

I have noticed that the tire shops here have quit using plugs altogether,...I use them whenever I can with no problems,...I bought a cub cadet mower that had ran over a 5/8 rebar in the front tire and the guy had put 6 plugs in the hole, I had it for 7 years and it still held air

Geo-TH,In · Apr 4, 2015

I would plug a tire on a tractor, mower, wagon, but when it comes to safety, cars and trucks, I want good tires and good brakes.

When it comes to tires, I use the tire barn and buy road hazzard. So I never worry about what to do when I have a tire problem. They rotate and balance tires for free. It only cost $50 for 4 tires. I think that's a bargan.

Put on a new set of tires and sell the used tires on craigslist. There is always someone looking for a cheap used tire.

Blackhole49 · Apr 4, 2015

I use the Camel brand plugs. The last couple I put in steel belted radials never leaked as long as the hole was in the tread. I had one that required 2 plugs to fill the hole. It was in there a couple of years until the tire wore out. I won't repair a side wall.

J.Wondergem · Apr 4, 2015

Yes, as long as it isn't a flat slice, it'll work good.

notjustair · Apr 4, 2015

I find that even if it leaks a bit now give it a month and it won't. As the tread wears down it seats in better. Only things here that don't have plugs around here have tubes.

hd6gtom · Apr 4, 2015

after 22 years in my own tire shop the answer is NO NO NO----do you have a lot of insurance? You will need it if that tire is involved anyway in an accident. If you read any of the tire trade magazines you would Never let anyone nor would you use a tire plug for a car or truck tire of any kind.

js305 · Apr 4, 2015

Depends on the plug. I have used them for years with good success. However, the ones that are just rubber don't work so well for me. The most common are the ones that look like pieces of yarn with sticky "stuff" on/in them. I got some on the internet that look much like a mushroom, or an old time rivet before it's used. Takes a special "gun" that pushes the head through to the inside of the tire. If used correctly they end up looking and sealing like a regular patch. In the last forty years I have not experienced a complete failure due to a plug. Like others have said, the use of a plug is limited to round holes in the tread area. Cuts and punctures in the sidewalls don't plug so well.

SDE · Apr 4, 2015

The tire shop found a nail in my tire and they put a plug in it. That tire will go back on the car next fall. I have plugged my own tires, without any problems, as long as you manage to get the plug to follow the angle of the puncture.
SDE

Russ from MN · Apr 4, 2015

I have had great luck with plugs, mostly the kind that look like yarn with sealant. If it's a newer expensive tire I take it in and have a plug-patch installed from the inside. In MN the salt can damage the steel belt over time. Otherwise I have plugs holding well in tires from 4-wheelers to 18-24 tractor tires, for at least 15 years.

jon f mn · Apr 4, 2015

I used to think they were bad and didn't use them too. But the truck I have now with the single tires it's very expensive to get one fixed, and frequently the tire companies won't fix them. I have one on my truck now that has 7 plugs in it and they are holding fine. Most of them have been in a year now. Just make sure you clean the hole good, I use a cordless drill and bit to get the hole clean and large enough for the plug. I even had one that had a bolt in it and had to put in 2 plugs to fill the hole, thought I would need to replace the tire after that one but it's been fine.

Nathan (SD) · Apr 4, 2015

Seems suspicious gtom. A guy that makes his money fixing tires tells people to stay away from plugs? Got any names of these magazines so we all can be enlightened? I am always wanting to learn.

CKain(MI) · Apr 4, 2015

I am familiar with that 'gun' that inserts a mushroom shaped plugs. Back in 1963-4 I worked in a service station on RT-28, Buzzards Bay, Mass. Did lots of tire repair. One day a salesman came in and showed me that plugging gadget. We bought one and I learned to love it. Wish I had one today.
Don't even have to take the tire off the vehicle. esp, if you have a hoist.

Gambles · Apr 4, 2015

The answer to your post is that plugging a tire will void any warranty that the manufacturer put on the tire. It could also open yourself up to a lawsuit if the tire fails and an ambulance-chasing lawyer would see the plug in your tire. With that being said, I have a plug in a tire of my pickup that was installed just a couple of days ago. But that tire will be replaced with a new one in about two weeks.

sotxbill · Apr 4, 2015

No modern tire manufacture will recommend plugs. They can and do allow air to get into the steel belts and leads to belt separation and failure. Any radial tire with a plug is a ticking timebomb. Due to the squiming of the belts, it will happen, just a matter of when. Too many lawsuits, deaths, rollovers, etc have made plugs taboo. Only the uninformed will use a plug on anything that goes on the street due to the liabilities. Everytime you use a plug, you are GUILTY... waiting for the lawsuit.

"Question is.... do you feel lucky?" Said Dirty Harry to the Suspect.

Wheatfarmer · Apr 4, 2015

I don't know how many tires I have plugged. LOTS. Car, Pickup, ATV, RTV, Small tractor tire. etc etc. Yes use lots of glue. I have even had to use three plugs on a large hole. Only once I had one that didn't hold.

Steve@Advance · Apr 4, 2015

I use the drill method too. Truck tires can be nearly impossible to push the plug in without the needle cutting the plug into. But when you drill the hole, then run the drill backward as you pull it out, it aligns the steel inward so the plug goes in much easier. I also put some tire patch compound on to seal and lubricate the plug.

teddy52food · Apr 4, 2015

My take on it is that a patch on the inside keeps the air in but does nothing to keep the moisture and road salt from going in from the outside. Plugs will seal both ways.

Steve@Advance · Apr 4, 2015

I've had good success with plugs. I have had some start to leak after being in for a while, but it's always been a very slow leak, not a sudden loss of air. A lot depends on the location and shape of the puncture. But if it's a cut, plugging may not be the best choice, but then a patch may not fix it either.

You say the tire shops won't fix a tire over 5 years old? I could see age being a factor if it's showing cracks, but 5 years is not old IMHO.

I've had problems with chain store tire shops. Seems their employees work on commission, get paid to sell tires, are under pressure to meet sales quotas, etc. Nothing in it for them to do repairs other than putting themselves in the cross hairs of the lawyers!

I only go to mom & pop tire stores now. Get better service, honest service, personal service! The money stays here instead of going to corporate to finance annoying TV commercials!

Goose · Apr 4, 2015

Please explain exactly how they allow air to get into the steel belts.

The opposite actually happens, the seal from both inside and outside, and prevent water and road salt from rusting the steel belts. There was a point in time when I sold "Blackjack" plugs to tire shops by the gross, and some of my biggest customers were popular brand dealers.

VaTom · Apr 4, 2015

Yeah, I'd also like to know more. None of those "ticking time bombs" ever went off before my tires wore out in the past 40 years. Long time fuse apparently. No idea what brand plugs those tire shops used.

I have experienced de-lamination of the belts in a radial tire, but never one with a plug in it. Bought a set of Armstrongs once that all ended with belts coming loose. It was interesting when that happened. Armstrong wasn't interested, my last Armstrongs.

Gotta admit that since I've been driving a car requiring V rated performance tires, probably don't want a plug in one.

rustred · Apr 4, 2015

you can do what you want on a farm implement, but a pickup coming down the hyway at me with rotten tires...ooh boy!
ever have a blow out at 70 mph on left front? better have a tight grip on the wheel, as it will pull you into the opposite lane.
you never know about oncoming traffic.
and I do not know of any tire shops that plug tires nowadays. plugs were for the old bias ply tires.

hd6gtom · Apr 4, 2015

Again I say read the trade magazines If you did and saw all the people that have been killed and the millions of dollars awarded to the unlucky partys I cant think you would never even consider using them.
If someone in your tire shop used 1 you need to find another tire shop ASAP.

Guido. · Apr 4, 2015

Hello,

Only one way that I know to patch a hole in a tire, from the inside out! Look at the picture,

Guido.

jimg.allentown · Apr 4, 2015

OK. I see all of the "your insurance won't cover that" types coming out of the woodwork.......
First, WHERE in a tire warranty does it say ANYTHING about plugging a tire?
As far as I know, the standard practice is to plug the hole - as long as it is not on a sidewall or on the corner of the tread.
Second, the steel belts in tires are of a fairly corrosion resistant alloy. I have NEVER seen a rusty belt on a blowout or a tire that had been plugged and later failed.
Third, when a plug does fail, it generally results in a slow leak that is more nuisance than hazard. That would be the point at which I would either use an inside patch or simply discard the tire.
Fourth - I have been reading the news most of my adult life. I have never heard of a lawsuit or a huge award being attributed to a tire plug. I doubt if a tire plug could even be traced back to who installed it.
Lastly, the man just asked an innocent question about plugging a tire. Whether or not he actually does plug the tire is entirely his prerogative. And, Stan, NO, I don't see any harm in plugging a tire. If it is going to leak, it will usually do it right away.

P. S. I call BS on the liability of it all. Many millions of tires have been plugged over the years, and none to my knowledge have resulted in catastrophic crashes.

black · Apr 4, 2015

I pluged many tires and if it's a front then I exchange it for a rear in fear of a blow out at high speed . I wouldn't put a second plug because the steel belt could be cut .

Larry -ont.

Chicks · Apr 4, 2015

what s the odds on this topic? To day changed a tire that is less than six months old that had broken cords . It looked like a baseball coming out of it. It didn't even have any plugs in it! And I use them all the time! Guess I should call the lawyer!

Goose · Apr 4, 2015

I second that.

I can't ever remember hearing of any lawsuit caused by a plugged tire, or any tire for that matter. In fact, I can't remember ever hearing of a tire blowing out because of a plug. I'd like to see some documentation on all of these lawsuits.

If a plugged tire blew out and resulted in a multimillion dollar settlement, you'd think it would get some publicity. Remember McDonald's hot coffee episode? And the result of all that was only a simple burn.

Goose · Apr 4, 2015

In another response, I mentioned I once sold Blackjack plugs, among other automotive items.

My boss used to go around with a full size Ford conversion van and promote Blackjack plugs along with other items we sold. When he wanted to demonstrate a plug, he simply took an awl, poked a hole in a tire, and stuck a plug in it while the customer watched.

One day he experienced a blowout. (It had nothing to do with plugs, the sidewall failed). The fellow at the tire shop that dismounted the blown tire about freaked out. He counted 14 plugs in it.

That's been over 20 years ago, and I still laugh when I think about it.

Chris Jones · Apr 4, 2015

I plug my own tires whenever something gets in them (tread, not sidewall) and have never had a problem.

Is it riskier than a patch? Apparently so given tire shops reluctance to plug tires any more. Then again someone might suggest safety sells and patching yields a larger profit.

To those who will say one can ever be too safe, I humbly acknowledge their superior intellect and submit this safety video.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bU0Q9dwXxgk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Chris Jones · Apr 4, 2015

Yes you should immediately call your lawyer! Be sure to ask for money for mental anguish. You noticed the problem and you refused to get near the vehicle for fear of a tire explosion--you've seen those videos where people are killed by exploding tires and it haunts you. You couldn't drive it and missed work and had to put a warning sign on the car so nobody would go near it. You've been a bundle of nerves unable to eat or sleep thinking about how close you came to certain death. Heck throw in it drove you to start drinking again and now you need them to pay for rehab and of course the missed work while there. I smell money! Don't forget to send me my %10 consultation fee when you get your settlement--or I'll sue!

Chris Jones · Apr 4, 2015

Your car doesn't "require" V rated tires. You only need tires rated to go as fast as you plan on driving it. If you live in VA I doubt that's over 80mph unless you drive well over the speed limit or you race it legally on a track somewhere.

L 75 mph 120 km/h
M 81 mph 130 km/h
N 87 mph 140km/h
P 93 mph 150 km/h
Q 99 mph 160 km/h
R 106 mph 170 km/h
S 112 mph 180 km/h
T 118 mph 190 km/h
U 124 mph 200 km/h
H 130 mph 210 km/h
V 149 mph 240 km/h

Gambles · Apr 4, 2015

My local mom-and-pop tire store won't do a simple plug repair, the type where you don't dismount the tire. They told me they have been warned about it many times.
I did a Google search for "tire repair lawsuit" and the first site to come up was a site by the Carabin Shaw law firm. It lists several lawsuits where people have been awarded millions of dollars. Site after site also says that the tire manufactures do not recommend them. IMO, rightfully so for the simple reason you cannot see if there is any tire damage if you do not dismount the tire.
Will your tire hold air with a plug? Probably. As posted, I've got one in my tire right now. But if I was running a business, I wouldn't touch one of those plugs with a ten foot pole.
Once again, I have a cheapie tire plug set in my tool box. But I for sure wouldn't let my wife and kids go on a hot Texas summer vacation with a plug in one of the tires.

VaTom · Apr 5, 2015

LOL Chris, the car asked for nothing. It was the tire shops who didn't want to sell me a lesser tire, several flat out refused. It came to me with 2 good U tires, which I couldn't match. Not a good plan to add tires 2 categories apart. Not for speed, for handling. Which is why I bought this little rocket (at my wife's insistence). AWD, with a system that provides proper power to each wheel according to the driving condition at that moment.

The full set of V tires was less than $400.

You're right, I don't have any idea if it will actually hit 146 mph that's claimed (with a fresh engine). Looking forward to a road trip through New Mexico to see if that 2-lane desolate 40 mile stretch I remember is still used to test top speed. That's where I discovered that my '69 Alfa Romeo was uncomfortably loud much over 100 mph. Wind noise, engine was nowhere near red line.

My Audi is a lot like that Alfa coupe, but with 30 years' newer technology, and creature comforts. The guy who bought my Alfa was thrilled to get the rust bucket project, and paid 1/3 of my Audi cost. Both a hoot to drive on winding roads. Both beautiful cars.

Chris Jones · Apr 5, 2015

Humm, I'm kinda surprised the tire shops wouldn't install lesser speed rated tires. I bet some smaller mom & pop shops would but then again who knows. As with the plugs/patches they worry about liability and also like profits. They know the car is capable of high speeds and thus feel it would be irresponsible of them to install tires that can't match those speeds. But as we know it only matters if you plan to use that speed. It also strikes me a bit self serving like telling someone your car needs new hoses/belts and engine flushes when other shops say they're not necessary. The first shops employees are being pushed to increase profits while keeping their consciences feeling good by telling themselves they're keeping their customers car in top/safe condition.

I'm a all 4 tires matching kind of guy too. But lately finances have caused me accept front matching and rear matching. Thankfully my truck (2WD) doesn't care and happily rolls with 245/70R-16 fronts and 235/75R-16 rears now. I've even bought used tires once--probably need 2 more before November's inspection.

You got a pretty good price! Back when I bought my last set of 4 new they cost me almost $700--great tires very poor life.

VaTom · Apr 5, 2015

Oddly, the shops who completely refused me lesser tires were also the most expensive for the V tires... Close to $1000. I suppose that sales pitch works for them sometimes. The successful shop offered lesser tires, for more money. Apparently my timing was good, and I wanted to leave for Florida the next day, NOT with 2 bald tires.

I got far more education about performance tires than I ever wanted, shopping for a pair of tires. As I understand it, part of the design was a softer rubber. Speed rating is only one factor. And it's not like you can drive all day at the max speed and expect the tire to survive.

Heavy rain on I-95, these tires felt great at 80 mph. Didn't hydroplane.

Hadn't had a car since I parked my rusty Alfa almost 20 yrs ago. If you're gonna buy a car, might as well have some fun, right? We've been driving full-size vans, with mud tires on the back. Our driveway rises 400' elevation to the house. Four matching tires on the vans would have been wrong. Our driveway was not exactly what Audi engineers had in mind when designing that car, with 4 1/4" of ground clearance. But on that car matching tires is important.

Here's the muffler garden at the house. I always ask guests if they made a contribution.

Chris Jones · Apr 5, 2015

Nice pic.

Plugging a tire

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