It is ILLEGAL now in 13 states. New tire warranties will be VOIDED if you plug them also. Always pull the tire and PATCH them. My General tires looked great on the outside but the tire was separating on the inside from a plug. It was on the front and shaking every once in a while. Glad I caught it early before anything happened. I feel I should tell everyone here about it so maybe we can prevent an accident. I have three children and thankful nothing happened.

PASS IT ON.....PLUGS are BAD NEWS.

 

Agreed. Take the tire off and put a patch on the inside. Most tire shops have free flat repair anymore so it doesn't cost you anything but a trip to the tire shop to get it done right.

 

I've never heard of that. I've seen them on heavy equipment like graders, scrapers, loaders, and dump trucks. I've seen them on 90mph desert racing quads, motorcycles and trucks. And most of these were running more than one plug per tire. I personally have ran them in my POVs since the early 90s since the first time I saw them used on HE gear in the Marine Corps. I'm probably jinxing myself with this post, but have not had a problem with them ever. I would however suggest you use the heavy cord pre-glued type and not the little cheesie rubber ones you have to squeeze tho goo on to. Just my experience and I'm glad you cought your damaged tire before anyone was hurt.

 

What's the problem with plugs? I've been using them for 15 years and have never had a problem. You got some info I can read? An article maybe?

 

I was told by an expert that the problem is that the object that makes the hole NEVER makes it straight up and down like the way the plug is installed. They start in the right hole on the outside of the tire but actually create a new hole on the inside of the tire, because they don't line the plug tool in the EXACT line the object breached the tire. Air gets into the inside hole that is not filled by the plug and begins to separate it. To see it is to believe it. Unless you have an xray of the object in the tire with a GPS guided plug tool, they will never match the exact line the object has made in the tire wall.

Just trying to HELP anyone who will listen. This problem has caused many DEATHS.

God Bless America

 

Intersting. I just read your other post on tire shake.

 

89, you are correct. In the mid/late 70's, I worked for BFG. Their repair on the TA's, were patch or replace, no plugs. I will not ride on a plugged tire. I had a failure once letting Goodyear talke me into a plug. Running down the interstate at about 70, I had a tread separation. The cause was the plug. Needless to say, Goodyear said that the plug was cause and they would not warranty the tire, even though they plugged it.

The only repair to a tire with a puncture is to remove the tire and place a patch on the inside. If you will watch someone plug it, you can hear the wire instide the tire scrape and snap. Also, the flexing of the tire wire against the plug will cut it in two. Then the plug will fail. That is what happened to me.

 

Good stuff, I had no idea. I thought the "pull and patch" sales pitch was just another way for tire dealers to get another $25 out of you.

 

I guess I still don't get it. How does a patch keep a tire from separating? If the steel belts are snapping and tearing when running a plug reamer through the tire, then that's what's happening when a nail goes through there. How does a patch keep the tire from separating? The reason I wonder this is because I've installed 20-30 plugs in my vehicles tires over the years and have never had a separation. One vehicle is my big heavy Suburban that I've highway towed with. Another is my Taurus that I get going high speeds on the highway, numerous trucks, etc. What makes a patch a better fix?

EDIT: here's some info:

http://www.i-car.com/html_pages/abou...03/040703.html

 

First, the patch will cover a wider area using about the same amount of rubber and will be far easier to balance.

Second, any good tire tech will inspect the tire before applying the patch. If after removing the object and you see wire protruding through the hole on the inside or outside, the tire is junk as it has split the wire wrap belt.

Third, if no wire is present, the object moved the wire out of the way during penetration and if the hole is less than 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch (most nails will leave this size), then the tire can be patched.

Fourth, if the hole is larger, I suggest replacement or application of a patch with a tube. Tires can be booted (old style repair), but I do not recommend this. It does not work as well on radial as it did on bias tires.

gman, I also ride a Taurus as a work vehicle. It is used quite often in high speed situations. There will be NO PLUGGED TIRES on this ride. Even the State Police in West Virginia will not plug a tire on their Interceptors.

Another thought is plugs and the wear bars. The plug is softer rubber than the tire or it could not be installed. A tire with 50% of the tread remaining does not have 50% of its life left. It is more likely 20%. Now, think of a plugged tire. If you can visibly see the bars, they do not have to be connected across the tread or adjacent, the tire needs replacement. Now, put a plug in it. The casing is weakened by the puncture. You rout out the tire to put the plug in, further weakening the casing. Typical results is a blowout due to separation.

Mine are replaced when I see the bars or when the tire gets down to 5/32 tread remaining. When a tire gets below this, it will easily hydroplane.

I know that this was a little windy and I have added additional information not pertaining to the original question, but remember, your safety, your wife and kids safety and me and mine are riding on your decision. To plug or not to plug. I suggest patch, even if it cost a little more.

 

i had a plug put in my 98 k1500 chevy and its still running strong, have 15,000 miles on it. now i have the tire warranty on my psd from 4wp so i dont need to use the plug method anymore.

 

Thanks to everyone for passing on their concern with plugs. That's what makes this site so great. It has a bunch of people who will take the time to share info with total strangers. I wasn't bashing you with my post I was just more surprised than anything after what I've seen them used on.

 

Same with me. I've always believed plugs were fine and this is the first I've ever heard of it. And like I said, I've used many plugs and I'm the one driving the Taurus at 95 mph with at least one plug in a tire. I am a believer that we have some darn good tires here in the US. A buddy of mine told me that. He used to live in Germany and said that his vehicle insurer stipulated that there would be no coverage if you had low end tires on the vehicle. I asked him why is it not like that here. He said we don't have the option to buy low end tires here. He said that even our cheap tires here fulfill that requirement.

 

I found out first hand this is a serious problem. I take extremely good care of all my vehicles. I had never heard of this problem before, until I saw it with my own eyes. I would have never thought a plug could have EVER caused the problem I was having with the front tires shaking intermediately OR could have lead to the potentially catastrophic disaster of total tire separation at high speeds with the kids on board pulling the horses.

I felt it is my obligation to get the word out to as MANY people as possible. This site has helped my immensely with my 2002 F-350 PSD, and I wanted to start here with you GOOD people.

Spread the WORD. Patch NOT plug.

God Bless America

 

"Free Tire Repair" are going to only include "Plugs", not Remove PATCH and Replace. I have to admit that I've been away from the tire biz since the early 80's. But even then I used common sense. The probes (reamers) were MUCH softer than what likely caused the flat in the first place. So if what caused the leak was a straight line item like a nail (very common) then I could push the reamer straigh in them a plug was perfect, but if I couldn't or it wasn't a straight shot - it was NO warranty OR it was PATCH only.

Back then it was still common that the glue could still be HOT patched were you could use it heat to VULCANIZE (heat weld) the patch. Now with EPA and like issues you can't use flame to seal the patch. I find it hard to see cold patches being as effective as hot patches. High/Higher end tires had an interior that had a surface that was very hard to get a COLD patch to stick effectively. This course surface required me to grind the area down level to where they were as close to the "CORDS" inside as they were outside.

So even then the puncture type/place had to be evaluated as much then as now.

COMMON SENSE had to "RULE" then as it should NOW!!!! (or the other way around)