Puncture Repair

Submitted: Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 07:07
ThreadID: 41684 Views:5207 Replies:7 FollowUps:13
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I am old fashioned, as SWMBO frequently tells me, so when I get a puncture off comes the wheel for repair etc.

The other day I stopped when I saw a LC with a guy half under the rear, to see if he needed help. No thanks just fixing a puncture. He had jacked it up, rotated until he could see the spot, plugs in, compressor on, dropped the jack and off. All finished in less than 15 mins.

Is this what others do? How long does the glue really need to set?

I like to be able to see all possible damage but perhaps I really do waste time.

alastair
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Reply By: troopyman - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 07:37

Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 07:37
The kit from arb is good . I have one and so far have used it once to fix a hole that a long screw made . Didnt even take the wheel off the car . Absolutely invaluable .
AnswerID: 218111

Follow Up By: troopyman - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 07:43

Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 07:43
www.4x4review.com/tech/safety-seal.asp
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Reply By: Wayne (NSW) - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 08:12

Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 08:12
Alastair,

I have had to use them on trips but, and this a big BUT, they are only a temporary repair.

The way to use them is on the kit ,but first locate the hole in the tyre. Spray water over the tyre, listen or even fine dust will show where the tyre has been punctured.

I have moved the vehicle forward so that the hole is in a position that the plug can be inserted with out having to lift the vehicle.

The glue that went on is more of a lubricant and by the time the air is pumped back into the tyre and the repair kit packed away the plug is ready to go.

More than one plug can be inserted but there is a limit. Any more that 4 plugs and the tyre should be changed in favour of the spare tyre.

Side wall damage should not be plugged because of the flexing of the tyre, This is a temporary fix to get you to the next tyre repair shop. the tyre should then be removed from the vehicle, inspected and repaired.

Wayne
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Reply By: Willem - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 09:00

Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 09:00
Alastair

What Wayne has said is correct and to the point.

I have suffered multiple sidewall punctures the past 18 months(due to some extreme trekking) and one can only really make a temporary repair. You do not need to remove a tubeless tyre to effect a plug repair. Just pump it up to around 30psi, find the leak and then plug it. Jacking the vehicle up would help. You should always have the tyre seen to by a tyre shop when you get near civilisation. They can put a patch on the inside of a tyre or even 'weld' sidewalls so that the tyre is safe again.

I have now reverted to running tubed tyres again on split rims whilst out in the scrub and only use the tubeless for around town and bitumen drives.

Cheers
AnswerID: 218119

Follow Up By: Member - Brian H (QLD) - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 09:22

Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 09:22
Excuse my lack of knowledge about tyre and repairs. I would have assumed sidewall damage IE from a stake would also puncture the tude, so why use a tube?

Having never repaired a tyre (not sure i should have said this) and thus why a tude is I am just curious is all.

Brian

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Follow Up By: Willem - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 09:30

Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 09:30
Ah!!!....

Tubeless Radial tyres have sidewalls no thicker that a couple of sheets of A4 paper

Tubed Radial tyres have sidewalls which could be up to 5mm thick

Tubed Crossply tyres can have sidewalls up to 10mm or more, thick.

I omitted to say that I now run tubed Cross-Ply tyres

Yeah Brian, mark my words, your first tyre repair is about to happen....LOL

Cheers
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Follow Up By: Member - Franga (QLD) - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 09:45

Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 09:45
Hi Willem,
When have you had any problems with blow outs whilst loaded and travelling at highway speeds, reason I ask is I Know a bloke who he's nearly come to grief a couple of times due to running Tubed crossplys on his 4x4.
He now only runs tubleess radials.

Regards Franga
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Follow Up By: Willem - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 09:57

Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 09:57
Hi Franga

Yes tubed tyres will blow out if punctured as all air escapes at once.

The quality of tubes is extremely important. Most people opt for
'el cheapo' tubes and then pay the price.

All my recent punctures with tubelss tyres have been on Off Track excursions.

I run the Crossplies at 35psi on the bitumen and try to keep the speed to around 100kmh. As mnentioned above, I minimise use of Crossplies on bitumen.

Cheers
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Follow Up By: Member - Brian H (QLD) - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 14:33

Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 14:33
Oh great I've now put a curse on myself ................. guess i better learn how to do repairs before i'm sittin in out the back of nowhere trying to figure out how to repair a tyre. Not to mention the best kit to have and toss in my (BUGGER BOX).

Nice looking track, I have not put my name down for your trip later this year until I am sure I will be there but looking like I will be :).

Gotta get some real Aussies there ......... QLDERS that is :) Now i've stirred the pot I'm off lol

Brian

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Follow Up By: spinifex - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 16:04

Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 16:04
Hi Willem

Just in case I am missing something here.
I always thought that it was the rim design that designated whether a tyre needed to be run with a tube or tubeless.

Why not run your preferred tyres on solid rims (tubeless) then you can still use the string plugs and avoid all the down sides of using split rims.

Regards
Spinifex
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Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (Nullagine) - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 18:59

Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 18:59
spinifex a crossply would be a bugger to put onto a 1 piece and crtanly couldnt be done in the field if the need arose You would not get the rasp and plug through a crossply so you couldnt effect a tubeles repair on them anyway
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Follow Up By: Willem - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 22:18

Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 22:18
Hi Spinifex

I agree with everything Davoe says in this thread.

I don't have an issue with split rims. They work well for me.

Cheers
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Reply By: Chaz - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 09:50

Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 09:50
Hi Alastair,
I must concur with what everyone has said on this but I have used plugs on sidewalls that have gone on to last another 20,000km with NO glue. In my haste to get it in before the tyre deflated, I just stuffed one in and left it there until the tyre wore out. They are absolutely brilliant, but I do normally remove the tyre and fit a patch on the inside as well when time permits. We use to be able to get those mushroom plugs that went in from the inside and were complete with a patch, but I haven’t seen them around for a while.
AnswerID: 218128

Follow Up By: Member - Ed. C. (QLD) - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 10:57

Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 10:57
The mushroom plugs are (or should be) available from any tyre dealer...
(I get mine from Bo's ;-))).. Ideally, ya should use the "blue glue" with these....
Confucius say.....
"He who lie underneath automobile with tool in hand,
....Not necessarily mechanic!!"

Member
My Profile  Send Message

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FollowupID: 478593

Follow Up By: Chaz - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 16:02

Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 16:02
Thanks Ed,
I'll have to have another look for them. I usually get my tyre gear from Tip Top Rema in Adelaide, but last time I asked he didn't have them. Perhaps he was just out of stock so I'll check back again. They were harder to insert, but did a terrific job of sealing up the hole.
Cheers.
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Reply By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 21:16

Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 21:16
Alastair,
I've used plug repairs as my method of choice for the past 7 years, and I'd guess I've done over 50 plug insertions. I've learnt off a couple of people who have done more.

They are a temporary repair IMO, but some quality brand plugs, such as Tech are supposed to be a permanent repair, if no other damage is done to the tyre.

Re technique - first thing is to put air back in the tyre to identify the leak - a spray bottle with a few drops of dishwashing detergent is the best way if its not obvious - the detergent means the leak will bubble. Then drive the vehicle until the tyre is in the best position to insert the plug. Keep the pump going.

I always use "glue" type plugs - those "lubricant" type ones seem to leak sometimes. And the good quality Tech brand plugs are the best I've used - they come individually wrapped - and the Tech glue is good. The ARB tools are nice - solid metal handles - I've heard of plastic handles breaking.

Slip glue into the hole with the glue tool; then load up the plug and put plenty of glue on the plug. Insert it slowly until 1-2cm of the doubled up plug is hanging out. Remove tool, and use the spray bottle to check the leak is sealed. If not, load up another plug (or two) if needed. I'd guess that 90+% of the time, the leak is fixed with a single plug. We usually have the pump on the whole time, and the repair usually takes not much longer than it takes to pump up a tyre.

When you're travelling in a group of many vehicles, in rough country, its the best way to go IMO. It is a time saver, and is no sweat. So my opinion is the opposite of Willem's. When I go away with people with split rims, we often have to repair tyres because of split tube seams - and a flat tubed tyre means a tyre change and an hour repair job at beer o'clock.

And when you get back to civilisation, get a tyre place to do a permanent repair, and inspect the tyre. The dealers these days are very reuctant to repair a tyre with a sidewall hole.

Cheers
Phil
AnswerID: 218248

Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (Nullagine) - Monday, Jan 29, 2007 at 00:35

Monday, Jan 29, 2007 at 00:35
Phil dunno if you saw the post but about 9 months ago I got a sidewall slash that took 4 plugs to fix It didnt leak 1 iota until recently (I left them in as it was a brand new tyre and I knew the dealers wouldnt fix it) recently it went flat so I tookit to a rubber a retreader who fixed it and vulcanised the slash cost 60 bux but cheaper than a new MTR Beurepairs wont fix sidewall punctures but some mobs do
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Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Monday, Jan 29, 2007 at 09:16

Monday, Jan 29, 2007 at 09:16
Hi Davoe,
Yeah, that was great that you got it repaired - seems a shame to be throwing a good tyre away for a small hole. A friend had two brand new BFGs slashed by some jerk in town, and the tyre dealer sent them to Melbourne to get repaired - cost him about $70 each but that was 5 years ago.
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Reply By: Member - Bucky (VIC) - Monday, Jan 29, 2007 at 15:39

Monday, Jan 29, 2007 at 15:39
I have a Tyre Plyers kit, and its gr8, but I do like all the comments, and will be looking at the Teck type plugs.

Thanks to Alistair, and Willem I have picked up a few more tricks. ( handy for my mext desert trek )

Did a 2 minute plug repair for a mate up the road, about 6 months back, and she run around town for the nest 6-8 weeks in it.
Never even looked like going flat, even after my warning to get it to the Tyre place ASAP, as they really are a temporary measure.

Cheers Bucky


AnswerID: 218396

Reply By: Member - Alastair D (NSW) - Monday, Jan 29, 2007 at 18:33

Monday, Jan 29, 2007 at 18:33
Thanks everyone for the comments and experiences. I have one of the ARB kits and will start using it 'on vehicle' next time I have a puncture - hope it is a long time but I bet having raised this topic it won't be long.

I have followed Willem's tyre saga over the last months and have some sympathies. My most extensive travels were during the 70's with a Series 3 LWB Landrover which usually weighed in around 3.5 tons when all the gear and tanks were full. It ran standard rims and I used tubed Dunlop RTMs (cross ply) in the heaviest ply rating I could get. I did about 120,000 and can remember only a few punctures. This was mostly in the real bush - I worked in the Kimberley for almost 2 years at one stage.

My next vehicle was a Nissan G60 on which I fitted wide rims and several different off-road radials including some Dick Cepec (?). Great handling on and off road but the puncture rate was much higher and the joy of seeing a near new tyre with a terminal side wall cut was something I experienced a number of times.

I retire in 8 weeks and the travels into the real bush will resume but I fear that I will find it very different now and rare to be days without seeing another vehicle or person. Most of my trips in the last 20 years have been more what I would call rural rather than remote. Plan to fix that shortly.

cheers
alastair

AnswerID: 218443

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