Plugs not a permanant fix

Was under the impression plugs were a temporary fix till u get a vulcanised patch put inside.
I certainly would anyway.

Agree. They're only supposed to be a temporary repair. You can't get a road worthy on a vehicle in Victoria if the plugs are still evident in the tyres (so trim them right back...lol). I've encountered the same issue with one of my tyres at the moment. Gets to 24 psi and stays there. Time to visit the tyre repair place!

Cheers. Mick

I don't have that problem. I have a few tyres with plugs in them and they seem to stay up ok. The Coopers I bought off Willem this time last year have plugs right through them, (side walls and in the tread) and I have never had to adjust the pressure since then.

Must be the Coopers ;)

Cheers Luke

Just reading the tyrepliers booklet and it says in regard to plugs " This is only a temporary repair method and should only be used in Emergency situations when off roading or out in the field" all of which is in bold print. If the tyre places will not repair sidewall damage and you can't get a Road worthy with plugs in tyres, I think there is a message coming through. ie Insurance coy says that the vehicle is unroadworthy and the insurance is out the door.


Cheers

Mark

This report ......http://www.cityoffpeak.com/generalinterest.htm ...... that I found on a 4x4 club's web site about a tyre repair demonstration by Mick Hutton sheds a bit more light on sidewall repairs. I spoke to Mick about a month ago and he said some sidewall damage can be safely and legally repaired. This ties in with what my next door neighbour has told me. He has worked for decades for a major tyre repair and retread company.

I have ordered a copy of Mick's tyre repair DVD that is currently being made. After I look at it I will most likely get a copy of the tyre repair standards from the Australian Standards Association then call in to Rema Tip Top to discuss what I need to expand the basic repair kit I currently have.

The next problem is going to be finding a company that does major tyre repairs if I ever need one. I have checked all the local tyre services and they are useless. They are only interested in selling, not repairing, tyres. They might put a plug in or a patch on a tube but that is it. The amount of equipment in the Rema catalogue is unbelievable yet one large tyre service near my home only has a few patches, plugs and tubes of glue on a small shelf beside their wheel balancer. No wonder they tell you things are unrepairable.

My neighbour said the electrically heated vulcanising presses are "not very expensive" but he does not know how much. I will also check them while at Tip Top and if he is right then who knows, I might even buy one.

I repaired countless car and light truck tyres as an apprentice a hell of a long time ago and I am just starting to brush up on the technical side of it again after recently returning to 4wds after a long absence. Just going by memories of what I learnt back in those days, I have noticed there seems to be a lot of incorrect information on tyre repairs among 4b enthusiasts. 4wd tyres are expensive and if you don't want to be discarding them un-necessarily then you must go to the people who make tyre repair equipment and the ones who use it. You can never be 100% sure you are getting the right information any other way.

Brian

I've had several plugs in my tyres both sidewall and tread areas for several years now with no worries.
One did start to leak again after about 12 months but another plug in the same hole sorted that out.
I have found that the plugs sold with the cheap tools do seem to dry out and are not very sticky after a year or so.
The good quality ones that come with the Safety Seal/ARB kit don't seem to dry out and neither do the Rema ones.
I always dip them in the vulcanising fluid before insertion anyway and never use the lube in the kit as it stops the plug sticking and sealing the hole.