2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Load Range E and a Tire Plug

[RMcKinney]

I have a 1995 2500 pretty much stock that has Firestone Transformer LT265/75R16 Load Range E-Steel Belted.

I had a Passenger side front tire that was flat due to a #10 Wood Screw in the middle of the Tread.

Vice Grips to remove then Plug.

Pertty hard to get the Barbed cleaner in and out but everything worked like it was suppose to.

Is plugging a Steel Belted ok?

Should I move this tire to the rear?

These tires have about 90 % life left and have been a Good set of tires.

This has been a Great truck.

RMcKinney

 

[Cosmo]

Honestly, I'd take it in and get the plug yanked out and have a proper repair done. I've seen tires with plugs that still leak - if it's not completely sealed, water can get in and cause the steel to rust.

If you haul heavy at all, I'd consider moving it to the spare position and buying a new tire.

 

[Missouri Mule]

I would have it patched.

 

[RBeard]

Do whatever you feel is right,I have many miles(100K) on many plugs on my Michelins with no problems or worries.

 

[Road Dog]

For the $20 it costs I would get it patched.

 

[Bob4x4]

The issue with an externally installed plug that is important is air intrusion between the layers. If there should be any air between layers it will expand and cause separation. This will cause a blowout.

That is the reason tire mfg's will not warranty a tire with any repair with-in 90 degrees of a repair.

 

[mwilson]

My opinion... for what it's worth:-laf



Take it in to a tire shop, tell them you want a patch/plug repair done.

That will seal the wound if done properly and restore the life of the tire.



Move it to a rear position and carry on.



Not a fan of any repairs being on a steer tire running at highway speeds. maybe it is a carry over from my trucking days, but I won't do it on any vehicle.



Mike.



This is what you want. .

 

[MChrist]

If you search the forum, there was a lengthy discussion about plugs. I was one of the people who have plugged tires at work for over 20 years with 100% success. Probably 100% success because I take my time to do things right, since there is a little more to it than just stabbing a plug in and hoping for the best, (although not MUCH). I've even plugged a new steer tire on a 50,000 lb truck with 11/24. 5 tires. Completely forgot about it for 2 years until during a walk around, I noticed a fuzzy thing on top of the tire. I went to pluck it off to find it was imbedded into the tire. It was the plug from 2 years prior!



However, for sake of liability, I would probably recommend to a novice that he/she plugs the tire to get it to a tire shop and have them patch it internally. I would also ask the tire shop if they can seal the tread from the outside, using rubber cement or whatever they recommend to keep water/salt/dirt out of the steel belts so you don't have a corrosion problem later.



Mwilson is showing you an internal plug that I've never used, but I feel is better than just a patch, since it seems to address the problem of filling the gap left by the screw.



If money and time were not a factor, I may be tempted to have all our leaks internally patched from a tire shop. But since I'm paying our guys to drive to a shop, wait for the repair, rescheduling customers... each patch can cost me between (roughly)$100-$200 in time. Aside from that, customers who are staying home from work to meet us at their house, don't want to hear excuses, so we still "plug and go". Takes about 2 minutes, and we are back on the road!

Do as you wish. Hopefully my info helps.

 

[Bob4x4]

Here is a link to a good read on tire repair Tire Tech Information - Flat Tire Repairs

 

[RustyJC]

Be glad it's not on a motorcycle!! #@$%! I picked up a screw in the rear tire of my BMW - a brand new set of Dunlop Roadsmarts with less than 200 miles on them. Luckily, I carry a plug kit and 12V air compressor, so I was back on the road in a few minutes. However, when trying to get the tire patched internally, I found that no one will patch a motorcycle tire any more because of "liability reasons". #@$%!



So, I'm still running with a plug.



Rusty

 

[MChrist]

Bob4X4, thanks for the link. All the times I've been to tire rack, I've never seen that one! I still think it may be a CYA scenario, but I understand. But thanks to this link, I will further investigate those mushroom shaped plugs.

I think the difference between a successful patch and an unsuccessful one is the use of the rubber cement, like the instructions say. I'm the only person I've ever seen actually use it, the few times I've seen others use the plug, they just stab it in and hope it works.
I wonder if the rubber mushroom plug uses rubber cement, also. I'll research. Thanks!

 

[HHhuntitall]

My opinion... for what it's worth:-laf



Take it in to a tire shop, tell them you want a patch/plug repair done.

That will seal the wound if done properly and restore the life of the tire.



Move it to a rear position and carry on.



Not a fan of any repairs being on a steer tire running at highway speeds. maybe it is a carry over from my trucking days, but I won't do it on any vehicle.



Mike.



This is what you want. .

Those are Pilot Wire Patch Plugs, and they are designed to be used with rubber cement. They are the best there are for patching heavy duty tires, and expensive to use. I can see how they would be practical in Northern states with chemical and salts being used on the roads. Pilot Wire Patch Plug, 1/4'



Here in the South, we use chemical bonding(rubber cement) rubber patches, typically. I don't fear a patched tire for a steer tire, myself, unless it's a large punture, or visibly has damaged steel cord. In which case, I suggest it be taken out of service. Bullseye 10 Radial Repair Unit (2-3/8' X 3')



I'll experiment on trailer tires, patching various holes in all kinds of places. One, the tires are gonna get blown out off-road, anyway, and two, when they do go, I'm not the one changing them, typically... We run offroad so much, we get lots of flats, and often they blow out running less than 20mph. I've learned a lot about tires and how they can and can't be patched. A good, tacky, plug will work for a long time, if it stays where it's supposed to be. It can also start leaking when the compound dries out or it moves.

 

[mwilson]

We got turned on to the plug/patch idea when The State Of Maine outlawed plugs a few years back.



The state has since backed off on the plugs a little, but we got in the habit of using the plug/patch system and really like them.



Here after breaking the tire down we buff the tire liner around the damaged area to rough it up a bit, ream the puncture, apply rubber cement to the tire liner, puncture, plug shaft, patch surface and then pull the plug/patch through (from the inside out).

Makes a nice, sturdy, sealed repair.



Mike.

 

[MChrist]

Mwilson, if you had to pick which plug system to use if you were NOT removing tire from rim, what would it be? I can see the benefit of the rubber mushroom, but then I can also see the rubber getting cut by the steel belts. The "rope" strips that are impregnated with rubber and coated with rubber cement seem to be tougher. What say you?

 

[mwilson]

Mwilson, if you had to pick which plug system to use if you were NOT removing tire from rim, what would it be? I can see the benefit of the rubber mushroom, but then I can also see the rubber getting cut by the steel belts. The "rope" strips that are impregnated with rubber and coated with rubber cement seem to be tougher. What say you?

Feeling that I needed more input on this question I chased down the Tire Department Manager for Q & A.

After he realized that I wasn't chasing him regarding something his crew did wrong he stopped so that I could talk to him...



His response was to use the black, sticky rope plugs if you absolutely need to plug a tire. We do not have plugs in the tire dept. at all.

He won't use them in the shop but please understand that we have to stand behind any repairs.

That is totally different than your situation.



I have truck tire plug kits in the lobby for sale, those are a BlackJack product.

I opened one up and those contain the black, sticky rope plugs.

I have sold 2 dozen of these kits at least and have not had any complaints regarding the plugs holding. I have had a couple of the reamer handles loosen up but again, no issues with the plugs staying in the tire.



I too fear the mushroom plugs are going to be torn up pretty badly after driving them in past all of that nasty, sharp steel.



Mike.

 

[MChrist]

Thanks, Mike. I guess I'll keep "pluggin' along". Also, I'm not very aggressive on the reaming part. . I never want to damage the steel belts. I've seen people use 3/16" drills and hog them out... doesn't sound very appealing to me.

I appreciate your follow-through! Thanks.

 

[fest3er]

In my limited experience fixing holes in tires (haven't had that problem in many years), a plug, when applied right, will hold for many years; sometimes, a double-plug was needed. A plug-n-patch is usually the better solution because it seals the inner liner, reducing the possibility that air can work in between the casing and tread (remember that tread is, in effect, 'glued' onto the casing) and fills the hole; but a plug-n-patch requires removing the tire from the wheel, something most people can't do 'in the field'. A plain patch is insufficient because it only seals the hole in the liner and doesn't address the hole through the rest of the tire. (I think someone once explained that the plug part prevents the tire around the hole from tearing up the patch. )

As to reaming vs. drilling, I would think the reason to ream is to rough up the walls of the hole to afford a better seal. I think a drill would tend to make the walls too smooth.

 

[Cosmo]

Mwilson, if you had to pick which plug system to use if you were NOT removing tire from rim, what would it be? I can see the benefit of the rubber mushroom, but then I can also see the rubber getting cut by the steel belts. The "rope" strips that are impregnated with rubber and coated with rubber cement seem to be tougher. What say you?

The reaming should trim back the belts protruding into the hole, so as to not tear up the repair too much.



It's also not really "rubber" cement, but rather vulcanizing cement that melts the rubber together.

 

[MChrist]

I was always afraid af shredding a steel belt by reaming it, causing long term damage. Maybe it's not an issue?

 

[HHhuntitall]

It's a major issue. If you break one of the steel cords, you increase your chance of seperation greatly. Typically, a puncture only seperates the steel cords, going between them. If you drill it with a power tool, you run the risk of actually cutting the cords. Reaming with a hand tool is not near as damaging. You might do a little damage to the cables, but they won't seperate any time soon, if it's a quality tire, which is hard to find these days. On a bias ply tire, reaming is not a good idea if it can be avoided. The nylon cords can easily be cut. I personally, don't like plugs, and prefer patches and boots, similar to show above, but then, I also have to stand behind my work, as MWilson said. Doing it almost every day, I can dismount, patch, and remount a tire just as fast as most people can install a plug. But I'm set up to do it, too. Also, from experience, I'd say the rubber cement, (only named such, as it's truly a vulcanizing, chemically bonding cement, much like PVC glue on pipe) has a lot to do with a tire staying together. Whenever that steel cord is loosened from the rubber, it leaves room for it move in the rubber, allowing dirt, water, air to get in there and work when the tire is flexing from it's radial movement. The bonding from the rubber cement causes it to rebond, essentially sealing it off. The wire guided boot patch I showed above are for large punctures, and when using the rubber cement, they glide easily into place, as the cement softens the surrounding rubber until it hardens, acting as a lube, essentially. Then the patch is bonded to the surrounding hole, and there are no gaps anywhere, even if the cement fails. The patch wears down as the tire does, and no dirt or moisture can get in. The patches compound is actually pretty soft. And, as a "specially trained tire professional" we always grind on the area to be patched, to remove any uneven places, and then use a specific rubber cleaning chemical to help remove any mold release agents that may be in the tire, which would keep the cement from bonding with the rubber. And, as labeled, NO SMOKING while patching tires!!! That stuff'll light from 3 ft away!!!! :-laf