Tire Patch Question

[ebod]

My wife ran over a nail in our 2004 LC. The good news is that the nail was right in the middle of the tread (not at or near side-wall). The bad news is that the nail went in at a sharp angle such that a regular old tire plug wouldn't work.

My mechanic first tried the tire plug. After the plug didn't work, he took the tire off the wheel and patched it from the inside. He 1) cleaned/ruffed up the area around the hole, 2) put some rubber cement looking stuff on it, 3) lit it on fire, 4) put on a patch and then 5) used a pizza-cutter looking thing (but dull) to ensure the patch made contact and rub out any bubbles). Unfortunately, when he re-mounted the tire, it still had a slow leak in it. Thus, he had to do the whole internal patch process again (he re-did steps 1-5). This time, it worked.

My mechanic assures me that the patch is safe. I'll keep an eye on the tire over the next couple of days to ensure that it's not losing air. Assuming it holds air, is the tire safe?

Note that our LC is used for on road street and highway use only (in Southern California, no snow).

Thanks!

 

[SWUtah]

Should be fine.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I was told you should never run a plug as a permanente fix for a flat. They work great for a temporary fix but you should always get an internal patch done as soon as possiable.

 

[UltraFJ40]

Why not move it to being a spare?

That makes the most sense to me.

 

[SWUtah]

Why not move it to being a spare?

That makes the most sense to me.

Damn I wish I would of thought of that

 

[hoser]

These are the best patch/plugs I've come across. It is installed from the inside of the tire.

 

[100 TD]

A tough subject, different laws in different states or countries!

In OZ IIRC, 18 years ago you used to be able to plug a tire from the outside with some glue and a cord/wick type plug. These went out and then a similar style of plug as Hoser's came in and had to be put in from the inside of the tyre. These went out and then you had to buff the tyre up on the inside and glue a patch on from the inside. Then a similar/modified Hosers style came in again I think and are around now. However there are lots of the cord type plugs being sold at all the shops, Kmart included, that poke a gluggy cord in from the outside. I am unsure if they are "legal" or allowed for temporary use(we all know that once they are in they stay in permanently).
The problem I believe is that the glue bond between the cord and the tyre flex st different rates and eventually fail. I have purchased a kit from ARB which comes from USA, and they state it is a permanent repair as the compound on the cord self vulcanizes to the tyre. It does not use glue. The product is "Safety Seal". I don't know if its leagl either but it works and the blurb on it sounds good(not that that ever means the product is good)

"Self Vulcanization
The first 100% self-vulcanizing rubber-fibre repair material
Non-Wicking
Wicking or drying out of a rubberized repair cord is caused by movement of the rubber sealant away from its retaining fibre. This happens when the sealant is non-vulcanized and will flow out under heat and pressure, leaving bare strings which leaks. This type of repair cord is classified as a tempory repair
SAFETY SEAL is a PERMANENT REPAIR since the sealant is vulcanizeable and will not flow under heat or pressure"

Make your own mind up about it.

http://www.safetyseal.com/store/offroad.htm

 

[SINCITY100]

SafetySeal is an excellent patch alternative, their plugs really do become "part of the tire" through vulcanization. Supposedly it is a "legal" repair (even on sidewalls) its so good in fact, that the CHP uses them on their fleet of vehicles.

I carry the full SafetySeal repair kit in my rig and although I have never needed to use it myself, It has been broken into several times for friends....Oh, and trust me... You can easily plug a BIG friggin` gaping hole in a tire with a just a handfull of plugs

 

[EdsCruisin]

Thinking waaaaaay back to the advent of radial tires as OEMs in the 70's, I recall that the internal patch was not as effective as the vulcanizing plug because of tire flex and steel strands poking through the patch. Too much movement in the softer sidewall radial tires to keep the patch attached. Plugs were the only way to go. On the other hand the patch technology has improved considerably too, so I would not be surprised if it works fine. I know my tire shop uses plugs for small holes and I have had no problems.

 

[1loudLX]

when i got my truck it had a nail in the right rear tire, that leaked ever so slowly. Anyways, plugged it with safety seal and it was fine till my tires wore down to nothingness.

At the local garage that was next to my house (just moved last week) all they ever repaired a hole with was the safety seal. If it couldnt be fixed with SS, then its time for a new tire.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I carry the monkey grip repair kit, from their add:
"Permanent repair for all steel belted radial and bias-ply tires. Self vulcanizing. Cannot be cut by steel belts."

I had never considered the steel belts cutting a plug in half, sound pluasable though.

 

[ycookmd]

Why not move it to being a spare?

That makes the most sense to me.

I think this is a bad idea. If you leave the tire on the truck, you'll know whether it's holding up or not. If you put it under the truck, it might continue to leak air and you could end up with a flat spare at a very inconvenient moment. Your spare doesn't have to be new tread, but it should be reliable -- most people don't check it regularly. Just my $.02.

 

[SWUtah]

I think this is a bad idea. If you leave the tire on the truck, you'll know whether it's holding up or not. If you put it under the truck, it might continue to leak air and you could end up with a flat spare at a very inconvenient moment. Your spare doesn't have to be new tread, but it should be reliable -- most people don't check it regularly. Just my $.02.

He should know by now if it is leaking air.

 

[psweber]

Don't know if any one will read this and was not sure where to put it but some of us live in places where getting good tyres is a 1yr process and a lot of $ so keeping them running is a big deal. When I ordered my rims and BFGs I also ordered a set of Orange Tire monitors. They have saved my bacon (translated BFGs) several times already.
I recently got a slice in my side wall near the tread and patched it a few times with plugs and finally took the time to do a proper fix so I documented with the photos posted below. If this helps someone - cool.

If you have sensors in the tyres be careful... here are mine


Then prep the spot inside the tyre using a patch grater or similar tool... I had one of these handy


This is always sounds contradictory but rough it up... making a smooth area larger than than the patch.

Spread the vulcanizing glue over the area and let dry till no longer tacky... if in question wait some more... go for a coffee... not a beer that takes too long

Peel the backing off the bottom of the patch and don't forget to do a good job you need a stitcher... a wheel to roll across the patch causing it to adhere. Here in Africa you sometime have to improvise.

Make sure you have the right position as you cannot take it back off Then roll the stitcher across the patch working out the edges especially. From the centre in all directions to prevent peeling.

Now reassemble your tyre and pump it up with your handy dandy on-board compressor

If done well this should last the life of your tyre... or until the next piece of stray scrap metal
http://www.flickr.com/photos/weebear/9042625902/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/weebear/9042628784/

 

[gaijin]

^^Thanks. psweber - nicely done!

 

[marshotel]

Nice write-up from Africa!

Tire patches seem dodgy, but if done correctly, they do indeed last the life of the tire.

I never had a patch fail after being made air tight.
In my experience, the gluggy cord and the "self-vulcanizing rubber" patches both work fine.

 

[super90]

These are the best patch/plugs I've come across. It is installed from the inside of the tire.

These is the style I have had installed on the repairs needed. Never a problem thereafter with this patch. I have them re-balance the tire after the repair every time.

 

[rvrats2]

I just read this thread a couple days ago looking for help fixing a big hole that I posted in the tire and wheel tech section. I wonder if that will work for a hole like this.....

 

[SmoothLC]

Not a tire repair expert, but give it a try?

 

[stonepa]

Ouch. What is that, a railroad spike? You should be able to fix that, although maybe not the first try.