Thread: Tyre repair kit

I have had good long term success with the home repair kits. Just be aware they may fail again. The industrial tyre shope ones are slightly better.

Originally Posted by drivesafe

It looks like I have a nail in a tyre, I have yet to look but a continuos leak would seem to indicate something along this line.

My question is, if I remove the nail and use one of these tyre repair kits to fix the hole, is this a permanent repair or do I still have to get the tyre fix.

If the kit will do the job, I’ll do it at home ( about 15 minutes to do ) but if it is only a temporary fix, I’m not going to both and just take it somewhere and get it fixed ( with travelling time, about 2 hours to do ).

Cheers

I think you could fix it with one of those.. but I think the best way is to actually do it with a patch inside the tyre. Done this way that should be the end of it. Maybe you can fit the spare and get this done next time you're in town?

I have had long term success with plugs both in motorcycle tyres and car tyres. My last motorcycle rear had 3 plugs from the nails kicked into the centre of the lane by cars. I checked the plugs when the tyre was removed and they all were in the installed position with no movement.
I like the red rope ones over the black rope , and last of all the rubber "figure 8 shaped ones"
The secret is to use LOTS of glue.
It is illegal for a tyre shop to use plugs, however whenever I go to my local one he says just leave it if its not leaking.
By the way they should only be used long term in the tread area and if the hole is at right angles and the hole small and regular eg plaster fixing screw, nail..
Regards Philip A

I was told the plugs are only supposed to be used as a temporary repair here in Oz. I guess it is an insurance issue. However I have had left them in for some time without a problem. I use the Safety Seal kit ( around $100 for 30 or so plugs and good quality tools ) and it seems to work. It has self vulcanising plugs so no glue is needed.

Qld. Dept of Transport brochures say you must only repair tubeless tyres with plugs that are inserted from the inside, have mushroom heads and are vulcanised in place. Repairs may be made only in the tread area not the shoulder or sidewall. I know this is tough when you have paid a good bit of money for a tyre that still has a lot of tread on it. I have had arguments with a couple of my local tyre service people who have refused to repair or put a tube in a flat tubeless tyre because " it has uneven wear and it is illegal to use that tyre". The tyres concerned did still have legal tread depth, that is, not yet down to the wear indicators. They did , however, on both occasions, sell me a tube, which I took home and installed. I gather, from speaking with an insurance assessor, that some (many, all) insurers could declare the vehicle to be unfit for use and deny claims if "illegal' tyres were found when assessing after an accident. I have a pretty low opinion of insurers and suspect they will fix on any reason to deny a claim. So be careful with your tyres, repairs, sizes, rim widths & offsets, tread wear, or you may be left holding the baby and the bills, not to mention a possible court action from the owner/insurer of any other vehicle involved in an incident on the basis of unroadworthiness, or unfitness for use.

Yep my understanding is they are only a temporary fix but last time I used them on the car they lasted for 30,000km when I had to replace the tyres dou to no tread left. The only puncture I got in the Fender was fixed for $25 at the tyre shop.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

Qld. Dept of Transport brochures say you must only repair tubeless tyres with plugs that are inserted from the inside, have mushroom heads and are vulcanised in place. Repairs may be made only in the tread area not the shoulder or sidewall. I know this is tough when you have paid a good bit of money for a tyre that still has a lot of tread on it. I have had arguments with a couple of my local tyre service people who have refused to repair or put a tube in a flat tubeless tyre because " it has uneven wear and it is illegal to use that tyre". The tyres concerned did still have legal tread depth, that is, not yet down to the wear indicators. They did , however, on both occasions, sell me a tube, which I took home and installed. I gather, from speaking with an insurance assessor, that some (many, all) insurers could declare the vehicle to be unfit for use and deny claims if "illegal' tyres were found when assessing after an accident. I have a pretty low opinion of insurers and suspect they will fix on any reason to deny a claim. So be careful with your tyres, repairs, sizes, rim widths & offsets, tread wear, or you may be left holding the baby and the bills, not to mention a possible court action from the owner/insurer of any other vehicle involved in an incident on the basis of unroadworthiness, or unfitness for use.

Spot on on a couple of points here - worked in the tyre industry, i sold many "string / plug" repair kits, - they are intended only for emergency use - i have had a blow out on a tyre fitted with one.

The only permanent repair for a punctured tyre which is covered by "most" tyre companies is the one described in the quote above - approved by the RTA etc. the up side of this repair is that the tyre is removed from the rim and inspected prior to repair. the inner butyl rubber line of the tyre isalso sealed after the mushroom is inserted, this rendering the tyre less likely to be suseptible to seperation due to air / moisture / rust in the belts.

Mick

Originally Posted by PhilipA

I have had long term success with plugs both in motorcycle tyres and car tyres. My last motorcycle rear had 3 plugs from the nails kicked into the centre of the lane by cars. I checked the plugs when the tyre was removed and they all were in the installed position with no movement.
I like the red rope ones over the black rope , and last of all the rubber "figure 8 shaped ones"
The secret is to use LOTS of glue.
It is illegal for a tyre shop to use plugs, however whenever I go to my local one he says just leave it if its not leaking.
By the way they should only be used long term in the tread area and if the hole is at right angles and the hole small and regular eg plaster fixing screw, nail..
Regards Philip A

Motor cycle tyres.. PhilipA obviously not the same tyres as on my Bike Honda VTR1000SP1 couldn't imagine a failure at 170kmh plus...oohh that would leave a mark....My tyre get a puncture they have to be binned or loose their speed rating.