Fixing Minor Tire Leaks

[Jungoes]

So I have been losing about 10 psi a week in my front tire (Dunlop Radial rover XT), so I did some really close inspection and found the spot, So rather than take it to the tire shop I decided to try out the repair kit I keep in my tool box with my truck, just in case I have to actually use it one day, and after reading about the incident with someone getting sabotaged with screws recently. so here are the shots. Self explanatory really

1. Find hole
2. Remove object
3. Ream hole
4. Thread gum strip and insert 2/3 deep turn 180 degrees
5. Pull handle out straight out without turning
6. Trim excess and top up pressure.

I did a water leak test after and didn't see any bubbles so I'll keep monitoring it.

 

[t4r4life]

dude my wheeling spare has like 10 plugs in it lol

 

[Jungoes]

10 repairs! :jaw drop:
yikes!
guess they do come in handy on the trail, have you tried those internal tire liners ( slime) products? I was thinking about trying that but i decided to give this method a shot.

 

[t4r4life]

the green slime sucks, it ruins the tire useless, its more like a emergymcy fix if you dont know how to use the plug.

 

[Stick Figure]

If you do ever need to use the tire slime or fix a flat cans, warn the tire shop when you drop it off to have the tire actually fixed after you figure out they didn't actually fix the problem. That stuff makes a hell of a mess when you try and pull the tire.

Plugs are what I always use as well because I can do it quick and easy, and often with out even pulling the tire off. Just be aware that reaming out the hole for the plug does often break at least a portion of a belt in the tire. Not a huge deal usually, but an inside patch is better for tire integrity, and of course a new tire is the best option if your vehicle need demands it.

 

[fish0281]

If you do ever need to use the tire slime or fix a flat cans, warn the tire shop when you drop it off to have the tire actually fixed after you figure out they didn't actually fix the problem. That stuff makes a hell of a mess when you try and pull the tire.

Plugs are what I always use as well because I can do it quick and easy, and often with out even pulling the tire off. Just be aware that reaming out the hole for the plug does often break at least a portion of a belt in the tire. Not a huge deal usually, but an inside patch is better for tire integrity, and of course a new tire is the best option if your vehicle need demands it.

From my experience working in a tire shop (~10 years ago), they still ream the hole out so the internal plug has a relatively clean hole to go through... same concept as the OP's fix-a-flat plug, but the internal ones have a large 'head' to them that act as a patch (part of the plug, glued to the inside of the tire).

 

[junr]

I always found it easier to plug the tires when they had the correct amount of air pressure in them. If possible, fill the tire with air prior to plugging. I know this isn't always feasible, but made a world of difference when I used to plug them at the shop.

marc

 

[Jungoes]

I always found it easier to plug the tires when they had the correct amount of air pressure in them. If possible, fill the tire with air prior to plugging. I know this isn't always feasible, but made a world of difference when I used to plug them at the shop.

marc

That makes alot of sense, I did this with the tire on the vehicle, and with a pressure of 28psi, pressure loss while reaming and inserting the plug was about 2-3 psi. I'll keep that in mind next time.

 

[R.A.]

Those repair kits are designed for temporary use only. You should of taken the tire to a tire shop and have it fixed properly. Hell, Discount Tires repairs tires for free (and does it properly, too).

NHTSA requires a one piece plug-patch to properly repair a tire (from the inside).

Had a bad experience with one of those. Made the company who "repaired" my tire with one of those buy me a new tire and also a new wheel when it failed.

 

[Jungoes]

Thanks for the heads up, I'll take it to a shop this weekend, Its been working fine so far, I just wanted to try one of these kits to see how difficult it was

 

[Duhockey]

Just to reiterate a point earlier in this thread... I have friends that work at Discount tire, for every person working in a tire shop:

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not use that slime crap in your tires...

lol

it barely even works and causes more problems than it fixes.

:lasercannon:

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