flat tire

[balchy]

I went out this morning and have a flat front tire on bx1800 with FEL. Can I put a plug in the tire?

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>Can I put a plug in the tire?</font color=blue>

Yes, assuming of course that it's a tubeless tire like mine. I have one plug in my own right front tire; got a mesquite thorn in it.

 

[Thomas]

Depending on the size of the hole.
I think it would be wise to have a tube install,for your FEL use that causes pressure on the tire..wouldn't want the plug to let ago.

I think Townline at one time had a tire fixer..maybe Steve or Chuck could help.
Bet its a little nippy down there in the valley this morning.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[balchy]

THANK YOU, BIRD!! I thought you could, but I thought I'd check with somebody that had done it before.

 

[gerard]

check out some of the previous posts about tires and the "slime" products. multi seal makes a product that will stop up to a 1/2 inch hole and another one that is compatable with liquid filled tires. Best thing I ever did - no more flats!!!!!! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[frank_f15]

yes u can plug it, unless it is a big hole or rip. i have a gt that was getting slow leaks, found that i was picking up thorns and making the tire slowly leak air, so i had tubes put in, WRONG MOVE!!!! now when i pick up a thorn the tire goes flat real quick.

 

[huckflynn]

I plugged a slow leak I had this summer. Based on recommendations here I bought some slime and some plugs and decided I'd try a plug first. It was a piece of cake to install and I haven't lost a bit of pressure in the tire since.

I'll wait until the next puncture to give the slime a try.

 

[theboman]

If the tires are loaded I'd patch the tire. Any leakage will cause the rim to start rusting, corrision (sp), etc.
NEVER plug a tire on your car, truck or whatever you drive on the highway with, it's very dangerous and tire makers tell you to never plug, and a few tire dealers in this area will not plug automobile tires. Oh, the plugs blow out and a blow on the highway is always life threating.


Bo McCarty
Bluegrass, Pick It Up!

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>NEVER plug a tire on your car</font color=blue>

Bo, this is a topic that could perhaps generate a lot of controversy./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I was doing tire repairs in my dad's service station when the first new cars with tubeless tires came on the market. Remember the old "hot patches" we used on tubes? We even had customers who bought brand new cars and brought them to us to put tubes in the tires because they didn't trust those newfangled tubeless tires. So I was still fixin' flats when the first "plugs" hit the market, and had some experience with them (black rubber that looked like mushrooms) and yes, centrifugal force at higher speeds would sling them right out of the tire. Of course, since then quite a number of different kinds of "plugs" have come on the market; some better than others. My brothers owned a tire dealership in Alaska for quite a number of years, fixed all flats with plugs unless the customer specified a patch, and said they never had a single complaint. Now being a bit lazy, I let a local tire repair shop fix most of my flats the last few years, since he only charges me $5 and I've always had him patch the inside; however, he claims the plugs he uses are better. And of course he's closed on Sundays, so I have my own plug kit, and have used it a couple of times; have one plug in the right front tire of my tractor (can't remember how long it's been there) and I have one plug in a rear tire on my pickup that's been there about 3 years.

So . . ., I'm not so sure you're right about NEVER plugging a tire on your car; however, being from the "old school", I, too, still prefer patching from the inside./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[MikePA]

I've had a radial car tire plugged and it worked fine. The tire dealer said they could not plug a sidewall, but if it's in the tread and the hole is not too big they can, and they did. They dismounted the tire and, as Bird mentioned, plugged it from the inside.

 

[Jeff396]

I got the same explanation whe I had a tire repaired about a year ago. They said plugging was no longer the "accepted" method of tire repair for the reasons in the above posts. Since they performed this service for free I figured whatever. Can't imagine they would do extra work for free if they didn't really believe this. But give it time, like all of the health issues floating around they will probably again change their mind before too long./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Jeff

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...NEVER plug a tire on your car, truck or whatever you drive...</font color=blue>

Oh, Horse bunk...........

They've used this "cold-vulcanizing" process for years.. that's basically what the latest plugs are...

You put a plug in... it stays... after it cures, I challenge the strongest of strong men to put the plug... in most cases, you'll rip the tire... if you can get that far... /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

And the average speed of your tractor will be between 2-5 mph... so in the remote one in a trillion trillion possibly of blowing... how dangerous is 8 - 12 psi.../w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Pks]

8-12 psi, hhmmm my tires are holding 30 to 40 psi. Must be because they are smaller....

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Ok Peter... I'll qualify my statement to AG's and not industrial... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Youare]

I haven't read all the posts on this thread yet but I do believe this whole no plug issue stems from liability issues and large settlement suits. After the Ford Explorer and Firestone tire fiasco I can only imaging the law suits that could be brought against the poor mechanic who tried to save a customer the price of a new tire because he pluged a tire and some how it was presumed that the plugged tire was possibly the cause of and accident.

I have run plugged tires on many occasions with no problems, the adhesives that are available today are very good. A side wall penetration on a radial tire is a little different story, they flex much more than the old bias-ply tires do. I don't know many tractors that have radial tires and they don't see near the RPM and centrifical force a highway tire would. I would rather spend the money on a plug and maybe a tube than buy a new tire.

Randy

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...stems from liability issues ...</font color=blue>

Randy,

I do believe, you hit the nail right on the head... and now that's the reason for plugs... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[fishman]

Theboman,

I've had qualified mechanics tell me that patches are no good, and I've had qualified mechanics tell me that plugs are no good. To date, I've plugged 4 tires on vehicles I've owned with no problems. Sure is handy when you are in the boondocks and all you have is a tire plug kit (about $5). Like anything else, however, following the instructions exactly seems like a good idea to me.

I certainly don't think that plugging tractor tires or the like would pose a problem.

 

[therrien]

I have used a fiber type plug in tires for many years without problems, on front or rear tires, radials or biased plies. The fiber is not cut by steel belts like rubber plugs are.
The new rule is not to plug front tires.( I have never had a problem.
You cannot plug sidewalls, but the salesman for these plugs had about 20 plugs in his sidewalls and about 30 in the tread area. He would run his tires like this until full thread was used.

Doug T B1700 TLB

 

[MDNick]

I have to agree with JMIII, I have put several plugs in my truck tires (F150 and a Ranger) with no problems at all. I had 3 plugs in the same tire on my Ranger, one went in when the tire had less than 200 miles on it, it went on to live a happy long life. They hold air fine, easy to install, and a darn sight cheaper than a new tire. There are a few exceptions. I wouldn't put one in a performance speed rated tire. And NEVER put one in a motorcycle tire. Balance is way to important, and in the unlikely event that the plug should let go, the results are much more catastrophic. In an unloaded tractor tire, I see no problem at all with a plug and wouldn't hesitate to do it myself.

Farmer kid usetabe, Farmer Wannabe

 

[theboman]

PSI has nothing to do with tire size. My ATV 4-8 psi. Those skinny bicycle tires will have 50-70 psi. It depends oh what the tire was designed to do.

Bo McCarty
Bluegrass, Pick It Up!