Puncture Repair

The kit from arb is good . I have one and so far have used it once to fix a hole that a long screw made . Didnt even take the wheel off the car . Absolutely invaluable .

Alastair,

I have had to use them on trips but, and this a big BUT, they are only a temporary repair.

The way to use them is on the kit ,but first locate the hole in the tyre. Spray water over the tyre, listen or even fine dust will show where the tyre has been punctured.

I have moved the vehicle forward so that the hole is in a position that the plug can be inserted with out having to lift the vehicle.

The glue that went on is more of a lubricant and by the time the air is pumped back into the tyre and the repair kit packed away the plug is ready to go.

More than one plug can be inserted but there is a limit. Any more that 4 plugs and the tyre should be changed in favour of the spare tyre.

Side wall damage should not be plugged because of the flexing of the tyre, This is a temporary fix to get you to the next tyre repair shop. the tyre should then be removed from the vehicle, inspected and repaired.

Wayne

Alastair

What Wayne has said is correct and to the point.

I have suffered multiple sidewall punctures the past 18 months(due to some extreme trekking) and one can only really make a temporary repair. You do not need to remove a tubeless tyre to effect a plug repair. Just pump it up to around 30psi, find the leak and then plug it. Jacking the vehicle up would help. You should always have the tyre seen to by a tyre shop when you get near civilisation. They can put a patch on the inside of a tyre or even 'weld' sidewalls so that the tyre is safe again.

I have now reverted to running tubed tyres again on split rims whilst out in the scrub and only use the tubeless for around town and bitumen drives.

Cheers

Hi Alastair,
I must concur with what everyone has said on this but I have used plugs on sidewalls that have gone on to last another 20,000km with NO glue. In my haste to get it in before the tyre deflated, I just stuffed one in and left it there until the tyre wore out. They are absolutely brilliant, but I do normally remove the tyre and fit a patch on the inside as well when time permits. We use to be able to get those mushroom plugs that went in from the inside and were complete with a patch, but I haven’t seen them around for a while.

Alastair,
I've used plug repairs as my method of choice for the past 7 years, and I'd guess I've done over 50 plug insertions. I've learnt off a couple of people who have done more.

They are a temporary repair IMO, but some quality brand plugs, such as Tech are supposed to be a permanent repair, if no other damage is done to the tyre.

Re technique - first thing is to put air back in the tyre to identify the leak - a spray bottle with a few drops of dishwashing detergent is the best way if its not obvious - the detergent means the leak will bubble. Then drive the vehicle until the tyre is in the best position to insert the plug. Keep the pump going.

I always use "glue" type plugs - those "lubricant" type ones seem to leak sometimes. And the good quality Tech brand plugs are the best I've used - they come individually wrapped - and the Tech glue is good. The ARB tools are nice - solid metal handles - I've heard of plastic handles breaking.

Slip glue into the hole with the glue tool; then load up the plug and put plenty of glue on the plug. Insert it slowly until 1-2cm of the doubled up plug is hanging out. Remove tool, and use the spray bottle to check the leak is sealed. If not, load up another plug (or two) if needed. I'd guess that 90+% of the time, the leak is fixed with a single plug. We usually have the pump on the whole time, and the repair usually takes not much longer than it takes to pump up a tyre.

When you're travelling in a group of many vehicles, in rough country, its the best way to go IMO. It is a time saver, and is no sweat. So my opinion is the opposite of Willem's. When I go away with people with split rims, we often have to repair tyres because of split tube seams - and a flat tubed tyre means a tyre change and an hour repair job at beer o'clock.

And when you get back to civilisation, get a tyre place to do a permanent repair, and inspect the tyre. The dealers these days are very reuctant to repair a tyre with a sidewall hole.

Cheers
Phil

I have a Tyre Plyers kit, and its gr8, but I do like all the comments, and will be looking at the Teck type plugs.

Thanks to Alistair, and Willem I have picked up a few more tricks. ( handy for my mext desert trek )

Did a 2 minute plug repair for a mate up the road, about 6 months back, and she run around town for the nest 6-8 weeks in it.
Never even looked like going flat, even after my warning to get it to the Tyre place ASAP, as they really are a temporary measure.

Cheers Bucky

Thanks everyone for the comments and experiences. I have one of the ARB kits and will start using it 'on vehicle' next time I have a puncture - hope it is a long time but I bet having raised this topic it won't be long.

I have followed Willem's tyre saga over the last months and have some sympathies. My most extensive travels were during the 70's with a Series 3 LWB Landrover which usually weighed in around 3.5 tons when all the gear and tanks were full. It ran standard rims and I used tubed Dunlop RTMs (cross ply) in the heaviest ply rating I could get. I did about 120,000 and can remember only a few punctures. This was mostly in the real bush - I worked in the Kimberley for almost 2 years at one stage.

My next vehicle was a Nissan G60 on which I fitted wide rims and several different off-road radials including some Dick Cepec (?). Great handling on and off road but the puncture rate was much higher and the joy of seeing a near new tyre with a terminal side wall cut was something I experienced a number of times.

I retire in 8 weeks and the travels into the real bush will resume but I fear that I will find it very different now and rare to be days without seeing another vehicle or person. Most of my trips in the last 20 years have been more what I would call rural rather than remote. Plan to fix that shortly.

cheers
alastair