Is This Bad? ?

[Delirious]

I have no problem with a trailside plug fix.

But Discount Tire will do a proper patch from the inside for free regardless of where you purchased the tire. I'll spend 30 minutes for a proper fix.

and I thought they were doing me a favor when they gave me a free patch. That’s why they have my loyalty when I need tires. Good thing they don’t cut corners like Ford. They’d be patching it with chewing gum. Unless you bought the 607A technology package.

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[KJRR]

You also used a rotary phone 40 years ago. ? Technology advances and sometimes improvements come with it. ?

What improvements? if the tire holds air after plugging it and lasts until it wears out, there is no room for improvement. Been using them for 40 years and the only issue was maybe a slow leak. Stick another plug in it and done. My $.25. Inflation you know.

 

[Delirious]

Work SMARTER not HARDER ?

if the older guys had told me that when I was a pup, I wouldn’t have arthritis in my hands and knees and hips and back along with herniated discs TheyI could’ve taught me about hearing protection too. It’s amazing I’m not blind because I protection was not enforced.
I was back in the day when they used to have salt tablets at the water keg because we were tall we sweat it out all the salt.

 

[Eskram]

What improvements? if the tire holds air after plugging it and lasts until it wears out, there is no room for improvement. Been using them for 40 years and the only issue was maybe a slow leak. Stick another plug in it and done. My $.25. Inflation you know.

? My main concern is tire integrity. A puncture is physical damage to the structure of the tire. Neither type of repair is 100% as good as an undamaged tire. A plug does fill the hole, but may leak over time, fall out, or possibly allow moisture to penetrate into the steel core, leading to delamination. Patches at least cover the inside of the tire as well and still fill the hole as a plug would. It also allows for deeper inspection of the damage that caused the problem.

Tires are the only link between me and the ground. I do not cheap out there. A plug to get me home, followed by either a patch, or a new tire if not patchable or iffy (near sidewall, minimal tread depth, etc.) .

 

[9zero1790]

anyone else surprised that the tpms could actually display a reading so low? i figured after about 10 psi it would sorta give up and blink a dash light or something.

 

[Rebel Ranger]

Rub some dirt on it........walk it off.

Don't you mean.....Roll it off?

 

[JJG]

Its only flat on the bottom…

 

[RANGER_MARC]

?

Hard to blame the Hankooks for this one....

 

[paval3]

Maybe a dumb question (forgive me for asking here, don't have my manual with me right now)... I can find the tire pressure reading on my FordPass app on my phone, but have never found it on the dash gauges. Is that a feature on the 2021 XLT too? How do I get to it?

EDITED with update: Found it!

 

[wetidlerjr]

There's a reason tire shops do not use those kind of plugs anymore.. Spend 20 or 30 bucks and have them put on an inside patch.

Tire Repair Basics

Wondering if that quick "plug" tire repair is still safe to drive on? Here's how the tire industry's professional group, the Rubber Manufacturer's Association (RMA), says to repair a flat tire:
Remove the tire from the wheel.
Inspect the tire inside and outside. The tire may be repaired when the puncture:
Is 1/4 inch or smaller
Is located on the tread
Repair the tread with a plug, and repair the lining with a patch.
Repairs cannot overlap.
Never repair a large hole or one that's in the sidewall. It isn't safe and could lead to a dangerous blowout.
A plug by itself, or a patch by itself, is not acceptable. But a safer tire repair, done to the RMA standards, can give you thousands of miles more use from your tire.

 

[Peragrin]

i have the SKIL version of that inflator it's the best thing since sliced bread

I have a pancake compressor for my framing nailer, etc. I built a small wheeled cart, and mounted a 50' hose on to it. I can top up 8 tires in about 5 minutes and thats including doing all the walking around.

Well that reply suits me just fine except you cannot verify the thousands of us who have used these types of plugs for over 40 years and had very little issues.
It could be a tire repair gimmick to charge you more for having to take the tire off to put an inside patch on. Who knows, unless anybody here is works/worked for a tire shop and can honestly say that's what they were trained to do.

I know an electrical contractor whose fleet was kept running and patches like that was applied at least yearly. (not to the same tire but he had 20+ trucks)

as for why tire companies wont is their own insurance. if a patch fails for you you have to pay. if their patch prematurely fails for whatever reason it is their fault. if a patch fails at highway speeds then it is expensive. it only takes 1-2 for insurance companies to stop such practices.

 

[puckdodger]

Tires...Tires...don't need no stinkin tires !
This guy didn't need no stinkin tires...man up and drive on the rims...

I gotta wonder how much meth the driver had for lunch? I can almost picture him in there, with the tunes cranked, bouncing around cab, tweaking all the dials and buttons, steering with his elbows while trying to light the pipe one more time to get any leftovers...

 

[Grumpaw]

I gotta wonder how much meth the driver had for lunch? I can almost picture him in there, with the tunes cranked, bouncing around cab, tweaking all the dials and buttons, steering with his elbows while trying to light the pipe one more time to get any leftovers...

I think he was just tryin to save money....it's cheaper to buy a steel rim than it is to buy a quality tire.....

 

[rydfree]

What improvements? if the tire holds air after plugging it and lasts until it wears out, there is no room for improvement. Been using them for 40 years and the only issue was maybe a slow leak. Stick another plug in it and done. My $.25. Inflation you know.

I've always put a plug kit in all our vehicles trunks for emergency use . While out of state the wife's Mercedes had a puncture in the rear tire in about the same spot as the OP here and the tire shop said they could not fix it that close to the sidewall . They wanted $340 for a new tire so I plugged it right there and put air in it with the 12v compressor that Mercedes puts in the trunk . 40k miles later and she about needs new tires now so it held up fine . I have a plug in my old '91 ranger that is 2 years old and will last until I put new tires on later next year .

 

[Grumpaw]

I've always put a plug kit in all our vehicles trunks for emergency use . While out of state the wife's Mercedes had a puncture in the rear tire in about the same spot as the OP here and the tire shop said they could not fix it that close to the sidewall . They wanted $340 for a new tire so I plugged it right there and put air in it with the 12v compressor that Mercedes puts in the trunk . 40k miles later and she about needs new tires now so it held up fine . I have a plug in my old '91 ranger that is 2 years old and will last until I put new tires on later next year .

Same here...plug kit and compressor in all (now two) my vehicles.
In 2015 I replaced the tires on our Subi Crosstrek, Continentals, which I was not happy with, at around 12,000 miles. Got a set of Michelin LTX. Several weeks later picked up a nail which led to a flat. Plugged it with a decent plug kit. Drove that Subi another 40,000 miles, and towed it behind our motor home for almost another 40,000 miles, including the Alcan thru Canada and up into Alaska. That tire never lost pressure, and was still in good condition when we sold it a few months ago.
I have used plugs, and before those, patches on tubes that were the norm back in the 60's, and if done right will last the life of the tire.
To you naysayers, it's a personal choice as to whether to plug or not. If you don't want too, that's fine, and your decision, and I don't fault you for your choice. But please don't criticize or play "Dr. Doom" if I choose too.

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