Puncture repair

[Kiwithl]

Toyota service pointed out to Mrs a nail in the rear tyre, not losing air. She waited til I was driving home before telling me. I started looking for a place to stop and put the spare on before taking the nailed tyre to "real" tyre shop I know to get it vulcanised and put back on car.

My idea caused arguments in the car. Yai was in the back. I obeyed instructions to stop at a ba yang shop, one of the smallest I've seen. (Easier than arguing and helped retain what sanity I have left). The ba yang shop removed the tyre and did a good job gluing a patch inside and refitted tyre. It's still holding air 3 or 4 weeks later. 

I thought when I had time I'd take it to be vulcanised (50 kms away) but that hasn't happened.

Should I bother?

{As I typed this I had an answer pop into my noggin; while it's on the back don't worry but if/when it gets swapped to front (rotated to reduce wear) get it vulcanised}.

[scubascuba3]

Don't worry about it if it's holding air ok

[KhunBENQ]

Had a puncture in the center of the thread (car).

Also "gluing" from inside (isn't it vulcanizing?).

Keeps air perfectly since months.

As soon as you have a problem at the shoulder of the tire: you lost, tire for the dump.

 

There is another primitive method sometimes used for big truck wheels.

Kind of putting/gluing a plug from outside without removing the tire.

That's NOT recommended. Best for slow ride to a proper workshop.

[Beachcomber]

48 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

There is another primitive method sometimes used for big truck wheels.

Kind of putting/gluing a plug from outside without removing the tire.

That's NOT recommended. Best for slow ride to a proper workshop.

Rubbish 

 

Perfectly good and easy way of fixing a puncture in the tread section.

 

Got three of those in a couple of my pickup tyres that have been good for many years, and still good to this day.

 

 

[Kiwithl]

Afaik vulcanising uses heat (and glue?) to more permanently and securely attach the patch to the inside of the tyre, as opposed to glue only.

Imo those plugs are only for emergency use to get slowly home or to a repair shop.

I don't doubt that they may last years. 

Or may not leading to a perhaps rapid loss of air. Not worth the risk imo.

I found one on the edge of the tread and sidewall of my 2nd hand ute. I hadn't noticed it when I bought it. No idea how long it had been there. I had been driving around up to 120 km/h. When I noticed it I took it to a private tyre shop with laser alignment etc. He couldn't fix it so bought a 2nd hand tyre on which he vulcanised 1 hole before fitting. Took 20 minutes of heat.

[DavisH]

3 hours ago, Kiwithl said:

Afaik vulcanising uses heat (and glue?) to more permanently and securely attach the patch to the inside of the tyre, as opposed to glue only.

Imo those plugs are only for emergency use to get slowly home or to a repair shop.

I don't doubt that they may last years. 

Or may not leading to a perhaps rapid loss of air. Not worth the risk imo.

I found one on the edge of the tread and sidewall of my 2nd hand ute. I hadn't noticed it when I bought it. No idea how long it had been there. I had been driving around up to 120 km/h. When I noticed it I took it to a private tyre shop with laser alignment etc. He couldn't fix it so bought a 2nd hand tyre on which he vulcanised 1 hole before fitting. Took 20 minutes of heat.

Vulcanising cement is used. 

I got a nail in my front tire last week. As I was at the dealer for a service I asked about it. They said the tires are too old and it should be replaced. Rubbish - they just want to sell tires.

Went to a tire shop the next day; they were too busy (i.e., not much money to be made in plugging a hole). 

The recommended a small tire shop 300m up the road. Went there and the guy repaired it properly (also used a vulcanising press) to repair it. 300 baht (price seemed to have gone up since i lst did it, or was it the expensive car/farage tax 55). Better than 6.5K for a new tire!

[Kiwithl]

Ah ha. Vulcanising cement and press. Ok. And the press is hot. Thanks.

I've no idea on price. Haven't done the tyre in the op. The 2nd hand ute tyre was vulcanised as a seal the deal for me to buy it...

[Orinoco]

Go to B-Quik in the future

it's free for a plug repair.

[EVENKEEL]

Had a puncture on side wall, the shop did a hot patch. That was 3 yrs ago. They put the spare on and kept patch job overnight as it would take a few hours for patch. Cost 300thb

[KhunBENQ]

On 4/6/2022 at 6:44 PM, Kiwithl said:

Imo those plugs are only for emergency use to get slowly home or to a repair shop.

Exactly. And for good reason forbidden in more safety aware countries.

[Mr Meeseeks]

I had a slow puncture in the driver's side rear tyre last week. It was due to a nail or screw in the tread. 

 

Went to Cockpit in Laem Chabang and they fixed it for 450thb in about 20 minutes. They visually inspected all the other tyres at the same time.  

 

Excellent service and highly recommended. 

[Yellowtail]

4 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Exactly. And for good reason forbidden in more safety aware countries.

I've never heard of this. What countries? Certainly not the US. 

 

I've used plugs for over 50 years. For small punctures, done correctly, and using the right tools the plugs don't leak and last as long as the tire.

 

I'd rather have  a tire plugged than risk having nice alloy wheel damaged. 

 

 

 

[NanLaew]

On 5/9/2022 at 1:00 PM, Mr Meeseeks said:

I had a slow puncture in the driver's side rear tyre last week. It was due to a nail or screw in the tread. 

 

Went to Cockpit in Laem Chabang and they fixed it for 450thb in about 20 minutes. They visually inspected all the other tyres at the same time.  

 

Excellent service and highly recommended. 

Paeng mahk but if you are happy with the work and price, that doesn't matter.

 

With regard to the OP, I didn't know there was such a thing as a "real" tire shop. The roadside single shophouse with a limited range of used tires has all the tools to correctly plug 'n' patch or glue 'n' vulcanize any tire. Handy if you've already trashed a flat tire looking for a "real" tire shop or if it's a sidewall puncture (that should never be repaired) as they will sell you a good used tire for a few hundred baht to get home or to a tire shop.

[PFMills]

Some interesting comments.

 

I recently read that if a plug is not used then water can enter and may affect any steel bracing within.

 

Also read this… https://treadconnection.com/plugged-tires/

 

I recently had a.slow puncture, small nail, repaired by a Goodyear Shop. Repair done very quickly so could never have removed the tyre from the rim, so must have been plugged.

[Yellowtail]

48 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

...I didn't know there was such a thing as a "real" tire shop.

There are any number of real tire shops, as I understand a real tire shop to be. 

[NanLaew]

7 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

8 hours ago, NanLaew said:

...I didn't know there was such a thing as a "real" tire shop.

There are any number of real tire shops, as I understand a real tire shop to be. 

Without being seen as a pedant and solely with the interests of the Thailand tire shop neophytes among us, what would a "not real" tire shop look like?

 

The way I see it, a shop that sells and fits tires exclusively is a real tire shop.

 

A business that sells and/or repairs tires as part of a suite of other automotive services is a real tire shop.

 

The single/double shophouse that specializes in tire repairs including rebalancing is a real tire shop.

 

The hole-in-the-wall shed that plugs and patches tires but maybe can't do rebalancing and the like but does enough to get you on your way is a real tire shop.

 

HomePro and Burger King are not real tire shops.

[KhunLA]

On 4/5/2022 at 1:03 PM, KhunBENQ said:

Had a puncture in the center of the thread (car).

Also "gluing" from inside (isn't it vulcanizing?).

Keeps air perfectly since months.

As soon as you have a problem at the shoulder of the tire: you lost, tire for the dump.

 

There is another primitive method sometimes used for big truck wheels.

Kind of putting/gluing a plug from outside without removing the tire.

That's NOT recommended. Best for slow ride to a proper workshop.

I don't think I've even had a flat tire fixed any other way.  Although they usually take the tire off to do, unless extremely obvious.  Most recent fix they didn't bother taking off, as I notice the large nail head in the tire.  Hmm, and a bit suspect how it got there, being an 8 penny type. 

 

Seemed too easy and too practical.  Best part, they didn't charge me, and would not take a tip.   Guess where I'll probably be going after the warranty is up for simple things.  

 

My scooter has tubeless tires, and I've procrastinated getting a plug kit ... hmm.  

 

And no tire has ever failed after being plugged.

[Pmbkk]

 

I don't think I'd want my wife driving on a motorway with that.

 

As a quick fix to replace it ok - long term no chance....

 

A tyre is cheaper than a life ( yours or someone else's )

[NanLaew]

In the US, they went from full-size spare wheels to the emergency donut tires and a can of aerosol "Fix-a-Flat", the latter being the bane of the "real" tire shop worker effecting the proper repair. That impregnable slime probably violates umpteen environmental laws already.

[HauptmannUK]

In UK/EU mushroom plugs are legal to use for damage not exceeding 6mm on the central 75% of the tread. The tyre must be removed to inspect the inside of the casing.  Plugging is not permitted on the shoulder or sidewall. I think that would be a good guideline to follow in Thailand.

I have repaired a fair few tyres in the past and its important to use the correct bonding agent between the plug and the tyre - use an rotary wire brush to scuff the inside of the casing to improve adhesion. This process is sometimes called 'cold vulcanising' or 'vulcanising adhesive' - but its not true vulcanising.

Sidewall or shoulder damage can be repaired by vulcanising - applying raw rubber and then putting in an autoclave for several hours.  We used to send van tyres away to have this done - never tried it with car tyres. I think its common with truck and agricultural tyres.

Plugging from the tyre exterior is not legal in most countries - I certainly wouldn't want to drive on such a repair.  Tyres must always be removed from the rim to check for casing damage.

Never put a tube in a tubeless tyre.

My personal view is that a tyre needing anything more than a straightforward mushroom plug in the central tread area should be scrapped. 

[HauptmannUK]

4 hours ago, NanLaew said:

In the US, they went from full-size spare wheels to the emergency donut tires and a can of aerosol "Fix-a-Flat", the latter being the bane of the "real" tire shop worker effecting the proper repair. That impregnable slime probably violates umpteen environmental laws already.

A lot of tyre shops will refuse to remove a tyre filled with gunk. We wouldn't deal with them. When you take the tyre off it goes everywhere and gets on all your workshop equipment, shoes etc and takes a lot of cleaning off.

[jaiyenyen]

Tyre plugs are for pussies.

Real men roll on a set of these. ????

 

[Orinoco]

For those that are uneasy with a plugs in Tyre's.  ( not me )

you can always switch the plunged Tyre to the rear., just remember if you are like your granddad and rotate Tyre's, just remember what ones are plunged.