wrote in message
...
In article ,
Bewildered wrote:
I was reading a Popular Mechanics in a waiting room, and they had an
article
on how to fix a flat.

They said that tire repairs involved putting a patch on the inside of the
tire. That is how mine were fixed in the past, but the last few have had
plugs put in. The plugs seemed to work fine. What is the proper method.

They also recommended a can of air and material to plug the hole for
temporary repairs, and then getting a real patch. I was told that those
cans ruin the inside surface so a patch can't be used. What is the story
there?



Speaking as a former mechanic and present supervisor (26 years total)
in a fleet maintenance shop, the tire manufacturers generally
say the correct way to repair a tire puncture is to use a patch
on the inside, and if the puncture diameter warrants, a plug
as well. In practice, though, a correctly installed plug will outlast
the tread life of the tire and the patch is not necessary. Do not use
the "fix-a-flat" type products from an aerosol can if the tire is
work keeping, they will make it almost impossible to permanently
repair with a plug or patch, and make a mess inside the rim & tire
that needs to be cleaned up when the next tire is mounted.


I've got a plug in one of my tires, and it's been no problem. The only thing
I wonder about is how easy it would be for some asshole (car radio thief,
for instance) to rip the plug out with a pair of pliers.