wrote:

I'm driving on a plugged tire right now. Last Saturday I was 600 miles
from home and the only shop nearby was a truck shop. He plugged it but
did not have the proper equipment to play with my wheels. I put about
2999 miles with no air loss so will go home on it too.

I agree with you that reasonable men have successfully plugged a tire from
the outside after pulling out the offending nail or screw, but we can't
argue too hard since the logic of the inside path is that it supposedly
stands the test of time and the elements better.

Still, none of us are complaining that the rope plugs don't work, so it's
surprising that no professionals will dare to use the method we all swear
by.

It's one of the enigmas of DIY home and auto repair.

The drywall screw removed it still usable too!

I wish I had saved a jar of all the embedded objects I've pulled out of
tires over the years!