Steve W. wrote:

... my favorite uses a mushroom shaped plug made of rubber. ...

http://www.compacc.com/p/Stop-Go-Tub...e-Plug-Gun-Kit

That looks like it would be really effective. I'm really impressed that
it can push the plug through a puncture hole.

It says "This kit is designed to get you home or to a repair shop to
have the tire patched professionally", but I don't imagine that a shop
would be able to patch it any better. Unless they took the tire off the
wheel & patched it from the inside. Do they do that?

Bob

On Wed, 16 May 2012 09:55:02 -0400, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

Steve W. wrote:

... my favorite uses a mushroom shaped plug made of rubber. ...

http://www.compacc.com/p/Stop-Go-Tub...e-Plug-Gun-Kit

That looks like it would be really effective. I'm really impressed that
it can push the plug through a puncture hole.

It says "This kit is designed to get you home or to a repair shop to
have the tire patched professionally", but I don't imagine that a shop
would be able to patch it any better. Unless they took the tire off the
wheel & patched it from the inside. Do they do that?

Bob

As a card-carrying cheapskate who has plugged many tires -- some of
them multiple times -- let me pass on a couple of thoughts.

The round, expanding plugs -- often with the mushroom head, like the
one linked to above -- work fine if the hole is nice and round and
within a range of normal sizes. They're no good if a shard of steel or
glass cut a small slit in your tire.

For that, the string-type plugs are far more versatile. There are
several recommended ways of using them. If the hole is tight, I like
to butter them with rubber tire cement before inserting themn, as a
lubricant. It often comes with the kits. And I give the string a good
twist -- 360 degrees or more -- before extracting the needle. That
leaves a nice wad of rubberized string on the inside. I've never had
one fail, except for one in a sidewall, in over 30 years.

If the hole is big, double or even triple the string. Use a VERY sharp
knife to cut it off, maybe 1/8" proud of the tire. The rubbery goop
will require paint thinner or gasoline to get it off of the blade.

As for temporary versus permanent, they are not vulcanized like a
professional inside patch, so they are always temporary. So are tires.
g In NJ, it's not legal for a commercial shop to use these things.
They have to do a vulcanized patch. At least, that was true 10 years
ago.

One last thing: After trying many types, I prefer the simple,
straight-handled needle, that looks like a screwdriver. If the hole is
tight, I make sure I have the tire rotated into a position where I can
press on the end of the needle handle with my foot. It sometimes takes
that much force -- and a sensitive foot. Leave plenty of string on the
outside in case your foot pushes too far.

Good luck.

--
Ed Huntress

Bob Engelhardt wrote:
Steve W. wrote:
... my favorite uses a mushroom shaped plug made of rubber. ...

http://www.compacc.com/p/Stop-Go-Tub...e-Plug-Gun-Kit

That looks like it would be really effective. I'm really impressed that
it can push the plug through a puncture hole.

It says "This kit is designed to get you home or to a repair shop to
have the tire patched professionally", but I don't imagine that a shop
would be able to patch it any better. Unless they took the tire off the
wheel & patched it from the inside. Do they do that?

Bob

If you find any kit that says it gives you a professional seal inside
and out it must require you dismount the tire.

The probe that goes inside the nose of the tool is a tempered steel
shaft about 1/4" diameter. The nose is tapered on the outside as well so
you just push hard and the entire tool goes through the hole. There are
a couple types of plugs which are in the kit. They are different
diameters relaxed and different lengths as well.

Ed mentions that they don't work as well on slashes. In that he is
correct. But the string types also have trouble there. For those the
best solution is to pop one bead and use a mushroom nail style patch
from the inside. That way the hole is sealed from the inside and the
nail seals the belts and tread.

http://www.ducati.ms/forums/attachme...plug-patch.jpg
are what they look like.


--
Steve W.

In article ,
says...

Steve W. wrote:

... my favorite uses a mushroom shaped plug made of rubber. ...

http://www.compacc.com/p/Stop-Go-Tub...e-Plug-Gun-Kit

That looks like it would be really effective. I'm really impressed that
it can push the plug through a puncture hole.

It says "This kit is designed to get you home or to a repair shop to
have the tire patched professionally", but I don't imagine that a shop
would be able to patch it any better. Unless they took the tire off the
wheel & patched it from the inside. Do they do that?

Some do. There's an outfit in New Haven called "The Tire Doctor" that
does, or that did the one time I had a flat in New Haven. That was more
than 20 years ago though.