Are DIY tire repair kits ok for permanent repairs on small punctures?

DaveM

Explorer
Found what looks like a roofing nail in my rear tire this morning. Haven't removed yet as it seems well sealed (or not fully punctured).

Assuming there is a full puncture here, is there any reason not to repair this myself? Is there any practical difference between DIY emergency tire plug kits and what a tire shop would do?
 

BigAl

Expedition Leader
Assuming there is a full puncture here, is there any reason not to repair this myself?
I would, and have done this for 50 years. Adhering a flat patch with a large surface area and no friction fit is more likely to give you problems, IMO.
 

plh

Explorer
Plug kit, no problem. I worked in a Service Station from 1977 thru 1983 and probably plugged 1,000 tires. I carry a plug kit in my vehicle and have for many years.
 
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DaveM

Explorer
ok, good to know. been needing to add this to my rescue kit for a while now. any chance an off the shelf kit from places like AutoZone et al are any good?
 

DaveM

Explorer
Thanks, went ahead and ordered the ARB kit. Will just drive around with the nail plug until it arrives Wed I guess!
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
Anyone have a source for the proper hand tools for a plug kit? I have the kit(s) but the last time I tried to put one in the insertion tool was chinesium pot metal and it snapped as soon as I tried to work the plug thru the belts. Need some real steel.
 

jgaz

Adventurer
Anyone have a source for the proper hand tools for a plug kit? I have the kit(s) but the last time I tried to put one in the insertion tool was chinesium pot metal and it snapped as soon as I tried to work the plug thru the belts. Need some real steel.
Take a look at this site. During my gas station days (no the wheels weren’t wooden) this company sold real tools to professionals


The rural area NAPA stores I was familiar with also carried good quality tire repair tools.
 

shade

Well-known member
I like the ARB kit, but this looks like an excellent value at $26:

1580655252160.png

 

Bayou Boy

Adventurer
I like the ARB kit, but this looks like an excellent value at $26:

View attachment 565081


That kit probably duplicates a lot of stuff you already carry and therefore takes up too much space.

I bought this one.

 

shade

Well-known member
That kit probably duplicates a lot of stuff you already carry and therefore takes up too much space.

I bought this one.

Looks like another kit with solid tools. If those are ok, the rest is pretty easy to stock.

For lube, this stuff is excellent. You'll probably want to scoop some out of the 1 lb jar for a road kit.

For more in-depth work, I recently purchased a set of Tyrepliers & a pair of their tyre irons. I'll be giving them a go soon when I break down a tyre to add some Dynabeads. I never want to visit another tyre shop.
 

Bayou Boy

Adventurer
Looks like another kit with solid tools. If those are ok, the rest is pretty easy to stock.

For lube, this stuff is excellent. You'll probably want to scoop some out of the 1 lb jar for a road kit.

For more in-depth work, I recently purchased a set of Tyrepliers & a pair of their tyre irons. I'll be giving them a go soon when I break down a tyre to add some Dynabeads. I never want to visit another tyre shop.

When I did a ton of motorcycle touring I did my own changes with dynabeads. Easy and cheap.

I work across the street from the Ram dealer. They will swap tires that I bring them first thing in the morning for about $80-100 before lunchtime. It’s just too easy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

DaveM

Explorer
ARB kit arrived. Looks stout. But I still have the question of how permanent can these repairs be on a typical nail or small bolt puncture? The kit and most online sources say these are temporary fixes only, go see a repair shop for a permanent fix. But every time I've ever had a shop repair a puncture it sure looked to me like they were just plugging the hole with a small rubber strand like the ones in these kits.
 

luthj

Engineer In Residence
A nail puncture with rubber plug is permanent in my book. There is a slight chance of a slow leak over time, but the good plugs have a non hardening coating which flows into the hole area preventing leaks.

For damage in the middle 75% of the tread, a lot of shops will demount the tire, and use a adhesive patch on the inside. This is considered a bit more permanent.
 

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