20 hours ago, NeverBuyaLRDisco said:

That's interesting.

 

I'm actually picking up a Skoda rubber mat this Friday from dealer (along with cill covers.) I may have a play around with that if you think the mat is supportive enough.

 

 

You could use the rubber mat as a template to cut a sheet of hardboard to fit to span over any recesses.

20 hours ago, Expatman said:

Anyone used one of these plug kits? Could be useful in an "if all else fails" situation - but how easy are they to use?

I watched the AA do my tyre so I could drive it to a kwik fit for permanent repair (Company car so had to use them!) Looked easy enough, and is a standard method now used by recovery companies so that they don't have to lend you a wheel or tow you to a repair site.

 

1) Pump up tyre again if possible

2) Pull out nail, or unscrew the screw causing the puncture if still there.

3) Quickly push in the reaming tool. This increases the size to accept the plug by filling it to size. Leave in to slow air loss.

4) Put a plug through the eye in the inserting tool, and cover with glue if you want from a tube, like you would use for a repair on a bike tube. (Looks like a length of string and inserting tool is like a large needle with an eye at inserting end

5) Pull out reamer, air will start to gush out the hole, and quickly push the inserting needle and plug far enough into the hole. Sharply pull it out and it should cut through the plug, leaving it in place with hole sealed.

6) wait 10 minutes or so for sealant to set if used.

7) If ok reinflate tyre.

 

This is supposed to be a temporary repair, but I have read of people with both on and off road vehicles having sometimes more than one sealed repair in each tyre which have lasted the remaining life of the tyre.

You can go a lot closer to the edge of the thread than the tyre companies will repair to, but it probably wouldn't work right on the edge, or into the sidewall. Certainly wont fix a tear or slash though.

 

I work on the basis that if I carry a kit, I won't need to use it!

 

 

 

Edited 9 May, 20197 yr by kenfowler3966

16 minutes ago, kenfowler3966 said:

I work on the basis that if I carry a kit, I won't need to use it!

 

I carry a kit for the same reason Ken, but I also carry a goo can & inflator in addition to the spare wheel!

 

Three punctures in as many weeks (one in the wilds of Dartmoor, miles from any mobile signal) have left me paranoid 

Edited 9 May, 20197 yr by Robjon

2 hours ago, kenfowler3966 said:

I watched the AA do my tyre so I could drive it to a kwik fit for permanent repair (Company car so had to use them!) Looked easy enough, and is a standard method now used by recovery companies so that they don't have to lend you a wheel or tow you to a repair site.

 

1) Pump up tyre again if possible

2) Pull out nail, or unscrew the screw causing the puncture if still there.

3) Quickly push in the reaming tool. This increases the size to accept the plug by filling it to size. Leave in to slow air loss.

4) Put a plug through the eye in the inserting tool, and cover with glue if you want from a tube, like you would use for a repair on a bike tube. (Looks like a length of string and inserting tool is like a large needle with an eye at inserting end

5) Pull out reamer, air will start to gush out the hole, and quickly push the inserting needle and plug far enough into the hole. Sharply pull it out and it should cut through the plug, leaving it in place with hole sealed.

6) wait 10 minutes or so for sealant to set if used.

7) If ok reinflate tyre.

 

This is supposed to be a temporary repair, but I have read of people with both on and off road vehicles having sometimes more than one sealed repair in each tyre which have lasted the remaining life of the tyre.

You can go a lot closer to the edge of the thread than the tyre companies will repair to, but it probably wouldn't work right on the edge, or into the sidewall. Certainly wont fix a tear or slash though.

 

I work on the basis that if I carry a kit, I won't need to use it!

 

 

 

Thanks - I have just ordered a kit off e-bay for dire emergency use only!

6 hours ago, kenfowler3966 said:

I watched the AA do my tyre so I could drive it to a kwik fit for permanent repair (Company car so had to use them!) Looked easy enough, and is a standard method now used by recovery companies so that they don't have to lend you a wheel or tow you to a repair site.

 

1) Pump up tyre again if possible

2) Pull out nail, or unscrew the screw causing the puncture if still there.

3) Quickly push in the reaming tool. This increases the size to accept the plug by filling it to size. Leave in to slow air loss.

4) Put a plug through the eye in the inserting tool, and cover with glue if you want from a tube, like you would use for a repair on a bike tube. (Looks like a length of string and inserting tool is like a large needle with an eye at inserting end

5) Pull out reamer, air will start to gush out the hole, and quickly push the inserting needle and plug far enough into the hole. Sharply pull it out and it should cut through the plug, leaving it in place with hole sealed.

6) wait 10 minutes or so for sealant to set if used.

7) If ok reinflate tyre.

 

This is supposed to be a temporary repair, but I have read of people with both on and off road vehicles having sometimes more than one sealed repair in each tyre which have lasted the remaining life of the tyre.

You can go a lot closer to the edge of the thread than the tyre companies will repair to, but it probably wouldn't work right on the edge, or into the sidewall. Certainly wont fix a tear or slash though.

 

I work on the basis that if I carry a kit, I won't need to use it!

 

That was the standard method of DIY puncture repairs in the 60's and 70's.  I repaired more than one tyre that way and as far as I was concerned it was permanent and never caused me any problems.  In fact I had my Yeti repaired in a similar fashion when I was in Ireland in 2012.  When I sold it it was still running trouble free on that repair. 

 

 

Edited 9 May, 20197 yr by x19

I'm pretty sure external plug tyre repairs were banned in the late 70's or early 80's on safety grounds and all repairs after then had to be off rim jobs where the hole was plugged from the inside by a plug with an integral big flat patch and glue.  i.e. you shoved a metal hook in through the hole from the outside caught the end of the plug and pulled back through the tread from inside to out until the flat patch with the glue made contact with the inner surface of the tyre.

 

I'm not sure the reason the external plugs were banned, might have been due to changes in tyre sizes and compositions making them more likely to work out, or due change from cross ply to radials and radial tyres perhaps needing to be inspected from within for cord damage which might cause a more serious tyre failure at speed.

 

 

Edited 10 May, 20197 yr by widdershins
typo

^ Indeed l'm sure you are correct. That is exactly how a garage I did tyre fitting/repairs at as a weekend job in the late '70's performed pyncture repairs. This document does state that an externally applied plug is not acceptable - and I guess that should such a repair be found on a car involved in an insurance claim could find the driver in sticky water in the same way that using a skinny spacesaver on a Yeti apparantly could....

 

http://btmauk.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Minor-repairs-to-passenger-car-and-light-van-tyres.pdf

As I said - for dire emergency only! Seriously if I did use the plug I would certainly get the tyre properly repaired as soon as convenient.

FYI in the USA on holiday my hire car had a puncture and the tyre repair depot I got to repaired the tyre using the plug system. Said they always used that method same as everyone else. Told me it was permanent.

I'm not saying you can't use them to temporarily fill a hole in an emergency - indeed if that's the standard AA method I'm sure you can use them for emergency roadside repairs, the AA will have researched that point very carefully to avoid lawsuits! 

 

I was just making an observation that, as far as I know, they were banned a couple of decades ago as a permanent repair in the UK.  The comment was made due to other comments suggesting that some people were using those "temporary" repairs as a permanent one which I think would invalidate your insurance, probably lead to an MOT fail if detected, and give PC Plod something else to write up if you were involved in a serious RTA.

 

Why they were banned I couldn't say, perhaps it was for a very good reason related to tyre safety (inspecting for hidden damage to radial cords), or perhaps it was a very bad reason i.e. lobbying by tyre manufacturers (home repair = cheap, garage repair = opportunity to upsell to a new tyre!).  IMO however, for the few extra quid a proper repair would cost it isn't worth risking running a tyre with a temporary plug long term.