Spotting this post, I also wanted to throw my hat in to the ring and suggest that, over the gloopy sh!t you get in the car, that has a limited life and only one use, you can buy a small-ish box of "Worms", that come with a reaming tool and an insertion tool, etc so as to fit the hole with the very sticky worm in order to get to a garage, etc.

 

They are very effective as puncture repairs and I have even spotted, on many occasions, tyre repair shops using them as proper repairs. You might not get the "Big boy's" doing it as they will charge around £25 a puncture but the small, independent back street guy will. Keep a set in the boot and still save the weight/money of a wheel. Get a proper set, though, not the super cheap ones where the reamer or tool break first use. A solid set will last ages and the worms are easily replaced. 

Been using them for years and swear by them now, its the recognised repair by most French garages and tyre fitting places except they will never offer it preferring to lie and insist that you buy a pair of new tyres, I have even walked (well rolled) a wheel & tyre in for repair & said that it was the spare for then to refuse to repair it 🙁

 

Small local garagiste repaired a puncture for me using a tyre plug (worm as you call them good description), he had the screw out, the hole reamed & the plug in place before barely any air had escaped from the tyre, I was very impressed, he used the reamer bit in a battery drill.

 

Since then I carry a plug kit, a mushroom plug kit and insertion tool (they look like butt plugs!!!) and also a can of foam, footpump etc and now I also have a space saver spare for long journeys.

 

2 hours ago, mrgf said:

proper repairs

 

Info here on tyre repairs in the UK.

 

https://www.itia.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/British-Standards-for-Tyre-Repair.pdf

 

Thanks, AG Falco

J.R. I have often thought about those "Butt plugs" (Ooh-err, missus)! I would have thought once in, they would be even better then the worms, even though they tend to be very effective. I could not open the info from AG Falco for some reason but looking at the title, I would think it is having a little "Dig" at the worms-system. I am fully informed of the knowledge that they are designated "For off road use only", but then again, so are many items that people happily fit/allow to be fitted to their vehicles and having spoked to "Off-roaders" about the use of worms, they have stated that they have had many last as long as the tyres and are as effective as a proper repair, if done properly and leak tested. You will almost certainly know if the air is escaping from one and they are really intended to get you there, so to speak. I would hold them in much higher esteem then the typical manufacturer supplied bottle of slop. If you must use slop, use a well know, branded version of PRE-installed slop, like Gloop, Tyre Slime, etc as they will work even before you know you need it and not leave you stuck at the roadside at midnight, trying to remove the valve core, squeeze in the slop, IF it is still in date, refer the core and pump up the tyre, with traffic thundering by at 70 MPH!

 

Oh, Never had a worm fail apart from one, which allowed a very slow leak which was then repaired by a tyre fitter, at a cost of £15 and to add insult to injury, the guy didn't even balance the tyre! They stated that they "Do" cheap fixes for those who want it, and then charge extra to balance. I only realised after hopping up the A12 at higher speed and found a wobble. When I complained, that was when they stated the cheap fix. I said "How can it be a cheap fix, if you then want a further £7-8 quid to balance it"? I would have been better going to Kwik-Fit as at least I could make them do it again...

Wont go there again!

They are legal here in France and have been the standard repair for ever.

 

I think they are actually legal now in the UK or perhaps always were.

 

I dont think there was any ill intent from AG Falco in posting the British Standard and if you wanted to have 100% confidence in a repair that has to be the standard to uphold.

 

I have played with the buttplug insertion tool (not like that you dirty minded people) but not yet used it on a tyre, it needs a larger hole than the plug and if it didn't work I would not be confident in using a plug in the same hole, the insertion tool is very long and the wheel would almost certainly have to come off the vehicle to use it.

 

I dont like the idea that there is no glue involved, only the tyre pressure making the seal, I think if you have a beadleak or another slow puncture once the pressure gets low the buttplug would leak.

I was pointed (by this forum) to this site for tyres and complete wheels. Just bought 2 tyres recently, no probs turning up and getting them fitted. Saved £80 by not getting them at a large tyre fitter. https://www.tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

 

Incidentally, these tyres were "seal inside" tyres. A third option instead of gunk/goop or a spare. No use with blow outs (but recovery will help there), but even relatively large punctures in the main tread are sealed instantly without needing to stop, or reduce your speed. The "repair" requires the scraping back of the seal layer (stuck on the inside on the tyre), inserting plug, and replacing the seal over the top. Seems to work well. Has saved me having to rescue the wife a number of times. 

On 03/03/2020 at 14:40, nbramwel said:

I wouldn't have a car without a spare wheel.  The can of goo is useless in my opinion.  My full size spare is 205*55*R16 (same as the wheels on the car and with the same Michelin tyre).  It and the jacking kit fit in the spare wheel well no problem.

Mine too

 

On 03/03/2020 at 14:40, nbramwel said:

 

 

mine came with spacesaver 16" I think but 17" alloys on car not ideal as I use car as taxi and cant work with spaces aver on so bought a 2nd hand 17" alloy and stuck a budget tyre on it spacesaver never been used think will stick it on gumtree

On 04/03/2020 at 12:57, GregMech18 said:

So I heard back from my loca dealer/Skoda service centre:

 

£322 for the full size 17" spare wheel

£109 for a matching tyre

£12.50 for fitting. 

 

A bit steeper than I was thinking it would be. But from everyone's comments here it would be worth it. 

 

 

 

wow! a new gemini alloy is only 256, ha.

 

I managed to blag a 17" spare from skoda after a few issues with the car when I got it. Thought was around 190 all in tho

I have a space saver spare that got use last xmas on a return trip to IOW to see family.  Not what you want to be doing at 9pm in December.  Managed to limp into the services though so at least had the space to throw tools out the pram.

Having just spotted a screw/nail in a rear tyre close to the sidewall I ordered a replacement.  I have also ordered a worm kit to keep in the boot and might try it on this tyre as its scrap anyway.  Can always chuck a winter wheel on if it fails (or the space saver).

 

As a mountain biker I am well used to using slime tubes and more recently tubeless sealant.  has anyone thought about chucking some of that in the tyre before the worm to help it along?