Got a slow leak in my rear tire(probably from a nail/screw), had to fill air every 3 to 4 days. tire still have 65 % thread. So should I bring it to a patching shop or a plugging one? any pros and con of using either?... ..I just use my car for daily commutes... don't go on tracks.

thanks


Modified by GSblueRacing at 5:38 AM 10/27/2004

 

um...............plug?
Is there a difference between a "patch" and a "plug" ?

 

i like to patch it because it overshoots the hole to make sure the hole is completely shut. a plug may leave a little room for leakage although a plug is sufficient if done properly.

also the patch costs a little more and i like to think that i pay for what i get.

 

for a leak use a patch. I work at ATC (americas tire co).

 

Patch is safer

 

Patch that ****, that's all we offer at Acura.

 

I've used plugs a few times for nails in my tires. They all held good and never leaked on me. That's just my experience.

 

plugs are good for nails, screws ect...but for small leaks the patch is better.

 

if you use a plug make sure you ream out the hole very well before inserting the plug. this will prevent the steel belts from cutting it and making it worthless.

 

ream out the hole....hehehe....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SlammedDC4 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">for a leak use a patch. I work at ATC (americas tire co). </TD></TR></TABLE>

I took my car to america's tire co. to get my tire leak fixed, and they said they couldn't patch/plug it for some reason. I had insurance on the tire so i got one brand new tire for $27 (kuhmo 712). I brought the car in and they replaced the wrong tire

 

well then that ATC sucks...if they said they couldn't plug/patch it, it could have been a leak in the side wall. Anything in the side wall in non repairable.

 

use a patch-plug like this http://www.mz3.net/articles/156.html . they work great. that's all we use at tires plus where i work

 

patch depending on the tire cost. if cheap buy another one.

 

What about slime? Would that work?

 

In my experience plugs have worked better than patches.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by marsbike &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What about slime? Would that work?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I think that sutff leaves a residue on you tires.

 

Don't ever use that slime crap. It will throw your tire off balance, resulting in unwanted road noise.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LostGsr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Don't ever use that slime crap. It will throw your tire off balance, resulting in unwanted road noise.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ahhhh didn't know that. I thought it would dispurse evenly and dry and such... Oh well. I can't tell in my DH bike. Those tires and tubes are held together with slime and a prayer.

 

- plugs are faster and easier since you don't have to remove the tire from the wheel, or even take the wheel off the car in some cases.

- a patch requires the removal of the tire from the wheel in addition to a somewhat skilled patcher to do it right. its pretty easy to screw up a patch if you don't know what your doing.

I've seen people rush a patch job and have to do it over a couple times and it still wouldn't hold air, so i had to do it for them. ( yes, yes, i know they're idiots)

- also a patch is good for when you have 2 holes close together, like from a big staple. It can cover both holes at the same time.

- overall I would prefer the patch as the most effective way to repair a leak. i once had a nail go into the sidewall in one of my New 215/35/18 tires and I wasn't about to buy another knew tire. So I patched the hole that was in the sidewall, and its still holding air for more than a year now. ( and theres not much sidewall to patch on a 215/35/18 )

 

Z Rated Tire Patch-Plug


Not soon after recovering from the expense of new M roadster tires I discover a nail embedded in the tread. I immediatly remembered previous debates of patching vs plugging damaged tires. Both solutions appeared to work but in either case you technically lost the Z rating on the tires. If you've got a lead foot this loss of rating can be concerning to say the least.

When I brought my problem and concern to the attention of a tire repair shop, I was happy to find a solution. Pictured to the right is a Z Rated Patch-Plug. I have no idea who makes it or any other details, but the tire shop made it sound like a fairly common item they use whenever repairing a Z rated tire.

The tire tech broke down the tire and removed the nail. The patch-plug and area around the hole inside the tire were cleaned and then coated with what I assume to be a thick glue substance. The pointy end of this patch-plug is threaded through the hole the nail left, until the patch (round part at the bottom of the picture) makes contact with the inside of the tire. You end up with what appears to be a nail sticking out of your tire. The tire tech snipped off the protruding section, put the tire back together and then rebalanced it. I was told to take it easy on the tire for a day and then consider the tire "good as new".

Note: I did not ask permission to publish the name of the tire repair shop. Previous experience in publishing information on ///MZ3.Net has taught me to error on the side of caution, so the actual name is withheld but your local BMW dealership should be able to repair the tire or find someone who can.

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Update: It's been three months and the tire has preformed well. While I don't want to incriminate myself, lets just say that I have full confidence in the Z Rating of the patch/plug

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Just replace the tire if you seem too concerned, again, better to be safe than find out to be sorry later.

 

discount tire co. plugged mine on my previous car, rhode on it for months, no problems, it's still on there infact