Bought a set of tires from someone here on YT. Two tires had holes in the sidewalls. They were up close to the thread so I plugged them. No problem with that.

I haven't heard anything substantial about *how* plugs suck.

 

I plugged a hole that I got in my nearly new Swamper SX tires and that plug was in there when I finally got rid of them. You could see the little fuzzy end of the plug as the tread wore down, but that tire never leaked air and it was used on and off road a lot, aired down to 1-2 psi, etc. I had no warranty on the tires.

 

i use them all the time i got them in two of my tires. i got one with 50k km on it and nothing not evena leak. if it leaks it would leak slowly, unless th ehole was huge, and it would just go flat. how would it blow the tire out. and hopefully youd know if the tire was going flat, if you put a plug in it just look at the tire form time to time before you drive.

 

I worked at a full service gas station for a few years and must have done a million or so plugs. Occasionally they will leak air over time but its a slow leak. A little soapy water to verify and put a new plug in right next to the old one. Check it again with soapy water bada-bing. We were not suppose to plug biased tires, sidewalls, or the very edge of the tread. But I've done all three on my own stuff with mixed results. Just monitor the air pressure you'll be fine.

Really the only time I had concerns about plugging is when I found obvious manufacture defects, so the nail hole the customer had wanted fixed was really the least of their problems.

 

Can you repair sidewalls with those mushroom patches? Is that safe?

 

No, it is not safe to repair a sidewall. You can sew it up and get off the trail at low speed, but absolutely not for on the road.

 

Good to know.

 

+1 on plugs being perfectly fine. The rules of thumb are:

1. not more than 4 plugs per tire
2. not closer than one inch to another plug
3. not closer than one inch to the edge of tread

When I worked at the Toyota dealership, all we did with nails was plug them, or else replace the tire if it didn't fit the above criteria. Easily repaired 20+ tires a day, every day.

Now, according to the tire manufacturers, it is possible to plug a tire incorrectly. Therefore due to liability reasons, they specify that you must do an internal type patch, which must be done at a shop with a tire machine. They are counting on the tire tech's experience and judgement, which is obviously more experienced than a lay person. Not that a professional won't make a mistake, but they are more likely to get it right, due to experience and practice.

 

What dealership do you work at 86?