For whatever reason, some people just seem to have all the luck. For me, whenever I throw down good money on a new set of tires, I invariably pick up a screw, nail, or other puncturing debris within the first 500 miles. While at TAG Motorsports having the armor installed on Jp Magazine's Project Steal-J, head technician Jay Miller casually looked down at the Jeep's front tire and asked, "You building a house?"
In our sport of off-roading, tire damage is as inevitable as fueling up. It's gonna happen sooner or later. Whether it's simply a nail in the tread or a completely gashed sidewall, here are some tips to help keep your tires from becoming history.
The key to any successful...
The key to any successful tire repair is a good set of tools. While this kit is an older version owned by TAG shop foreman, Jay Miller, one of the nicest and most complete repair kits we've come across is the Powertank Pro Series Tire Repair Kit (PN KIT-8131). It includes several sizes of self-vulcanizing plugs, magnesium-handled needle and reamer tools with Allen wrenches, two large patches, lube, two knives to cut the plug ends, and 24 inches of stainless wire to sew up sidewall gashes.
For a tread puncture, the...
For a tread puncture, the first step is obviously to remove the object that did the puncturing. Once the hole is clear, shove the reamer in and out of the hole a few times. This enlarges the hole to the proper diameter to accept the plug, removes any tattered or fractured tread and cords, and uncovers fresh rubber for the plugs to bite into.
With the reamer work done,...
With the reamer work done, switch to the needle. Use the supplied lube on the needle so the plug doesn't stick to the tool and then insert a plug through the needle eye. If the hole you're plugging is on the small side or goes through a thick tread block, it may help to put a small amount of lube on the plug itself.
Make sure the plug is centered...
Make sure the plug is centered in the needle, then push the plug all the way through the tire, leaving a decent amount of the plug ends outside of the hole. Carefully depress the sliding collar on the needle to the tire tread surface as you pull the needle out. The tip of the needle is split and will spread to clear the plug as it's pulled free of the tire. The collar keeps the plug from coming out of the tire with the needle.
Finally, use a razor or sharp...
Finally, use a razor or sharp knife to cut the plug to the same height as the tire surface. If you're dealing with a sidewall gash, skip the reamer and insert plugs until the void is filled for a trail-only repair. Don't cut the plug ends flush in a sidewall repair. For exceptionally large gashes that take more than three or four plugs to fill, use wire and tire glue to sew up the rip, then fill the voids with plugs. Plugs are OK for tire tread, but avoid driving on the street with plugged and/or sewn sidewalls.