If they are still doing it the old-school way, I would suggest it might be time to go looking for a new facility. Next time you are having a flat tire repaired at your repair shop, ask them what style of repair they are performing. When a licensed technician or any tire professional repairs your tire and contravenes known procedures, they will be assuming the liabilities of any subsequent tire failures, even if the tire fails from something else. Therefore, if you, as a consumer, go to your local parts store and buy a tire plug kit and repair your own tire, you do so assuming your own liability. They also state that a tire plug alone is an unacceptable repair. In this case, the tire manufacturer’s association states that a tire must be removed, and the inner liner inspected. All professionals regardless of industry must follow guidelines as set out by the appropriate industry association. While I am not a legal professional, the understanding that I have is the assumption of liability. The legality is a little confusing, as there is no law that says a tire cannot be repaired with a plug. Once the technician determines that the tire is repairable, they must prep the inner tire surfaces according to industry guidelines and use an approved stem/patch along with vulcanizing compound, effectively sealing the injury from the inside out. Keep in mind that driving on a flat tire for a block or two will usually cause sufficient damage to the inner tire liner, rendering it garbage. The proper way to repair a puncture is to demount the tire from the wheel and then thoroughly inspect the condition of the inner liner. Unfortunately, there are still many repair shops using this antiquated technique to repair their customers’ flat tires. But let’s face it: There are less and less drivers fixing their tires on Sunday morning in their driveway. Tire plugs are still available today and sold as a temporary tire repair kit. This repair is considered temporary primarily because it does not seal the inner tire liner. The key word here is temporary, as this style of repair was meant to get you safely off the side of the road, and originated from a time period when some had the skill to be able to repair their own tires, on-site. A gooey-coated plug made of a multitude of materials such as rubber and leather strips is then forced into the hole as a temporary repair. The old-school plug repair technique leaves the tire mounted on the wheel. What’s the difference between the two most popular tire repair techniques, a tire plug and a tire patch? And did you know one is illegal? Well, it’s sort of illegal. But I want to do it properly and that requires more than the five minutes that they have allotted. While I am eager to introduce myself and my services to new customers, I’m afraid I aggravate many of them by refusing to repair their tires. Often, the ask involves inflating their tires or performing a hasty repair on a tire puncture. I am fortunate that my business is located on a major thoroughfare, which most of the time leads to a steady stream of potential new customers. I even remember using 2/3 for those larger holes lol.Please log in to bookmark this story. I think the ones we had were called sure seal? Not sure but they were orange in colour and never had one leak or pop out in 20 years. The plugs are good too, I'm not against them. So I took the extra patches I had in my box and the tools reemer/driver and put them in my truck for a emergency.Īt first I hated doing them (patch) but it does make a better repair, you remove the tire, replace valve stem, clean the rim, balance etc. When the bossman abolished the plug, he stopped ordering them and said he didn't want to see any plugging tools in the shop period. Half the time the tires have side wall damage so it gets a new tire anyway. We do fleet work for large rental car company's and they specifically want a patch from the inside and want a close inspection of the sidewall. The reason the plugs are a problem is that you don't remove tire from the rim to inspect for damage to the side wall when driven on flat.
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