Featured Technical Anyone Have Any Experience With These Tire Screw/Plugs?

Yep, exactly. Today “corporate” tire shops such as Walmart and Firestone are not allowed to repair tires in any way. They will only sell you a new tire, due to liability. Plus that puts more money in their pockets obviously.

 

Don't tell anyone, but I've even put tubes in tires because there was a slight leak through the sidewall...

 

When I was younger and working at a gas station in the later 90s, we still sold radial tubes for just an occasion.

 

The linked ad to these things bugs me as well. Here's a screenshot of part of it:



Who the heck says "If you don't like it and don't feel bad, we'll do it right."
Oh right, people whose primary language is Chinese.

And they also apparently liked the picture of "MADE IN THE USA".
Of course it doesn't mean the stuff is made in the US, why would anyone think that?

 

Like others, I have used the regular old plugs with no problems on many tires. I remember when I worked at Montgomery Wards auto center we had to use a patch- they wouldn't allow a plug. I think those screw in ones might be great though.

 

When I was a college drop-out working at the corner gas station in early 60's, we never saw radial tires. I did unsuccessfully try to dismount a discount brand tire that was very light weight. It still had legal tread depth, but very little stiffness. On the tire machine, the sidewall would collapse, and the tire would remain stuck to the rim. Even the old-timer could not get this tire off the rim. We finally gave up and returned the mounted tire to the customer - With a recommendation of not to buy his tires at Lechmere Sales (a discount store in Cambridge, MA).

 

I did a Google photo search on your screenshot. Here’s the result:

"The image shows the warehouse for StopBox USA, a company that produces the StopBox Pro, a portable, mechanical lockbox for securing firearms and other valuables."​

 

While the widgets themselves might be okay, the company's business practices leave something to be desired.

 

I have a couple of sets of them, I carry them in my 2 main OT cars. One set came with a screwdriver.

I plugged 2 tires so far and they have held up for at least a year. The one on my newer Mustang, I just jacked up the front, turned the wheel out. Then pulled the nail out, ran the plug in. I did put a dab of 3M weather strip adhesive on it.

 

Hello,

We drove a long way every time we went surfing. Usually, it was about 40 miles round trip to the Huntington Beach Pier and back. But, the Killer Dana Surf Spot was at least an 80 mile round trip. Finally, Camp Pendleton (100 miles round trip) and Torrey Pines (180 miles round trip) were still regular road trips, despite the distance. Mostly, those were all day, into the night surf trips, sometimes ending each day in an overnight camping spot.

So, after the usual flat tire experience during the daily drives to high school, we had our share of plugs that eventually turned into new tires for safety. The plugs were great, but the gas stations did not always have time to do the repairs.

We bought our own puncture tire repair kit and kept it handy every time we left the house on our surf trips. No one likes to get stuck on the road, especially, if we are in Baja, Mexico. That is/was usually a 400 mile road trip and a long way away from friendly gas stations.

Jnaki

The puncture kit saved us a couple of times and those tires were used to get us home. We also had a portable air compressor that took forever to fill up. But, when you are in Baja Mexico on a cliff top campsite with a flat tire, slow is fine, as long as it will get us back to the main highway heading home. Yes!

Then, when the savings got better, a new tire was exchanged as we did not think the plugs would stay in for the long haul. A skinny rubber stick with some gooey stuff around the rubber hole, saved the day. But, going 70 in a smooth highway or up hill on a coastal highway on the edge of the road was not the most favorable of times with a “plug” inserted. YRMV
It does not matter what car or truck was used, the plugs got us back on the highway headed home every time. But, it was a temporary emergency solution until a new tire was able to be put back on the rim.


The newest version of a screw in would have been better as a hole punch was not always available and the rubber insert did not always go in correctly. But the gooey stuff did seal enough to get us to a gas station. At one station, the guy chuckled at our “repair” and pulled the item out, reamed the hole and inserted a larger rubber stick with goo. He cut of what was sticking out and we were off and running.



The mechanic told us it would last for 1000s of miles with the job that “he” did with his professional kit. Ha!

 

But why? I've plugged many tires (yes, its likely better to patch from inside but.......). I've never had a problem. Did many at the gas station I worked at. I don't think I'd have a lot of faith in the screw thing.

I suppose in an emergency but if you keep it for that, get some actual plugs.

 

I went to Amazon and bought a small 20 piece kit "(10 of each size)" to throw in the toolbox of my hot rod.

 

I have also installed thousands of rope style tire plugs never had one come back.

 

We've used these kits (from HF) several times on old pickups and trailers, worked well for us.

 

I may have installed more than 100-plugs in my own tires in the last 25-years.

Every single tire that I ever plugged, and some got more than one, went on to be worn down to the bars, before it was replaced.

I am told that they are temporary, and can be dangerous.

We're all temporary, and life is dangerous.

And yes, I have put them in a sidewall, but only on the trail, and that tire was discarded as soon as the rig was home and off of the trailer.

 

I bought the this because I used air powered one at Sears in the 60’s ….this trigger style is hard to work.

 

I worked at an E**on station off of 24th near the freeway in Phoenix for a few years in the early 80’s.
The “rep”? That sold the tire plugs to my boss would come through every month or so. His left rear tire was full of his plugs. I don’t recall how many, but seemed like more plugs than tire showing. Yes, on the side wall as well. Fella had faith in the product, for all I know he lived around the corner.
But he’d tell us gas jockeys to air the tire up, then stick the round file thing in and out, put the glue on the the plug and stick it in, the pull that tool out quickly.
Doesn’t help with the original topic question, but thought I’d share

 

In my younger years when I worked at the gas station, I did a lot of tire patching. We always did patches rather then plugs. The plugs work great, until they don't seal. Then, instead of having a nail or screw hole to patch, you have a 1/4" diameter hole to patch. When we had to repair a leaking plug, we installed those plug patches. Our tire patches lasted for the life of the tire on our customer's cars, my boss made sure of that, I don't ever remember replacing a tire patch.

I have not been working at that gas station for many years. I have (or have had others) installed a few plugs (read that as not too many) in my day, but have always coated the plugs with rubber cement before installing them. Those few plugs have lasted as long as the tires. I do replace my tires when they get 5 -6 years old, mostly because they are wore out by then (I drive my stuff) but sometimes because the tire tread gets hard and the tires loose grip on the road (tires start loosing grip after 4 years).

As far as those new screw in plugs, I can't imagine how hard they are to install, the concept of screwing a rubber plug into a rubber tire just sounds wrong.

 

I’m with Gimpy on this one I have used the gummy worm style rope tire plugs in all of my tires as permanent repairs that stay there until the tires are worn out and need replacing.

Only one has leaked recently and I took it to the tire shop and had an internal patch put in.

Thought it was good until a month later the tire was low. Looked expecting to see the patched spot to be leaking.

To my surprise there was a new nail in a different spot which I plugged with the gummy worm and it’s fine now.

I even had a rear tire on my motorcycle that had 3 plugs in it until it was worn out.