Screw In Tire: Learning About Tire plugs and their safety

Nothing is worse than driving down the road on a hectic day and seeing that dreaded tire pressure warning light.  Yes, that's right, you have a puncture and either a leaking or flat tire.  If your lucky like I was it will be in the center portion of the tread, you have an air compressor in your vehicle, and the tire will still hold air.  In my case it was the drivers rear tire that had picked up a screw.


I worked at a tire shop when I was 19 years old and learned that plugs were not safe and the proper way to fix a punctured tire is to remove the tire from the wheel, install a patch/plug kit from the inside, and then remount and rebalance the wheel.  If you do a quick Google search you will see many warnings that water can get in with plugs, or the inside of the tire might be damaged and that's why you should remove it and do it this way.

When I talk to folks not in the tire industry I hear the opposite.  They tell me they have never had a plug fail, and that the tire industry is just out to increase their bottom line.  Story after story of "just plug it and move on" had me watching YouTube videos of the various systems available.

So due to time constraints and as a temporary fix (hopefully it will last 10,000 miles or so as that's all the life left in these tires) I decided I was going to plug it myself.  I learned that there are the old "string" type plugs that are tried and true.  There is also a newer "mushroom" plug.  The general consensus online is that those don't hold as well and most folks stick with the tried and true string plugs.

So I thought...who am I to question the wisdom of the internet?  So I removed the screw with a screw driver and plugged the tire using this kit available on Amazon.  

The result is that its holding air and back to riding normal.  If the tires were new I would have probably taken it right to a repair shop.  At least for now the problem is solved.  All it took was a few dollars and 15 minutes.  

I will update this story in the future if it fails or I run into any problems.  I will also update the story when I replace the tires.

Disclaimer:  Plugs should only be used as a temporary fix.  The tire industry recommends the tire be removed and patched by a professional for maximum safety and performance of the tire.
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