The difference between plugs and patches, as I see it Dale, is a
matter of sealing the leak...not of the plug coming out. Yes, a plug
will leave a lot of material inside the tire, but a patch will cover
much more internal surface area. Plus, a properly applied patch is
much less likely to work loose and develop a leak than a properly
applied patch. Add to that the fact that most of us who plug our
tires usually do so in a big hurry between runs, so we may not get the
plug seated properly. I'm not saying that plugs don't work. As I
mentioned in a previous post, I use them all the time on my slicks.
I'm just saying that an internal patch is much more
reliable...especially for a large hole. Besides, it's a lot easier to
stick a plug in a bias-ply slick than it is to poke one into a
steel-belted radial!!! 8<{)
John (Old Fartz & TLS #37) Lieberman
Dale Botkin wrote:
>
> Just curious... but why would you not consider the plug good enough to
> use? I've run several plugged (street) tires to the end of their life
> with no failures. No one I know of has ever had a plug fail. I've never
> heard of one failing. It could be that I just haven't heard about it, but
> I don't even think twice about autocrossing on tires with a plug or two.
>
> No way I'm buying new tires just because of a single nail puncture to a
> year-old one, as much as I'd love to replace them with new Kumhos. When I
> install the plug there's a big ol' wad of plug material welded to the
> inside of the puncture, so there's no way in hell it's coming out. So,
> I'm not saying I couldn't be wrong, but is there any evidence to the
> contrary, or is it just personal preference?
>
> Dale
> ---
> The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new
> discoveries, is not "Eureka!" (I found it!) but "That's funny ..."
> -- Isaac Asimov
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