Repairing a Tire

Not too long ago, a flat tire with a classic inner tube was the reason to have my vintage car transported by a recovery vehicle. The days of tire patching by the roadside service are long gone. Some time later, the rear tire of another classic car, which was used for daily commuting, also went flat. But it was a tubeless inner tube. Repairing it, or ‘plugging’ it, was a breeze, especially if you have a tubeless tire repair kit on hand.

Quickly plug it

After removing the object that had punctured the tire, the ‘plug’ was inserted into the hole according to the instructions. Done! It turned out that the screw that had caused the puncture had probably been picked up while driving. The self-tapping screw was not in the full tread but more on the shoulder of the tire. A later consulted tire specialist pointed out that the risk of my repair lay in the location of the puncture. At the site of the damage, there is significantly less rubber mass than on the full tread. ‘Plugging,’ or inserting the rubber plug treated with vulcanizing agent, can be dangerous on the shoulder or flank of a tire due to insufficient ‘support’ for the repair. He told me that he should not have repaired the tire, and according to his guidelines, it was a complete rejection.

According to experts, plugging a tubeless car tire is always a temporary solution.

“But what if I had just given you ten euros and didn’t ask for a receipt?” “Well, I know how you drive. But then it would have been your risk.” Even as a tire specialist, you have to be realistic. I did receive advice to keep an eye on the repair site. If the rubber around the repair started bubbling, there would have been air between the cord layers. And that is indeed risky.

In such a case, it is also a good option to install an inner tube in the tubeless tire. The stories about how dangerous that can be are nonsense. However, it is handy to sprinkle some talcum powder in the tire as an additional ‘lubricant’ between the inner and outer tire. This prevents the hypothetical but often discussed ‘friction’ between the inner and outer tire. And the fact that this issue is taken seriously? It certainly is. In an old newsletter from the garage sector, we found the following:

It can be dangerous

“We maintain the opinion that it is dangerous to install an inner tube in a tubeless tire. The outer tire has a liner that replaces the inner tube. If an inner tube is still installed, it is usually folded. At high speeds, extra heat will be generated (hysteresis). This can lead to dangerous situations (blowout!).”

Plugging a tubeless inner tube is often still seen as a temporary measure. The repair of the leaking Guzzi rear tire has held up for about 5000 km now. It will continue to hold unless unforeseen circumstances arise when the car gets fresh Battlax tires later this fall. However, this story is about vintage cars that are normally driven. I can imagine that the situation is different with a modern car with 180 hp from 2016.

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