How should you repair a tubeless tire when you’re out on the road? First, if the nail or screw is still in the tire, and the leak is slow enough, the best solution may be to simply leave the offending object in place, monitor the situation, and just keep adding air. But for a really bad leak, you’ll need to plug the tire, or call for a tow truck.
Method 1 Pull out the nail, and ream the hole out with the tool from the plug kit. This usually looks like a short, rat-tail rasp with a “T” handle attached to it. Then, take a strip of the plug material, peel off the backing, and thread it into the insertion tool the same way you’d thread a big sewing needle.
Cover the material with glue, to act as both a bonding agent and a lubricant. Insert the plug material until it's completely through the tire’s carcass, and then slowly withdraw the tool. The plug should stay in; trim it flush with the tire.
Method 2 This method gives better results, but will require a special gun-type tool in order to “shoot” a mushroom-shaped plug into the hole. The first step is the same as in the above method—pull out the nail and ream out the hole.
Next, insert the mushroom plug into the gun, lube the gun’s insertion tip with glue, push it into the hole, and operate the gun’s handle. The plug is injected into the hole, and the mushroom-tip head positively locates the plug inside. Slowly withdraw the gun, leaving the plug behind. Trim the plug to flush with the tire's surface, and then reinflate the tire.
Both of these plug methods work best when the damage is in the center section of the tire. The closer you get to the sidewall, the less your chance of success. Should you trust a plugged tire, or bite the bullet and buy a new one? The choice is up to you,
but if the tire leaks still slowly after you’ve plugged
it, then it’s wise to just replace the whole thing.
How should you repair a tubeless tire when you’re out on the road? First, if the nail or screw is still in the tire, and the leak is slow enough, the best solution may be to simply leave the offending object in place, monitor the situation, and just keep adding air. But for a really bad leak, you’ll need to plug the tire, or call for a tow truck.
Method 1 Pull out the nail, and ream the hole out with the tool from the plug kit. This usually looks like a short, rat-tail rasp with a “T” handle attached to it. Then, take a strip of the plug material, peel off the backing, and thread it into the insertion tool the same way you’d thread a big sewing needle.
Cover the material with glue, to act as both a bonding agent and a lubricant. Insert the plug material until it's completely through the tire’s carcass, and then slowly withdraw the tool. The plug should stay in; trim it flush with the tire.
Method 2 This method gives better results, but will require a special gun-type tool in order to “shoot” a mushroom-shaped plug into the hole. The first step is the same as in the above method—pull out the nail and ream out the hole.
Next, insert the mushroom plug into the gun, lube the gun’s insertion tip with glue, push it into the hole, and operate the gun’s handle. The plug is injected into the hole, and the mushroom-tip head positively locates the plug inside. Slowly withdraw the gun, leaving the plug behind. Trim the plug to flush with the tire's surface, and then reinflate the tire.
Both of these plug methods work best when the damage is in the center section of the tire. The closer you get to the sidewall, the less your chance of success. Should you trust a plugged tire, or bite the bullet and buy a new one? The choice is up to you,
but if the tire leaks still slowly after you’ve plugged
it, then it’s wise to just replace the whole thing.