On Thu, 24 Jun 1999, Eric Linnhoff wrote:
> >Plugs are "iffy," though I use them all the time on my slicks.
> >They're a lot more difficult to use on steel-belted radials! Internal
> >patches, properly applied, are much more reliable. I know lots of
> >people who have had tires patched and then run them all the way down
> >to the cord with no problems at all.
> =========================
> I carry a plug kit (ya know, the little rasp and needle-eye thingie and
> tarred pipe cleaner looking plugs) with me just in case. I'd really like to
> be able to pull the offending sharp item out of the tire, plug it, air it
> back up and be back in the game before the day is over.
>
> I would of course get it patched properly at the earliest possible time
> before the next event.
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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