You’re out on a rough 4x4 road and your tire goes flat. Are you finding a flat spot and changing the tire with the spare, or using an off-road tire repair kit with tire patches and T-handle probes? And how does one get skilled at repairing a tire if you’ve never had to use tire patches and T-handle probes?
My grandfather always said 'Never do something for the first time.' Real meaning is never do it for the first time when it's critical. We would get our cars stuck in sand and mud on purpose and change tyres in the driveway to practice.
I actually found an old tyre on the side of the road once and used that to practice using a plug kit.
Wise advice. I also tell this to others because it's smart.
I also don't follow that advice because i dunno apparently i do everything the hard way, on the trail, with no help.
Instructions unclear. Just poked a hole in my tire to practice repairing it.
Do you have a brand or model of tire repair kit that you'd recommend?
Get a metal t handle. The plastic ones can break and send the spike into your hand. Making everything much harder.
Hard to plug a tire when you're bleeding out
Just a heads up, if you run E or F, 10 or 12 ply tires like I do, you might just want to do what I do and carry the right size drill bit and a drill rather than the T handle that comes with the kit. I probably plug a tire a week. I plugged 4 last Thursday. A drill bit makes the job even quicker on high ply tires.
Good tip, friend!
The ARB kit has everything you need,any of them are fine as long as you get a name brand (you don’t want a t- handle to break and get stabbed in the palm)
Second that one, that kit is perfect. I’d also recommend purchasing a 12v air compressor to keep in the vehicle
Safety seal has always been good to me
Don’t you keep a spare?
If you do, put in on. If not, buy a spare and use it accordingly.
I do. I’m just curious if that’s what most do when they have a flat offroading or if they fix the tire with a repair kit.
If it can be safely jacked, swap. If it can't be safely jacked, plug.
I’m going to a plug first if it’s minor, if you can plug it fast you don’t even need to inflate very long
plug
What about the tire?
Haha
A plugging kit can save you a lot of hassle. It’s not uncommon for me to have my driver’s window down when I’m off road in my T4R. Both times I got a hole in my tire on a trail I could hear the leak. Air coming out of a tire is loud if the hole isn’t pin sized. The first time I wasn’t prepared so I carefully mounted my spare. The second I jumped out as fast as possible and stuck one of those tar covered plugs in it. Sure I lost half my pressure, but my Falken Wildpeaks got me back off the trail and to a shop just fine. I often run on low air pressure for traction when hitting rocks and that helps keep the damage from happening. It’s when they have no give when a rock can puncture them more easily.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=_ocVkYAAaVg
I haven’t watched the video, but was the first suggestion on Google when I looked.
It realy depends on the flat is it a nail i will plug it is it a ripped sidewall i will change it
Spares are generally of good quality for most offroad vehicles. Especially if you get new tires recently. Have them put one of your old tires on your spare so you have a fullsized, high quality spare.
Tire plugs can range from decent to barely drivable depending on your skill and the extent of damage. They're basically a kludge, and even when done well not as strong as an undamaged tire like your spare.
Swap with the spare, and try to get through the trail. If you tear up another tire, then resort to the plugs. Plus now you can choose between whichever damaged tire will plug the best. And if you're planning on being in the wilderness for a long time if you use the spare that lets you plug the damaged tire after setting up camp for the night when it's off the vehicle so it's easier to do a good job.
Thanks!
A tire patch can last the lifetime of the tire, but they aren’t quite as good as the internal patches used by tire shops today.
I’d still just go to patch first for convenience.
Thanks!
Plug it first, and save the spare for a tire that can’t be plugged or as a backup.
If you want to get experience and practice in plugging a tire, then run over a nail at the comfort of your home.
Don't drive in your own home, will piss the wife off.
I have a full size spare, plug kit and two pumps( they’re not that big). Watch some YouTube tutorials on how to plug a tire.
Yea but the question is do you use the spare or the plugs first?
Yes, thank you.
I always plug first. Don't even have to dismount the tire. Just plug it where it sits.
So far, it’s only been the spare.
I have but I have no real world experience.
Depends on what damage there is to the tire. A simple puncture I'm going to plug it and go. Ripped sidewall, huge gash I'm swapping out the spare.
If you're uncomfortable plugging a tire because you haven't done it before find an old tire and practice. Some tire shops will have old tires they will give you if you tell them what you're doing.
Thanks, good idea.
Tire repair kits for nail holes and such is really easy, just watch a YouTube video. But I doubt I'd be able to repair a tire if I was offroading because it would most likely be a catastrophic failure. You can't repair a sliced open tire.
Or can you…Glue Tread
I got a kit a few months ago to keep in our UTV as we do not have a spare. Got our first sidewall tear about an inch long two weeks ago, went through the entire glue tread kit trying to patch the tire. It was raining at the time so that may have something to do with our result but it wont be replacing the full size spare on our overland rig.
Definitely curious about this product. Seems like something worth having in your kit as a somewhat last resort.
Just YT Glue Tread. There is a handful of trail test videos.
I saw this at overland expo east last year. Definitely an interesting product. Definitely not something I'd trust on the highway but they say people have done it. Spend a little more money and get the kit with the activator spray.
That’s my worry. So would you just swap the tire out with your spare in this case?
Duh. What’s the other option?
I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking…to see if I’m missing another option.
perhaps starting with tires that have tough sidewalls to begin with? 3 ply sidewall/LT tires can handle way more abuse than 2 ply/P tires. heavy, worse MPG and less comfortable though.
also airing down helps the tire to absorb sharper objects to a certain degree; avoiding to actually piercing the tire.
and you can always load up a 2nd spare if you're going to a very remote area. perhaps an overkill in the US but in other parts of the world (africa, or "down under!") it's kinda normal to not pass by a tire shop for hundreds of miles.
The tire repair kits are amazing for something like a nail/screw puncturing the tire for example. They are really easy to use. HOWEVER I have encountered some screws/nails/bolts (yes even a bolt, not sure how) that either need to be taken out with pliers, a screw driver, etc. As well as having to drill out the hole OR literally hammer the t-handle rougher-upper to get into the hole. You cannot rely solely on the repair kit to actually repair the hole. You will most likely need other tools. With that being said it is an amazing kit that has saved me, my gf, multiple family members and friends framing having to purchase a new tire let alone do anything with the spare. Plus the kit is like $20 maybe? Worth every penny
DON'T FUCK WITH A SIDE WALL PUNCTURE THOUGH!
I dunno, the glue tread stuff looks legit. I’ve seen a lot of good info on them for sidewall cuts/punctures. Def decent enough to get you back to civilization.
I carry a portable compressor that connects to my car battery and have had my side wall punctured previously but I didnt know that. I drove around for maybe 30-50 miles before getting it fixed so I would just leave the object in if I need to use that tire and keep inflating it but not attempt to repair it.
I dont think I would ever try to repair a sidewall puncture. You run the risk of the tire exploding.
You can plug a sidewall, I’ve done it. Use multiple plugs if you have to. Would I then drive like that on the highway? Probably not, but perfectly fine to get you out of a spot.
But just to get out of the current situation you mean? Not to like keep offroading for the weekend
If it holds for the weekend I’d do that too, need a new tire anyways. What am I gonna do, ruin it even worse than it’s already ruined?
Well I would be concerned about the tire exploding if its a sidewall puncture
lol, exploding?? I wouldn’t be concerned about that at all. Especially in low speed offroad situations. Worst that’s gonna happen is the tire goes flat again or starts to come apart and you put your spare on. This is assuming you had proper tires in the first place of course.
So with a side wall puncture, what do I do? Switch the tire out to the spare? Or repair it some way?
You might already know this but just to add. Most tire shops like Discount Tire will plug a tire for free but they also follow certain rules where they won’t plug it if it’s unsafe which is typically anywhere outside of the tread pattern. Personally if I was already on my spare and it got flat and I had to plug a sidewall I would, but only to limp it back to civilization. I personally wouldn’t drive over about 20mph on a plugged sidewall and hopefully not a very long distance, I’d also keep the PSI fairly low. I really don’t have any scientific evidence or thankfully any experience with plugged sidewalls but that’s just the rules I set for myself.
Thanks!
I would switch to your spare
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Luckily sidewall punctures are not as common so it should be repairable. And the reason I drove with my sidewall puncture was because I couldn't find where the leak was coming from, I thought it was too small to see. So if you get a "mysterious leak" that you cannot identify look at the inside sidewall
You can absolutely plug a sidewall though to get off a trail
I have a full sized spare so just put that on
I’m putting the spare on first. Then if another flat happens I’m plugging it. Then I’m hoping for no sidewall cuts!
Thanks!
I recently experienced a nail in my tread. I used a "T handle" repair kit to fix and get back on the road.
However, when I took that tire back to Discount Tire, they refused to fix it (with a patch from the inside) saying they can't fix tires that have been plugged this way and would be happy to sell me a new tire at a discount since I had the warranty. Never heard of this before. So, not sure where this "rule" comes from, but just FYI.
I ended up taking it to another tire shop and they were happy to patch it properly from the inside.
Liability. They don't want you coming back later after the tire fails and try to blame them.
Many years ago I had a Discount Tire refuse to sell me 1 tire. Their justification was that since I had a 4wd, adding a single new tire would screw up the drivetrain due to the difference in tire diameters. 😐
Now with my current WJ (Quadra-Drive w/ 247 transfer case & Vari-Lok axles) I can maybe see their argument, depending on how many miles are on the tires. But for an XJ w/ a 242 transfer case and open diffs, their reasoning doesn't really fly.
Oh that’s interesting. I had the same experience with them refusing to fix a ‘t handle’ patch. They told me any tire shop would say the same, and I didn’t get other opinions at the time.
I wound up upgrading to a proper AT tire (from a crossover mild AT). So, all’s well.
Flat ground? Change it, plug or patch it and let everything do its thing while it’s off the truck. 15 degrees off camber and 30 degrees down for 600 feet before I’m on level ground and a plug isn’t going to work? I’m driving it through, if you can’t safely get a jack under your vehicle or keep it from rolling that wheel and tire just became sacrificial.
Thanks
Also remember , unless you have more tyre repair kits , you have to start heading home as you dont have a spare tyre anymore. Our field teams only used to explore going as far as half their tyre supply.
Have e-rated tires so I don't get a flat.
This.
On the trail, if the damaged tire can be repaired well enough to function, that’s what I do. Save the spare for the ride home. Also, always carry a spare that’s and exact match to the other four. Rotate five tires to keep them all in good shape. A tire that is unused on the back of the vehicle is deteriorating without being flexed and used. If that spare is old, it may not actually be any good when you need it.
Are you finding a flat spot and changing the tire with the spare, or using an off-road tire repair kit with tire patches and T-handle probes?
I'd certainly change it out for the spare first.
At camp that night I'd probably give it a go to patch / plug the tyre, but only when I've used both spares would I actually use it on the vehicle.
I’ve blown my tires on the trail a couple times. I just throw the spare on, and throw the blown tire on top of my rack/rtt. It’s always been a “sun is going down and I need to get the spare on so I can make it to camp for the night” situation. Once I blow a tire that really ends my off roading for the weekend. It’s a slow crawl back to the trail head without cell service or emergency beacons.
Patch first so I don’t have to jack up the truck. Bust out the spare if I have to.
I'm using the spare and fixing the other at camp unless it's warrantied. The only reason I'll use a kit is if it's an old tire or I have no other choice and have multiple flats. If it's just a minor puncture, I'm using a can of fix a flat/ green slime. I don't care if it pisses off the tire tech, I'm trying to get home.
Does fix a flat or green slime ruin the tire?
Depending on the situation, I'll usually swap to the spare, and then repair the flat (if possible) and store it. Give the repair time set without using the tire.
If it’s just a simple puncture I’m plugging it and heading on my way. Way less work than taking a tire off and putting another one on.
When you plug it correctly, are you usually good to keep going on rugged terrain or is it a bandaid fix that forces you to get to a tire shop ASAP?
when it comes down to it, you will learn how to repair a flat tire when you need to.
I have a plug kit and a VIAIR compressor that lives in my truck.
Change it
Plug it if you can.
Plugs used to be how tires were repaired. They hold up fine. I have two in my Tacoma's tires now that have been there for over a year.
With that said, not all holes can be plugged and it's not always safe to repair a tire while it's on the vehicle. In that case, a spare is the way to go.
I carry a tire repair kit and a Thors onboard air system.. I don’t carry a spare tire and haven’t for years.
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I always try the plugging option first. Sometimes it can require more than 1 plug, I've used 7 plugs in one sidewall gash but it held air for the rest of the trip.
As far getting skilled at repairs, repetition is the mother of all learning. But if you don't practice, it's not rocket science, provided you have some common sense and some mechanical aptitude it's not too hard to figure out on the fly.
I probably just swap on the full size spare.
On one of my four-wheeling runs, not long ago, I popped a tire off the bead so there was no t handle repair. (Although there are ways to reseat).
Another time (long ago) a sharp rock went through the tire (they were terrible bargain basement tires that came with the vehicle). I had a full size spare then also and swapped it on.
If it's a screw or nail I might stick a plug in just to get to a better spot or to make it to a tire shop. I have an electric air compressor (Viair) that could fill it back up pretty quickly.
This is a situation where a hobby preps you for other situations, I suppose. I have had to deal with broken parts, malfunctions, etc. (it helps if you have a really old jeep because then you get LOTS of opportunities for field repair lol)
I see you’re in CO with a 4Runner…just like me. What tires do you have for good summer and winter performance?
I put on a set of Falken Wildpeak AT tires recently after the stock ones were done. I didn't get to do a lot of driving in the snow, though. But everyone raves about them for off-road. I hope to test them extensively this summer.
I can't complain about the stock tires, though (Bridgestone Dueller HT). I did a number of trails with them and was really impressed. They seemed fine in the snow. No complaints for rain or general driving around. Got about 25k miles out of them.
Nice!
Falken Wildpeak are the best AT for winter on 4Runners. They're very popular up here in Canada as an all-year AT tire.
I personally run studded Hakkapeliitta for winters and KO2s for summer, which is a good combination for winter performance and summer durability. The KO2s are good in fresh snow, but you'll skate around on ice.
Thanks!
I have a compressor.
Me too.
Sticks n’ Rocks are sharp AF here. I carry two spares and just swap ‘em out.
Just plug it until you can get to a tire repair shop and then get it patched when you do.
Punctures usually depend on your terrain and this way if you get another puncture you don't need to fix two tires or replace them both if it's in the sidewall.
I’m in Colorado, so it’s very rocky. Is plugging the tire fairly easy if you’ve never done it before and how only watched videos?
Hard to beat this for $50
Thanks! Is it fairly easy to plug the tire without having never done it before? I’ve only watched YouTube videos but have never had to do it.
To plug from the outside is quite easy. Don’t over think it. Just jam it in there. It’ll get you to a tire shop that will remove it and put a proper patch on the inside. Tire plug instructions
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I just did a significant amount of off road driving (like in 4 low type off road) and I found a nail in my tire 10 minutes before turning off pavement. In this case, I verified it wasn’t leaking and left it. Small punctures are for plug kits and large holes/sidewall problems are for spares. More importantly, do you have an appropriate Jack for the size of your rig (especially if lifted), a plate to put it on if the ground isn’t stable and the tools to remove the wheel/tire? Many people don’t think about it and have a modified rig and a factory jack which won’t work most of the time. Fix what you can fix, replace what you can’t. Be prepared to do both and, I recommend, a second rig in case of disaster (two tires cut etc).
Thanks!
And how does one get skilled at repairing a tire if you’ve never had to use tire patches and T-handle probes?
Best starting point would be YouTube videos demonstrating how it's done.
If you want practical hands-on learning, check a local tire shop or even Walmart to see if one of their technicians will show you how it's done. You might be surprised how amenable they can be when someone wants to learn a skill like that. 👍
Thanks!
Depends on what sort of flat.
Maybe plug, maybe patch, possible just re-seat the bead.
Maybe change to the spare if it's totally jacked.
If a plug is going to work, I’m going to use the plug. Keep it simple.
If it’s sidewall, I still might repair it just to get off the trail, really depends on the conditions that day.
Use the spare, fix the flat when you get to camp, go to a tire repair shop when you get to town.
Def just swapping it
Like on the dalton highway in Alaska and you have a donut as a spare?
Go get a POS tire that hold air and practice. I carry a spare and find that changing a tire is usually easier in the long run, I did say USUALLY.
It depends… if it’s a really hot day, then I’m going to change the tyre to the spare and fix the damaged one in the evening when it’s cooler.
Basic stuff. You could also practice on a old tire. Long as your sidewall did not get a bad gash your ok. Not supposed to plug a sidewall hole but I would do it to get me home.
When you get home take it to the tire shop so they can put a patch on the inside too.
If you have wheel locks make sure you have the key.
Met these guy driving north, I was heading south on Berdoo Canyon Trail. Huge gash bottom of tire. He also did not have the wheel lock.
Buy the best tires you can in the first place.
I had this happen. Rolled over a sharp rock and blew a tire about two hours out of cell service on a forest service road. It was entirely, undriveably flat within a few hundred yards.
I pulled into a flat dispersed camp site, put the full size spare on, and then used a t-handle patch kit to patch the blown tire once it was off. I reinflated it and put it back where the spare was. My logic being, I had to use the same road to get back out and had no idea which rock it was or where. So, I may need to change it back again to get home.
I later learned that tire shops can’t apply a permanent patch to a tire you’ve used a t-handle patch kit on. The t-handle patches are temporary use only. So, that tire was toast.
I got a set of four tires that are heavier duty than my prior set. So, hopefully less likely to happen again.
Good battery terminal pump and a plug kit easier to plug a tire with some air in it.
Depends on how the tyre has failed if it's a simple puncture that's repairable then go for a quick fix like a ARB speedy seal then pump back up but it won't be any good if you have ripped the sidewall out on some knarly rocks
You learn how to do it watching YouTube. You get skilled at it by doing it yourself.
I fix the tire. Ezpz.
I just went through this recently. Picked up a bolt from the road and figured there was no better place to get familiar with the plug system than in the driveway. Pulled the bolt out, used the plug kit, and it consistently held air around 33psi. Problem (of my own making, admittedly) is that I run at 40psi for daily commute driving. So I get it into the shop and he tells me that using the plug separates the plies on the inside which creates an unstable part of the tire, and often pulls the steel belts which makes a place where their internal patch would wear through and you'd leak again. If I was in the last 1/3 of these tires life I'd lower everything to 33 and run on the plug, but they're recently new and I've got years left so replaced it.
Was it all BS to get my $65? Maybe. But when he said they could have patched it if I hadn't plugged it I immediately switched to thinking of spare first, plug as a last resort. Thought I'd be clever and I paid for it.
It's good to know how to plug when that's all that's left but there's no badge for not using your spare first.
Tire repair kit and a Viair setup.
I patched my tire when I was a clueless 20y/o. I just walked to a (thankfully) nearby auto parts store and chose a random pack and followed the directions. I think you are over complicating this.
Stuffing plugs in the hole and running it until it's bald.
In the middle of nowhere or in the city, I'm doing the same thing.... patch if it's patchable, and if not throw the spare on
A good battery terminal pump and a plug kit make it easier to plug a tire when it has some air in it.
YouTubers are teaching how to do it and you can learn from them.
I am a 60 year old fat lady. I can change aflat on my truck in about 20 minutes.
Practice at home with someone who knows how to change a flat.
Flat tire in the middle of nowhere…what do YOU do?
Put on the full size spare (that gets rotated with the others), worry about fixing it later.
Call the road side assistance that I pay for every month and don’t get to use in ever ever
Ideally, change it. Out of necessity: plug it
Change the tire and use my spare. Brfore I put the flat tire away, I repair the tire if it's possible.
If I used tubeless I would plug and carry on as long as the damage isn’t too bad.
But I use tubes so I swap to the spare and replace or repair the tube at the next stop.
I also carry an extra spare tyre with no wheel on longer trips in case of major tyre damage.
It depends for me on where I am and how much time I have at my disposal.
Typically I'll plug the tyre and change to the spare at the same time. Good opportunity to rotate a tire here and there as an added bonus
Going into 4LO, pulling e brake, rock “chalking” the tires, using hi lift to lift off the slider and go.
Tire repair kits aren’t hard to use. It’s pretty simple just follow the directions in the packet and go for it. My parents always seem to have a tire with a nail or screw in it out on the farm so I was able to test and learn in a less stressful environment