Three kits we carry in our...
Three kits we carry in our various 4x4s are the Slime Tire Tackle repair kit, the Safety Seal, and ARB’s Speedy Seal. The Slime kit has spare valve stems, patches, caps, a tire gauge, and the plug tools. The ARB kit has plugs and tools as well as a tire gauge and spare valve stems and core tool. The Safety Seal kit only has the plugs and tools for repair, but Safety Seal has been around the longest and is considered the granddaddy of all tire plug kits because, if properly done, the repair is permanent.
Vroom! You’re heading down the trail.
Pop! What was that?
Sssss! Uh oh, a tire’s got a problem.
This happens every weekend on trails across America. It happens to the best of drivers and the best of tires. Nothing is perfect, so round up a tire plug kit and throw it in your 4x4.
The first step in tire repair...
The first step in tire repair is to remove the problem. We’ve seen tires punctured with sticks, nails, screws, even a wrench that happened to fall in just the wrong way before getting run over. (Note: No healthy tires were killed in the making of this article.)
Tire plugs are sticky rubber-impregnated pieces of yarn that, when stuffed into the offending hole, stop the air leak. The repair is often very easy, and if you catch the puncture fast enough you can plug it before the tire fully deflates. In fact, our experience tells us that digging out the repair kit or finding a buddy on the trail with a repair kit is often the biggest delay in tire repair.
Next, give that hole a good...
Next, give that hole a good reaming! Probe it like an alien life form until you find the angle of entry of the stick, nail, wrench, or whatever caused the leak. This is the same angle you’ll insert the plug.
Thread a sticky new tire plug...
Thread a sticky new tire plug onto the needle or insertion tool until it is halfway up the plug. Tire plugs can get old and stick to the wrapper over time, so try and keep them in a cool spot in your truck, or replace them after a couple years.
Lube the plug. The lube will...
Lube the plug. The lube will help get the plug in a tight hole. Some kits do not include lube, but ARB and Safety Seal do.
Push the plug into the hole...
Push the plug into the hole until just 3⁄4 to 1 inch of the plug is hanging out. If the hole is larger than 1⁄4 inch it may need to be repaired off the wheel from the inside with a patch, but we’ve seen guys use multiple plugs in the same hole to get the rig off the trail.
Slide the plunger down the...
Slide the plunger down the insertion tool as you pull the tool out of the hole. This will push the plug out of the tool, and it should stay in the hole, stopping the air leak. Add air if possible and listen for leaks. Repeat if necessary.
Use a knife or razorblade...
Use a knife or razorblade to cut down the ends of the plug, as they can possibly get caught and pulled out of the hole. Tire companies and plug suppliers advise against plugging a tire anywhere other than the tread itself—and only as a temporary seal. That being said, we’ve plugged shoulders and sidewalls with great success to get off the trail and have some trail-only tires that have lived a long time with a proper tire plug.