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Cpt.Dave
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 38 Merrimack,NH
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2003-09-10          63520

The back ag-tire on my jd1050 has water and air seeping out where it was plugged.Is there any new technology for plugs?
Any suggestions?
cpt.dave


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AC5ZO
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 928 Rio Rancho, NM 87144
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2003-09-10          63522

You can replace a leaking plug. I much prefer patches on the inside of a tire. Patches work and hold up well, but they are much more work to apply especially with fluid filled tires. You may choose to settle for just replugging the tire.

I use plugs for emergency repairs on my off-road vehicles and then remove or cut off the plugs and do permanent repairs with patches. I also have a feeling that plugs have been responsible for a number of tread separations that I have seen by leaking air into the ply area. On my street vehicles, I only use inside patches.

Mark H has suggested many reasons for not using fluid ballast and I think that repairing a tire should be near the top of that list. If you decide to patch the tire on the inside, you might want to consider pumping out the opposite tire also and adding wheel weights instead. Running air filled tires will allow you to run puncture sealant and should provide a softer ride. ....

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TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-09-11          63561

I put a plug in a front tire (not loaded) and it still leaked a bit. I'll blame it on my plug job. I used some emergency inflator stuff and left it the tire, which doesn't leak now. I'm not sure if the emergency inflator stuff is likely to give me future problems--well I could use new front tires anyway.

If I did it again I'd probably take the trouble to do AC's patch on the inside thing. ....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2003-09-11          63572

I do and will continue to put tubes in tractor tires that are loaded. Plugs do leak from time to time. ....

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Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2003-09-11          63577

I agree with Art, plugs just don't hold up well over the long run and sometimes end up doing more damage than good. It is a royal PITA to remove and break tractor tire beads, but better get it done right. ....

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Cpt.Dave
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 38 Merrimack,NH
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2003-09-11          63590

Thanks guys. ....

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F350Lawman
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 411 Goshen, NY
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2003-09-11          63593

I patched my rear R-4 with the traditional "worm" tire plugs. The brown ones that are made out of a sticky nylon like material. It leaked!

I tried one of the new plugs that are made out of black soft rubber. They are hard to insert as they sometimes tear but once in it works. You can't see it eaither once trimmed as it almost the same material as the tire. One month now and tire pressure is still perfect. ....

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AC5ZO
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 928 Rio Rancho, NM 87144
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2003-09-11          63594

Plugs work more times than they don't. A good part of getting them to work is to have a proper amount of preparation/adhesive in the wound before inserting the plug. It is more difficult when you have water/calcium ballast fluid in the hole.

Most of my plugs don't leak, but I have had a few occasions where they do. I have also seen a few times where the leak is only internal. You cannot tell where a plug seals.

For example if it seals against the outside tire carcass and not well at the inner liner, air pressure can force its way into the nylon/belts/reinforcement and cause a tread separation where the tire delaminates internally. It will still hold air, but it is damaged. There is no such failure mode for an inside patch.

I consider plugs a good way to make a quick repair to make it back to the barn or out of the boonies, but a reliable internal patch is the only permanent fix that I know about. Until I learn differently , I will replace plugs as soon as I can and will recommend the same procedure to others. As others have mentioned it is a royal PITA to remove a big tractor tire, especially with fluid ballast, but for me it is worth the cost and effort. ....

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F350Lawman
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 411 Goshen, NY
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2003-09-11          63595

I would worry more about air separating the tread in a higher pressure tire like my trucks 80lbs. My rear tractor tire is at 12 psi, I don't think the air will force the plies apart at those pressures.

Only time will tell :) ....

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AC5ZO
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 928 Rio Rancho, NM 87144
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2003-09-11          63598

I agree that the lower pressure is much less likely to damage the tire through tread separation. All of the tires that I have seen with tread separations are higher pressure truck tires used in off-road applications. When I lived on a farm, years ago, the inside patches mounted on a dismounted tire were the only option. (A plug was a very funny looking patch with a chunk of rubber molded to a regular patch for patching really big holes.)

I was trying to illustrate a problem with modern plugs for making external tire repairs from my direct experience. That more recent direct experience has been with off-road racing. I don't like plugs, but I do carry them with me EVERY time I go on an extended off-road trip. I would much rather plug a tire than to dismount it and do a patch repair with inadequate tools and I can certainly see how someone might make a similar decision on their tractor tires given the cost and difficulty of the job.

Let me offer the following advice. If you are going to plug a tractor tire with fluid ballast, run the leak to the very top where there is air in the tire. Make very sure that it does not have a tube. If you have a way to clean out the hole with pressurized clean water and air it would be good to get the calcium out of the wound. Use a very course preparation tool to clean out the hole. (I have used long drywall screws for this before) Put a good amount of rubber cement on the screw/tool and slowly unscrew or remove it to leave the rubber cement in the hole. Now you are ready to insert the plug. Site preparation makes all the difference. ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2003-09-11          63599

I worked at a tire store for a few years during college and I can say without reservation that plugs fail all the time and inside patches rarely do. As I recall, we had tires in every day or two with plug failures whereas inside patches rarely leaked, and when they did it was usually due to the patcher being too aggressive with the grinder prior to applying the patch. ....

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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2003-09-11          63602

I plugged a tire on the BX and the plug leaked. So I put some "slime" in the tire and it still leaked.

I finally just got a tube for it. ....

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F350Lawman
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 411 Goshen, NY
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2003-09-11          63648

I would also prefer the inside the tire patch but since mine held I really don't want to got hrough the trouble. If it fails or if I get a major hole I will have it done right. ....

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