Road Safety Blog

Which tyre plug-in repair is the best?

jonckie

As holidaymakers prepare to set off on their trips, preparing for potholes should be on one’s to-do list. This is particularly true, if travelling in areas with a reputation for potholes such as that between KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, roads in Pietermaritzburg, Potchefstroom and Bloemfontein.

Potholes are here to stay and you are better prepared by researching the condition of the roads before leaving than hoping for change. With heavy traffic, rain and lack of maintenance continuously gnawing away at an already weakened road infrastructure, its improvement is slow.

The damage potholes can do to your car can be significant. While some damage is immediately visible, it might take a while to notice your car isn’t handling as well as it should. It may be a slow accumulation of many small bumps before it amounts to a considerable affect.

Vishal Premlall, national director of the Tyres Equipment Parts Association (TEPA) says, “When a wheel hits a pothole, it drops into the hole and then rolls out of it. The damage is almost never due to entering the pothole, but rather the impact of exiting.

“The extent of the damage depends on numerous factors. Tyre diameter, speed, depth and length of the pothole all come into play. The smaller the wheel, the more severe the impact.”

Damage is often not only confined to tyres. “Other vehicle components also absorb the impact. This leads to damage like losing a hubcap or damage to a tyre sidewall. Potholes can also cause punctured tyres, broken rims, misalignment and damaged suspension,” says Premlall

Les Richardson, TEPA Vice Chairman, provides advice on what to do when you hit a pothole:

Depending on your location and provided it is safe, pull over and checking for visible signs of impact. Obvious signs include strange noises, steering wheel shaking and skewed steering due to incorrect wheel alignment.
If you are insured and your vehicle is unsafe, call your insurer to tow the vehicle. Be aware, insurance companies may not pay for damage caused by continued driving after hitting a pothole.
Even with no obvious signs of damage and the car feels fine to drive, go to an accredited fitment centre to be checked as soon as possible.

Puncture repairs

Richardson says nails and screws are also common culprits, causing punctures. “The left-hand area and right shoulder of the highway is where one often runs into these as it is often littered with debris. On should not be driving in the emergency in any case.”

When repairing punctures, push-in plug repairs are not ideal, Richardson warns. “There was a movement to ban these products a few years ago, but it was abandoned. Push-in plugs are only an emergency measure, allowing you to get to an accredited fitment centre for proper repair.

“Push-in plugs can flex when cornering, braking and accelerating. The seal can break, leading to an immense drop in pressure. Pressure differences result in uneven handling and compromised safety. It often leads to excessive heat build-up potentially resulting in tyre failure.”

A ‘mushroom plug’ has a larger cap, bonded to the interior of the tyre, providing a more secure repair. “This is appropriate for the tread area but should never be applied to the sidewall. Most sidewall damage is irreparable, due to extreme flexing and pressure exerted on this area when cornering or braking.”

The cost of repairing a puncture with a mushroom plug versus a push-in plug is double the price (R100 to R150 versus R200 to 250). “The reason is when using a mushroom plug the tyre is removed and cleaned with a scouring disk before the inner mushroom and inside of the tyre are bonded. This is then refitted and balanced,” says Richardson

Premlall concludes, “If you are on an isolated stretch of road during your trip and have no other choice, use a push-in plug to help you get to an accredited fitment centre for a mushroom plug. It’s more stable, has an airtight seal and will be good for the remainder of your trip and many years thereafter.”

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