[DeTomaso] Are time plugs temporary or permanent fixes?

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/2/11 8 34 18, julian_kift at hotmail.com writes:


> IMO take it and get it repaired, a tire shop fix is permanent, far more 
> so than the roadside "get you out of a bind" tire plugs. The professional 
> ones have a patch on the end of the plug that the shop vulcanizes onto the 
> inner surface of the tire.
> 

Don't make the mistake I made with my Mustang, and accept an external plug 
repair.   Insist on the mushroom-shaped plugs, which incorporate a round 
patch which covers the hole from the inside, and has a projection that extends 
out.

I had one of those external plugs fitted on my GT350 in Florence.   A year 
later I was on my way to the Nurburgring when it failed, the tire went flat 
and I was stranded on the side of the road.   Lucky thing--I was going to be 
running flat-out on the track the next day, and if it happened there?   
Much badness!!!!

The internal plugs are quite robust and shouldn't have any adverse affect 
on the tire, other than adding an imbalance factor which will require the 
tire to be balanced when the repair is complete.

Cheers!

Mike