Trail tire repair kit and Staun deflaters

B1Toad

B1Toad

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KennethS said:
Never used that particular one, but I have used tire plugs from the local auto parts store since the 80s and they have always worked well.

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/xtra-seal/tire---wheel/tire-inflators---sealants/patch-plug-repair-kit/8d89e85ab881/xtra-seal-tire-repair-kit/xts0/15005?q=patch/plug/repair+kit&pos=1
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I've used those too but the kits I just ordered claim to plug and patch from the inside. I did read somewhere though that a plug should only be a temporary repair and should always be followed by a dismount and patch as soon as possible. On a fairly new tire that's probably what I'd do.
 
Yeah, I have read that from the Tire Rubber Manufacturers Association. I used to work at a shop and we dismounted tires to install plug patches from the inside, the way they recommend. I also used the above plugs on my muscle car in school and ran the tires until they were slicks and they never leaked air. I recall coming out of class and seeing the nub of a plug on one of my bald rear tires and thinking how tough that plug was to survive the many smoky burnouts it was subjected to. That convinced me they worked, and I haven’t had any issues using them in the past 40 years.
 
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I finally gave up on the Staun deflators. I love the convenience of screwing them on and letting all four tires air down while I do something else, but inevitably I have one of the four go rogue and over deflate by a fair amount. Even after I reset all of them, they never get the psi right. I've switched to the ARB deflator. Haven't used it yet other than testing in the driveway. I can tell it will be a bit more tedious to use but I confident it will be accurate.
 
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MikekiM said:
I finally gave up on the Staun deflators. I love the convenience of screwing them on and letting all four tires air down while I do something else, but inevitably I have one of the four go rogue and over deflate by a fair amount. Even after I reset all of them, they never get the psi right. I've switched to the ARB deflator. Haven't used it yet other than testing in the driveway. I can tell it will be a bit more tedious to use but I confident it will be accurate.
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I agree. My Coyotes, which are supposed to be the best, even better than Staun’s, only keep the set point for a couple months. I think I’m swapping to the ARB deflator soon. Accuracy over ease of use.
 
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That type of deflator are not that accurate or repeatable but it’s not that critical when airing down. I gave up on them a while back and use an ARB now, just as fast and a lot more control of final pressures. Either one works fine.
 
Mine would only vary by a couple of pounds. 4psi would be pretty damn obvious even to a newbie! There has to be some operator responsibility while operating these beyond the norm. Just sayin!
 
B1Toad said:
I've used those too but the kits I just ordered claim to plug and patch from the inside. I did read somewhere though that a plug should only be a temporary repair and should always be followed by a dismount and patch as soon as possible. On a fairly new tire that's probably what I'd do.
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A properly inserted plug in the tread for nail and screw holes can be considered permanent. It's the sidewall where plugging can't be considered anything but temporary in an emergency to get you to a tire shop.

This Safety Seal kit is what I have used to plug nail and screw holes in tire treads with for probably 40 years, it works very well. Notice its aluminum handles, they're strong enough to hold up to the considerable force usually needed to insert a plug through the tread.

P.S. I recommend carrying an extra box of tire plugs. I nearly went through an entire box of plugs plugging a big gash in a sidewall so it'd hold air well enough to get back to camp where my spare tire was while on Sledgehammer in SoCal in 2003.

Safety Seal kit.jpg
 
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B1Toad said:
Some folks on the RV forum recommended these, I ordered one for the RV and one for the TJ https://www.nealeytirerepairkit.com/repair-kits and shipping was free.
Meanwhile I've read a lot about deflaters that are hard to use or that don't stay calibrated. Anyone using Staun deflaters? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QBPBLWY/?tag=wranglerorg-20 Or Trailhead? https://www.trailheaddeflators.com/
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Most of your plugs will be used for nails and whatnot that you pick up on the pavement. I'd strongly urge you to try one or two of those with that screwdriver style inserter before you get too far along. Plugging a good tire and getting the plug in past the steel belts even after drilling and reaming with the reamer you see in Jerry's picture still requires a large amount of force on that T handle. So much so that we typically break the handles on the lower quality kits.
 
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mrblaine said:
Most of your plugs will be used for nails and whatnot that you pick up on the pavement. I'd strongly urge you to try one or two of those with that screwdriver style inserter before you get too far along. Plugging a good tire and getting the plug in past the steel belts even after drilling and reaming with the reamer you see in Jerry's picture still requires a large amount of force on that T handle. So much so that we typically break the handles on the lower quality kits.
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I have used the cheaper kits a couple of times, my last was the Slime branded one on my work van with 10 ply rated tires. It was hard yes but not a problem for me. I can see it being a problem for some folks but fortunately I am a big guy with no disabilities as of yet. I never though about the handle breaking, I'll keep that in mind though, if I ever have to use one, I do keep a pair of Tillmans in my tool kit .
 
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I use Coyote deflators rather than Stauns. My current set are the newer "Vortex" or "V2" version. I've experienced no issues with them, including accuracy and maintaining set point.

https://www.coyoteents.com/


As for the minor inconvenience of screwing the deflators on and off the valve stem, I added some clip-on open flow air chucks:

1693748787428.png


1693748917041.png
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
A properly inserted plug in the tread for nail and screw holes can be considered permanent. It's the sidewall where plugging can't be considered anything but temporary in an emergency to get you to a tire shop.

This Safety Seal kit is what I have used to plug nail and screw holes in tire treads with for probably 40 years, it works very well. Notice its aluminum handles, they're strong enough to hold up to the considerable force usually needed to insert a plug through the tread.

P.S. I recommend carrying an extra box of tire plugs. I nearly went through an entire box of plugs plugging a big gash in a sidewall so it'd hold air well enough to get back to camp where my spare tire was while on Sledgehammer in SoCal in 2003.

View attachment 454769
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Same kit for me and the person who took this picture bought one after watching mine get used. Plug held up well for the rest of the trail.

1693751970499.jpeg
 
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Mr. Bills said:
….

As for the minor inconvenience of screwing the deflators on and off the valve stem, I added some clip-on open flow air chucks:

View attachment 454774

View attachment 454777
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That is a great idea - I’ve ordered a set to try out.

I use the Stauns, and they work well and stay accurate for me. Mine are set at 10, and when I use them they always wind up within a half pound or so at worst. I have never had one stick and under inflate. But the trick I have found is that they have to be maintained - specifically they have to be clean. Dirt or debris impact their function. So once every year or two I pull them apart, clean and lightly lube them with silicone spray, and recalibrate. For me, the time savings during air down is worth the effort.

All that said, depending where I wheel I am generally going less than 10. So I use the Stauns to get to 10, and then use a digital Powertank air chuck to drop the rest of the way.
 
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