Harry Wagner
Contributor
Regardless how tough your tires are or how good a driver you are, flats happen. It is just the nature of 4-wheeling. Fortunately a flat tire does not have to end your day—assuming you have a fullsize spare tire. But if you’ve left the spare on the trailer or already swapped out one tire on this trip, don’t worry. With a good plug kit and an air source you can fix nearly any puncture enough to get off the trail at least.
Start by locating the offending object and removing it. This will let the air out, so be ready with your plug to insert it. Also ensure that you have an air source with you. You don’t want to lose too much air because this can possibly deseat the bead and then you would have a bigger problem. You can plug the sidewall of a tire to get off the trail, but because a sidewall flexes as the tire rotates it can spit the plug out at high speeds. In other words, don’t run sidewall plugs on the street.
We carry a Safety Seal plug kit with self-vulcanizing plugs that bond to the tire. Start by centering the plug in the needle and applying some of the included lube to make the process easier.
Insert the needle until the sleeve is against the tire, then hold the sleeve there and pull up on the handle. Don’t twist as that could damage the plug. At this point the excess material sticking out of the tire can be cut off and the tire can be reinflated. Now it’s time to get back on the trail!
