How to Plug a Tire | Tactical DIY tire plugs | Vehicle Survival Repair Skills | Tactical Rifleman
Tier-1 Group has one of the greatest driving programs on the planet. Besides just teaching High-Speed Vehicle Dynamics, T1G also covers some really great field vehicle repairs. If you saw our video on repairing bullet holes in a radiator, you’ll recall Chad is very direct and to the point. You’ll find the same here, where Chad takes us through plugging a tire in the field, both with and without a plug kit.
First, what is a Plug Kit, and why would I need to know how to use one? Picture walking out to your truck and seeing it has a flat. Upon closer inspection, you see that you ran over a simple nail or screw. Easy fix, just put on the spare tire and take the flat to a local tire shop. The mechanic rolls the tire around the corner, and comes back 5 minutes later, with your tire magically fixed, and he holds out his hand for that $20 bill you owe him. How did he fix it? He pulled that nail out with pliers and used a Plug Kit to stick in a 25 cent plug.
Plug Kits can be bought at any auto parts store on the planet (buy a good one), and knowing how to use one is a “Man Skill” that should to taught to every kid in high school.
Now, fast forward to the real world and you may find yourself in need of a repair with no mechanic. You don’t have to be an SOF Operator in the middle of a covert op in some foreign desert; you might just be out in the mountains hunting or just enjoying the great outdoors. Whatever your situation, having the knowledge to plug a tire in the field may just be the mental tool that saves the day (or at least your afternoon).
Plugging a Tire requires:
Inserting a Plug through the eye of the Split Needle Tool
Removing the nail or screw
Smoothing out the hole with the Reamer (provided in most Kits)
Inserting the Plug with the Split Needle Tool (Provided in Kit)
Quickly withdrawing the Split Needle, while leaving the Plug in the tire (no glue required)
inflating the tire, with air compressor, to your desired tire pressure
Yes, it is really that easy.
How about if you run out of Tire Plugs? How about if you don’t have a plug kit?
Enter Chad, with his fury tire. I say “fury”, because he has several tires in his shop with 50+ different plugs in them, and they still hold air. In this video, Chad is going to show you a variety of different materials that can be used to plug a tire in the field. He’ll show you what works better than other materials. Medical Gloves, for example, work great if done right. Now, you understand why 550 cord wont work, right?... because the air would just go right through the porous material? Wrong... 550 cord makes a great tire plug; you just have to grease it up (to seal the material) with grease you can rob from the side of your engine block. We’ve done hundreds of tires like this.
Don’t have a Plug Kit? You can use a screwdriver and a Leatherman. However, it’s a lot harder than using a real plug kit, but it can be done.
You can buy a plug kit and air compressor in just about any country on the planet. Add it to the list of other supplies that you purchase right after you pick up your rental car. Toss it in the trunk, and you’ll probably never need it.
So, watch the video three or four times, then go out and practice in the back yard? Nope. Some of this skills seem really easy, but it’s also really easy to screw it up. Drop the coin, and sign up for one of Chad’s courses. Besides just this “Man Skill,” he also covers dozens of other really cool expedient field repairs. Chad will properly demonstrate the task, and then have every student do each task. Try finding that at other driving courses. Knowledge is power; learn from the Best. Strength and Honor, Tactical Rifleman.