Woohoo! I got a flat...

[OilPatch197]

whens the last time u checked the price of the kits at like napa.....30 for a fuckin plug kit?!?!?! **** that, ill goto walmart and spend 5 bucks

Free Trade allowed US manufacturers to expand profits by shifting production to countries where wages are a tiny fraction of those in the United States. Goods made abroad can be sold at an attractive price in the US while still allowing producers to increase the difference between price and total cost, otherwise known a profit. Those companies with a sense of national pride and identity are, finally, forced to move some or all of their production offshore in order to survive.

Aside from the short term charm of finding bargains on the shopping rack, there are serious consequences here. Let’s look them. The first problem is the disappearance of the American “living wage”. The only reason Americans have managed to avoid confronting their declining real income per capita is by increasing the number of family members working. There was a time, when people accepted that one working family member could support 4 people at a reasonable standard of living.

This was the vision of America Nixon debated, famously, at an exhibit of the postulated US living standards presented in the Soviet Union. This was the Ozzie and Harriet version of American life which was broadcast to the world and to the home audience as standard: the norm. It wasn’t, of course, but it was close enough to what middle America saw around them to be at least plausible.


Already, young people are finding no jobs, or a universe of job opportunities which pay poverty wages… This is a problem that is not going away. It’s going to get worse.

 

[triumphrider-1]

So I took it out to Belle Tire and had them plug and patch it. The initial quote was $10, but they didn't even charge me in the end!

The assailant ended up being a 5/8" sheet metal screw (I thought it was a lag screw given the size of the head). Now I just gotta sand my spare tire rim and put a coat of paint on it to try to keep the rust down while not in use, and I'll be good to go!

 

[Psychopete]

LOL, I found a nail in my tire on my Tempo (so that's why it would always get low!), plugged it and it's been fine. They're getting replaced soon.

I've plugged a tire on a Lumina, I told the lady to take it in ASAP to get the tire replaced, but drove on it for 3 years (and probably is still driving on it).

Plugged a tire on my Grand Prix that had a huge bolt stuck in it. This was a year and a half ago, I probably drove on it for 3 months, but the rims have been setting since I got rid of the car. (still holding)

I've plugged countless power equipment tires, that was one of my main jobs at a power equipment place a long time ago. I don't know what's worse than changing a tire on a dinky rim (4-5"), I really hated those.

I would say that they work OK! (Just as long as there good resistence with the first tool to bore out the hole and it's not too close to the sidewall)

Plugs are awesome, don't even need to take the rim off even. Sure as hell beats fix-a-flat.

Pete

 

[triumphrider-1]

It was in probably 2 inches off the side wall (dead center on a lug). I'm hoping it'll hold up until the tires need to be replaced, atleast a couples years (these tires should be able to pull down 75,000 miles, so that leaves approximately 40,000 more miles to go).

I'll probably be pretty anal about checking the pressure in it (atleast for a while), since this is my first plugged tire.

 

[feellnfroggy]

I read in a 4x4 magazine those guy have been known to use up too 12 plugs safely for emergency reasons. I myself have used up to three, and enver replaced the tire till it was bald. Didnt have a problem. I dont recommend that but hey I was broke. ! plug should be fine if its not in the sidewall.