CaptainSpalding
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- Oct 13, 2010
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. . . It would be interesting to hear what ARB has to say.
Well, I heard back from ARB. Here's what I wrote:
Hello ARB Tech Support,
I have a couple of questions regarding your Speedy Seal Puncture Repair Kit.
Can repairs made with the kit be considered permanent?
Are there any circumstances where the repairs are more likely to fail? Extreme heat? Extreme cold?
Can I expect a tire that has been repaired with this kit to perform near the limits of its load and speed ratings? I'm not asking a legal question here. I know that for legal reasons tire manufacturers consider the speed and load ratings of their tires invalidated after there has been a puncture, regardless of the repair. And I'm sure your attorney might advise you to say the same thing. My question is more of a practical one. If I have repaired a punctured tire with a plug, should I not be driving my heavily loaded Range Rover at 85 miles per hour on the Interstate?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
I have a couple of questions regarding your Speedy Seal Puncture Repair Kit.
Can repairs made with the kit be considered permanent?
Are there any circumstances where the repairs are more likely to fail? Extreme heat? Extreme cold?
Can I expect a tire that has been repaired with this kit to perform near the limits of its load and speed ratings? I'm not asking a legal question here. I know that for legal reasons tire manufacturers consider the speed and load ratings of their tires invalidated after there has been a puncture, regardless of the repair. And I'm sure your attorney might advise you to say the same thing. My question is more of a practical one. If I have repaired a punctured tire with a plug, should I not be driving my heavily loaded Range Rover at 85 miles per hour on the Interstate?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
And here's what I got back from them:
There are just too many factors to consider with tire repairs to be able to comment effectively including the legal reasons you mentioned. Every repair is different and every tire is different. I do know that there are plenty of tire repair shops out there that consider a plug a permanent repair though not all of them. You have to consider the size of the hole, the location of the hole, the general state of the tire, etc. to make any kind of judgement on how it will perform after the repair. I would follow the tire manufacturers recommendations as they know their tire better than anyone. I wouldn't advise driving anything heavily loaded at 85mph on the interstate regardless of a tire repair or not.
It is interesting that in their reply they say that many repair shops consider the plug to be a permanent repair, without stating ARB's position on the matter. I don't know if this was accidental or if they are being deliberately cagey. BTW, I wouldn't drive a heavily loaded vehicle at 85 mph. I guess I should have phrased the question differently.