HFT tire repair kit...

[JTK]

Had a shard of metal through the tread area of one of the Bridgestone Turanza EL400's on my 2012 Legacy. Figured I'd use my ~$2 Harbor Freight Tools tire repair kit.

The ultra high quality components of the kit, combined with my masterful skills proved to be a huge loose/loose situation.

Two plunges with the reamer and the plastic T-handle blew into several pieces. Wonderful. Slapped some vice-grips on the reamer shaft, worked it a few more times and got it out.

On to inserting a plug... Couldn't get the first one out of the package given it was completely bonded to the plastic packing. Rubber goo all over my meat hooks now.. Got the second one out intact (cut a section of it out), got it in the fork, lubed it with a little of the included glue and attempted to shove it in the hole.

One plunge and the T-handle blew right off the inserter fork deal too. Ugh.. throw the vice grips on it. Try again. The fork twisted and bent like bubble gum. Tried to straighten it out and try again.. Twisted/bent even worse. !@#$%

Dug the spare out, mounted it up, threw the now completely flat tire in the trunk and headed to the tire shop down the street. $15 and 15min later I was back home with a plugged tire. Good times.

 

[zzyzzx]

Link to actual HF tool please!

 

[benjamming]

This one?

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: benjamming
This one?


Yep. That be the one.

I picked two when they were a buck or two on sale, thinking it was something good to have on hand. Total junk. Probably OK for mower tires, etc. Not so much for automotive.

 

[heyu]

Sounds like luck i have ,If you ended up taking it to a shop your best bet would have been putting a patch in it , I somehow popped a plug on my mower yesterday though it might be in the tire i did not remove it to see ,i just re plugged it

 

[Maximus1966]

Welcome to the world of Wal-Mart mentality consumerism. It goes something like, "it doesn't really matter if it works, just that it's cheaply priced."

 

[JTK]

Yeah, I sure as heck didn't expect ultimate quality with this plug kit, but I did expect it to work atleast once. Wrong! LOL.

I've had 3 leakers on my Subaru sine I've had it. Two on one tire, one on another. The first place I went to only does the full-blow break-down and patch to the tune of $25-30. Second place plugs, but charges you $15. 2 yrs ago they'd plug for free.

 

[Picky1]

Consider this a blessing....it gives you a great reason to go ahead and replace those awful tires. Beleive me I know as I have a 2012 Subaru Legacy with those [censored] Bridgestone Turanza EL400, just can't bring myself to replace tires that only have 10,000 miles.

Plus I am trying to save up for some 17 or 18 inch rims and tires for the car.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Don't get me started on Bridgestones. They came on my new Chevy Express and I am counting the days until I can replace them!!!

 

[DBMaster]

Count me in as a hater of Turanza EL-400's. The ones that came on the Mazda are H-rated and they squeal around corners and get lousy wet traction. It's actually one of the more expensive tires that Discount sells. Ha!

Junk!

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Count me in as a hater of Turanza EL-400's. The ones that came on the Mazda are H-rated and they squeal around corners and get lousy wet traction. It's actually one of the more expensive tires that Discount sells. Ha!

Junk!

You can thank Mazda for that, not Bridgestone.

My mother's 2010 Altima 3.5SR V6 has the EL400s and they are excellent, IMO.

 

[R2d2]

Originally Posted By: JTK
Had a shard of metal through the tread area of one of the Bridgestone Turanza EL400's on my 2012 Legacy. Figured I'd use my ~$2 Harbor Freight Tools tire repair kit.

The ultra high quality components of the kit, combined with my masterful skills proved to be a huge loose/loose situation.

Two plunges with the reamer and the plastic T-handle blew into several pieces. Wonderful. Slapped some vice-grips on the reamer shaft, worked it a few more times and got it out.

On to inserting a plug... Couldn't get the first one out of the package given it was completely bonded to the plastic packing. Rubber goo all over my meat hooks now.. Got the second one out intact (cut a section of it out), got it in the fork, lubed it with a little of the included glue and attempted to shove it in the hole.

One plunge and the T-handle blew right off the inserter fork deal too. Ugh.. throw the vice grips on it. Try again. The fork twisted and bent like bubble gum. Tried to straighten it out and try again.. Twisted/bent even worse. !@#$%

Dug the spare out, mounted it up, threw the now completely flat tire in the trunk and headed to the tire shop down the street. $15 and 15min later I was back home with a plugged tire. Good times.


I used a $12 kit from Amazon on my Michelins, super easy took about 5 mins and only had to top off about 7-8 pounds.