I hit a curb hard in the dark, and had a flat last night. After plugging the wheel, I noticed a small but nasty looking dent in my real wheel (set up tubeless), and it was not sealing from sealant/air alone. After stuffing a thick plug between the rim and the wheel, it seems to be holding air. The dark spot above the plug is actually just a shadow, you can't see the dent at all with the sidewall plug in. I’m wondering what your thoughts are on this as a fix, since I can’t find any instances of it being done before online.
by BionicleAddict
4 Comments
I would deflate the tire and try to bend it straight (ish) with an adjustable wrench.
If it’s holding air with the plugs, I would just trim the plugs and leave it for now. Pulling that tire off with the sidewall plug might end that tire. Next time you do a tire change that dent looks small enough that it could be bent back with a pair of pliers. I’ve done the same thing a few times on gravel and mountain bike rims. If you have any big days coming up, I would suggest switching the tires out though.
Tire plugs are very temporary especially at the bead, if you’re fully prepared to throw a tube in at any time, sure go for it, but if I pinch a tire at the bead, it’s always replaced because they won’t seal reliably, too much flex in that area
check the rim tape at that spot next time. I would not ride a tire with a plug at the rim/tire interface. At best it is going to burp on you. At worst it is going to go flat and strand you at the worst possible moment. My LBS is super good with this kind of stuff and would either fix it for less than $20 or tell me I need a new rim/wheel. Getting stranded somewhere because I tried to be cheap about maintenance is an aggravation I can’t deal with.