Recently we have discovered one of our fitters has not been repairing tyres to the correct standard, please ensure we read, Understand and adhere to the guidance below. We pride ourselves in offering our customers correct tyre repairs "Quality at all costs" please circulate the below guidelines to all relevant staff regarding "plug or String" repairs. Below are three of our main suppliers views on these temporary repairs...

Michelin

Gordon Brookes  - Michelin Agriculture's Technical Manager

"We frequently see people using plug or string repairs to fill a hole as a long"term fix – not as temporary solutions these methods are intended for. String and plug repairs should only be used as a temporary solution to enable a vehicle that does not have a spare tyre to travel a short distance to a service provider for a professional repair.

"These types of temporary repairs allow air and moisture to infiltrate the structure of the tyre, so if used for more than a short period of time, they can cause irrevocable damage which can invalidate manufacturer warranties. 

Trelleborg

Neil Sharman - Technical & Field Support Manager for Trelleborg Wheel Systems

"Any external tyre repair that is carried out without removing the tyre must be a short term emergency repair only. The tyre should always be removed and examined for any internal damage before the correct repair is carried out by an authorised repairer. Non standard repairs will affect the tyres warranty".

Bridgestone & Firestone

Gary Powell - Technical Manager, Northern Region

• It is very important that the work of repairing a tyre is entrusted only to competent companies that accept total responsibility for the repair.
• Such companies should only repair tyres after careful examination to decide whether or not a repair is possible.
• All repairs should be completed in line with BSAU 159g standard (‘g' includes new standards for AG tyres). It should be noted that this British Standard does not apply to temporary seals, i.e. externally inserted plugs / string repairs.
• Externally inserted plugs and string repairs are only a "temporary seal" and therefore a speed restriction applies (20 MPH maximum).
• Temporary seals should only be used for a limited period with care, until a full repair can be effected (i.e. to extricate a vehicle from a field environment, so that a full repair can be completed at the nearest safe location).
  
• Tyre product failures caused by a repair are not covered by Bridgestone/Firestone Warranty Process.
  
  

IMPROPER OUTSIDE-IN STRING REPAIR

IMPORTANT:

We DO NOT carry out Plug or String repairs on farm and commercial tyres, we repair by removing the tyre and Inspecting the damage correctly

When can I use a temporary repair unit?
String or plug repairs should only be used in the following circumstances:

• To move a vehicle from a dangerous location so it can be repaired correctly
  

If you are unsure when on-site please ask your manager for confirmation.