I haven't stepped into this argument until now, because I wanted to see where it wound up.
I would suggest that there is a reason why plugs are referred to in official tire publications as "Temporary Repairs".
As has been stated, plugs have an annoying propensity to leak - not 100%, but enough to have a reputation. Most of the time you can detect the leak right after the plug is installed, but sometimes the leak waits until later. In this case, the net effect is like a flat tire - which can occur at the most inconvenient of times. The obvious answer is to use a plug to get the vehicle mobile and when it is convenient, get the tire properly repaired. This means hours and days, not weeks and months.
A proper repair consists of a plug / patch combination - which can be a single unit sometimes called a "patch with a stem" or "mushroom patch". The "patch" provides the air seal - and some structure to the injured area. The "plug" fills the void preventing damaging stuff to enter the injured area. This last part is especially important for steel belted tires as steel will rust much more quickly in the presence of water and oxygen.
Also, the only area of the tire that can be repaired is the tread area - EXCLUDING the outermost rib. This exclusion is to keep the repair out of the belt edges - the most highly stressed area of the tire. Tread separations generally start at the belt edges and damage in this area can initiate the process.
I hope this has been helpful.
I would suggest that there is a reason why plugs are referred to in official tire publications as "Temporary Repairs".
As has been stated, plugs have an annoying propensity to leak - not 100%, but enough to have a reputation. Most of the time you can detect the leak right after the plug is installed, but sometimes the leak waits until later. In this case, the net effect is like a flat tire - which can occur at the most inconvenient of times. The obvious answer is to use a plug to get the vehicle mobile and when it is convenient, get the tire properly repaired. This means hours and days, not weeks and months.
A proper repair consists of a plug / patch combination - which can be a single unit sometimes called a "patch with a stem" or "mushroom patch". The "patch" provides the air seal - and some structure to the injured area. The "plug" fills the void preventing damaging stuff to enter the injured area. This last part is especially important for steel belted tires as steel will rust much more quickly in the presence of water and oxygen.
Also, the only area of the tire that can be repaired is the tread area - EXCLUDING the outermost rib. This exclusion is to keep the repair out of the belt edges - the most highly stressed area of the tire. Tread separations generally start at the belt edges and damage in this area can initiate the process.
I hope this has been helpful.