Dynaplug Micro Pro Tubeless Tire Repair Tool - Review
Dynaplug makes high-quality tire plug kits for almost any type of tubeless tire. Their patented system uses a long plug made from fiberous viscoelastic-impregnated rubber which is fixed to a pointed or round-headed brass tip. The plug is inserted into a tube and then pressed into the puncture. When the tube is pulled back out of the tire, the brass head retains the plug from the inside of the tire and the sticky viscoelastic fibers spread out to seal the puncture. Plugging tubeless tire punctures has been a revenue stream for gas station mechanics for over fifty years, and it is not rocket science. Dynaplug's unique delivery system and well-thought-out packaging, however, elevates the lowly tire plug kit to secret agent status. Meet the Dynaplug Micro Pro tubeless tire repair tool.
Features:
• CNC-machined, sealed aluminum housing with internal tool organizer
• Dimensions: 2.25” x .875” (57mm x 22mm)
• Weight: 1.5 ounces (42.5 grams)
• Contents: 5 tire repair plugs (pointed tip), 2 insertion tubes, 1 micro knife, 1 tapered air stopper, 1 clearing attachment
• Warranty: Limited Lifetime
• MSRP: $54.99 USD
• Extra plugs: Five for $5.00 USD (available at fine cycling retailers or on-line)
• Contact: Dynaplug
Dynaplug Details
Dynaplug's 6161-aluminum alloy capsule is rounded so you can stow it in a pocket or hydration pack and it won't damage nearby flesh or valuables. The two halves thread together and are sealed by an O-ring. One side of the capsule is drilled to organize the tools - six of them - including two insertion tubes, which can be pre-loaded with plugs for fast repair stops; a tapered point, which is used to stop the flow of air from the puncture while you are organizing the repair; a file-probe tool with which to clear the puncture of any foreign matter; a thin knife blade to trim the excess plug material that sticks out from the tire; and a pipe cleaner to keep the inside of the insertion tubes clean. A seventh hole is used to store spare plugs.
(From left) The Dynaplug capsule is drilled to organize its six accessories and to store extra plugs. The plugs are a tight fit in the insertion tool, but rolling them between the thumb and fingers will re-size them. The tapered air stopper tool (right) can be used to plug an additional hole while you are working another puncture, or to buy some time to get the tool sorted.
Plugs with pointed heads are used for smaller holes or tougher, thicker treads. The rounded heads can be used to plug larger holes, or used as a safety precaution, presumably to protect lightweight rims from damage, should the tire bottom and shove the brass plug against the rim surface. Reportedly, Dynaplug's viscoelastic/rubber plug requires no glue or adhesive to seal the puncture and it will work in the presence of sealing fluids like Stan's latex based sealant. Instructions say that holes larger than can be fixed with a single plug can be sealed with one or more additional plugs by holding the tail of the first one off to the side and adding another until the puncture is air tight.
Dynaplug in Action
Plugging a tubeless tire successfully requires that the tire is partially inflated - firmly enough to give resistance to the plug tool, so that it can be forced into the puncture and through the tire casing. We have seen a number of plugging tools, pre-armed and taped to the frames of enduro race bikes, which lends credibility to the assumption that a rider can be going at full pace, recognize a puncture that is too large for the tire sealant to heal, get the bike stopped, whip out the tool, and plug the puncture before the air has totally escaped from the tire. The alternative, at least for a racing situation, would be to pull off the track, prepare and arm the plug tool, burn a Co2 cartridge to inflate the punctured tire, plug the hole and (providing that sufficient pressure remains in the tire) be on your way.
(Clockwise) Plunge the insertion tube all of the way into the tire without twisting it and then pull the tool straight out. The plug will remain in place and bond to the tire. Next, use a knife or the Dynaplug blade to cut the plug flush with the tread.
Testing, situation one: I placed the Dynaplug tool in the pocket of my shorts and drilled a 2.5-millimeter hole in my rear tire, inflated to 32psi (a bit more than 2 BAR). I spun the wheel to get the liquid sealant working and rushed into action. Unscrewing the Dynaplug tool and ramming the pre-armed pointed plug into the hole resulted in a 17psi loss. The plug was bubbling a tiny amount of tire sealant that stopped after I cut the tail off the plug and pushed on it with my fingertip. All told, the entire action from drill to a finished plug averaged around 28 seconds. Of course, I wasn't actually riding the bike, so one would have to add an interval to that figure for puncture-recognition and stopping distance.
Testing, situation two: After drilling the 2.5-millimeter hole in the tire, I let all the air escape. With the Dynaplug tool unscrewed, armed with a pointed plug and setting beside me, I burned a mountain-bike-sized Co2 cartridge to inflate the injured tire and set to work. This method ate up about the same time, but because I was at the ready with the tool, I could used the tapered end to stop the leak until I got in position to shove the plug into the puncture. That earned me 28psi instead of a paltry 15 - a pressure that would have allowed me to finish the stage, had I used my one and only gas cartridge to fix the tire. I also tested the effectiveness of the tapered air stopping tool, which works quite well. The slim, sharp-pointed tool can be pressed into the puncture and left alone with a degree of surety, should the tire need to be firmed up with a hand pump before the plug can be inserted.
Pinkbike's Take:
 | Dynaplug is right out of a spy flick - a beautifully designed and manufactured micro-tool that performs exactly as advertised. It does one thing: quickly plugs holes in tubeless tires that are slightly larger than a good liquid sealant like Stan's NoTubes can handle. The benefit of the tool is that it saves the time of removing a wheel, tire, valve stem, and installing a tube. When the clock is running, the time saved by an enduro racer using the Dynaplug Micro Pro tool may well be worth its $55 price. Those who have time to burn must first consider that it is an expensive purchase, and also that the Dynaplug tool is limited to sealing small and relatively round punctures. A significant slice or serious abrasion would still require the installation of an inner tube, so the average rider would have to carry both items - or more likely, accept the slight inconvenience of installing a tube and save the 55 bucks. That said, the cool factor of waving a Dynaplug Micro Pro around at a trailside repair may be reason enough for some customers. - RC |
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Member since Mar 23, 2011
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Strange.
cut up small sections of an old t shirt
cut a short section of an old spoke
Stuff the material into the hole in the tire (making the hole bigger if needed)...leave a small section of material sticking out.
Rotate tire so that the Stans touches (and is absorbed by the material)
100% effective and lasts forever. Changed a tire recently and found 6 plugs on the inside. They were rock hard and no way were they coming out.
and not necessary to say, that there is some white goo included in this story.
I cut up a couple small pieces size of your baby finger nail to your thumb. different shapes also. You will experiment and find what works for you. It might be tough to get it in the hole at first (ha!....)...but you will work it out (fold the material to make it thicker on the spot where you push it in). The shape should be more long than round (fat in the middle narrow on ends)...so you can start narrow to get it going and then leave a short narrow 'tail' hanging out to keep it in place (1 or 2 mm). You can rip / cut / tear the material if its too big / wrong shape once you start. Cut and take lots.
I use a little plastic baggie to keep everything with my bike tool.
Thanks to the Knolly crew down in Arizona for showing me this. Those guys each have their own little tool / method.
regardless, is there some reason they need to be made of brass?
>regardless, is there some reason they need to be made of brass?
IT'S A 100500+!!!!
Some reasons:
-the brass is of low friction, easier to push in the rubber.
-the brass is easier to machine, no need to coat, it will just become darker but not corrode.
-may be this mark of brass is even easier to die cast
But the most possible - there is(was) some brass left cheap from some manufacturing processs and someone decided to use it such way machining plugs and making his business.
All in all, it is not for weight winny
For a higher quantity I would look into Delrin (POM) as tip material. Its stronger stronger plastics available, has self lubricating properties, is lighter than brass, would be very unlikely to damage an aluminum or carbon fiber rim even though i don't think that would be a danger in reality and depending on quantity will be much cheaper than machined brass tips. it actually is very nice to machine too if you don't want to invest in molds. Only the attachment might suck but i am sure that party could be figured out...
@Richard Cunningham will you chime in on the possibility of damaging the rim tape?
Thanks,
Patton
I paid like $4 for a 'kit' containing the insertion tool the above-mentioned gas stations have been using for the last 50+ years.
$55 for a tire plug kit is BEYOND ridonkulous.
Plus, my kit doesn't take up any more room than a couple credit cards stacked on one-another, so carrying it in addition to a tube doesn't call for creative packing of my hydro-pack.
www.google.com/search?q=slime+tire+plug+kit&rlz=1C1TSNF_enUS493US493&oq=slime+tire+plug&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.8672j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8#q=slime+tire+plug+kit&safe=off&tbm=shop&spd=5143058175318968128
Isn't it possible to damage rim after riding with that metal piece in tire with low pressure ?
Would a 5 dollar tube fix the problem? Can you glue a piece of tube inside a tubless tire to boot patch the big hole?
I have never used tubeless systems so im just curious.
i think i'll figure out a way to make a car tire plug work for a $45 savings. i'm pretty sure it can be done
Reckon it can handle 100psi?
Love tubeless, never go back.
Where's the new light weight Hans Dampf?
It's been a while, but I think I removed the tyre, covered the bung in plenty of rubber vulcanising goo, pushed it through the hole. Re-seating the tyre is a little bit tricky: You need to make sure the excess bung that sticks out of the tyre sits just above the edge of the rim. Other than that, it seems to last forever!
Have you tried any tubeless repair plugs, not patches, for those cuts?
True, that...