Fix a flat in a can

[crashz]

quote:

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Originally posted by Patman:
I ended up ordering a new tire from the same online store I got them from last time. I think it's the safest way to go since it's my wife's car and she takes my 2yr old son in it all the time.

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You did the right thing Patman. Plugs and patches work well in the tread area, but not on sidewalls or the critcal area where the sidewalls and tread meet. This is mainly due to the high amount of heat and flex in that area of the tire during rotation. No patch can hold that amount of repeated mechanical and thermal stress.

To avoid this, try pumping a few extra psi into those tires. Don't exceed the max pressure, but the less sidewall bulge, the less likely the tire will get punctured there.

 

[Kunery]

For what it's worth: I've used two different kinds of "Fix-a-Flat". The cheaper kind has a plastic nozzle on the aerosol can that you screw onto the tire valve and the pricier kind has a short flexible tube from the aerosol can to the tire valve.

For whatever reason, the more expensive type with the flexible tube has worked as advertised for me, while the cheap kind has not worked successfully. If I were going to get some, I wouldn't get the cheap kind.

 

[Gary Allan]

quote:

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As far as putting tubes in tubless tires DON'T EVER DO IT WITH A VEHICLE THAT IS TO BE DRIVEN AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

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I'm not sure I agree. I've done this several times with vehicles that I've driven at warp speeds. I've done so with confidence and have never had any failure/problem.

Also ..I'm unaware of any passenger car RADIAL tires that are OEM "tubed" ...but the supply of RADIAL tubes is abundant and plentiful in passenger car sizes. I have a harder time finding bias type tubes for my son's bias ply TSL Super Swampers in the right size (31x10.50/15).

Now I'll agree that it's not the preferred method for tire repair ...but unless you've got a real fat wallet and don't mind changing tires like you do underware, I'll use it.

 

[CapriRacer]

Lot's of differing opinions on this subject. What I think gets lost in all of this is the difference between what you can get away with vs the risk involved.

Let's face it - a tire failure is a dangerous thing. Anything that adds to the risk is the wrong direction.

Plugs: The reason plugs are going out of favor is that they leak too often. My research says about 10% of the time. That is orders of magnitude higher than it should be. And the leaks sometimes occur many months after the repair has been made. Besides, there might be major damage inside that is undetected.

The RMA (Rubber Manufacturers Association, the collective voice of the tire industry) says the only approved area to repair on a passenger or light truck tire is the tread area excluding the outermost rib - where the belts end. If it's a H or higher speed rated, the outermost groove is also excluded. The belt edges are the most highly stressed area of the tire and the risk of a belt separation goes up dramatically if this area is disturbed.

Also the RMA say that the repair has to do 2 things - fill the injury and seal the air chamber. That means a patch or plug by itself doesn't qualify. The steel cords may corrode if exposed to the outside environment, which is why all the procedures written by manufacturers of both the repair materials and the tire manufacturers stress cleaning out the hole.

One of the problems with repairing tires is that the general public just assumes that once a tire is repaired, it's as good as new. Anytime a tire runs low on air, the risk of a tire failure goes up.

The point of all these rules is to keep the risk down. The consequences can be enormous.

 

[Spector]

When the shop could not locate the source of a slow leak I used this product and it worked for over a year. Problem was, when I rotated the tires to the frontthe vibration became noticeable and the gunk inside threw balance off and then they had a terrible time cleaning the crap out of the tire to re balance it.

 

[Bret Chase]

quote:

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Originally posted by Gary Allan:

I'm all for safety. Don't get me wrong...but I refer to my original post. People have been doing plug repairs for over three decades that I've personally know of (was in the trade in 1973) and I have yet to hear of any warning ...ban ...service bulletin ...recall ...class action law suit in regard to tire plugging.

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In Maine, a plugged tire will NOT pass the yearly inspection. To repair the tire, it MUST be removed and patched internally. you can still buy them though.

there's your ban,
-Bret

 

[Kestas]

quote:

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Originally posted by Chris142:
...I even patched a bullet hole about 2 inches above the bead once...

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If you're patching bullet holes, fixing flats is the least of your problems!!

 

[Hankrr]

Just adding my 2cents when I had a nail in the side-wall they said they couldn't patch it but they could put a tube in it.

So they did and it worked just fine I never had a problem with the tire. I don't know if it was the right thing to do I just trusted them.....

 

[CapriRacer]

Just so we are clear on a point:

"... and I have yet to hear of any warning ...ban ...service bulletin ...recall ...class action law suit in regard to tire plugging."

There is no tire manufacturer I know of who authorizes a plug as an acceptable repair. The RMA (mentioned in an earlier post) has also said the same thing. So has the TIA (Tire Industry Association - formerly the NTDRA).

The problem is the folks who ought to be saying this the loudest are the folks who are writing the instructions on making repairs - and they are the ones selling the stuff. Not very likely to hear it from them!

[ January 04, 2004, 08:47 PM: Message edited by: CapriRacer ]

 

[jafo]

quote:

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Originally posted by Hankrr:
Just adding my 2cents when I had a nail in the side-wall they said they couldn't patch it but they could put a tube in it.

So they did and it worked just fine I never had a problem with the tire. I don't know if it was the right thing to do I just trusted them.....

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I have heard you should never do this in a tire that was not oem with a tube.I have had great results with slime as a permanent small puncture repair,still buy the warranty as I have the worst luck with tires.

 

[VaderSS]

It's easier to plug a tire than it is to change it, if you have a plugging kit. While I know that is not the best way to do it, I feel that it is better than using fix a flat in a can, and I don't get dirty looks from the guy who pulls the plug and puts in a patch instead of having to clean the fix-a-flat out of the tire. It's also safer than trying to jack a car up under "less than ideal" conditions.

For the women in my family, who can't or don't want to change tires, I do suggest that they carry a can, as even if it ruins the tire, it's better than relying on the kindness of strangers, at night on the side of a rural highway... I've also shown them HOW to change a tire, so even if they can't or won't, they know if someone knows what they are doing, when they DO get help.

 

[Chris142]

quote:

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Originally posted by Kestas:

quote:

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Originally posted by Chris142:
...I even patched a bullet hole about 2 inches above the bead once...

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If you're patching bullet holes, fixing flats is the least of your problems!!

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LOL. A customer brought in a almost new 31x10.5x15 bfg All terrain with the bullet hole. I don't know the whole story!

I needed a tire for my Scout that never went over 20-30 mph and was not street legal at the time. I used the truck to climb rocks and play at the sand dunes.

I patched the tire with a patch and the tire lasted several years untill I upgraded to 33's.

BTW: I got a flat in my new jeep about 1/2 way down the sidewall.I stuffed 6 plugs into the hole and drove home.

That tire is now the spare.....it's lost 4 lbs pressure in 9 months. Go figure.