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flat tire help


Alpo

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Does anyone have experience with that fix a flat stuff?

 

I know the theory is it squirts goop into the tire along with air. The air inflates the tire. Then as you drive along the goop slops around on the inside of the tire and put the coating all around the inside and the air tries to push it out any holes so it plugs the hole.

 

What I'm curious about is once you've done that, the next time you go to get a new tire on that wheel, is the old tire glued to the wheel? Is there any problem with putting a new tire on when you've used this?

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Just messy and smelly.m Tire shops don't really care for it. May charge you extra to repair or replace a tire

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Do not use it if you have tire pressure monitors - had a flat at a friend's place, back of beyond and we ended up navigating a good many miles of gravel with the crappy OEM donut. Have a full size spare onboard now as well .  I had it on an ATV and it wasn't bad for that.  Some use it for off road bicycles, but I always packed a flat kit and a pump. 

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It's a temporary fix at best, though I've been able to patch a slow leak with it. Anything large enough so that you can hear the air leaking out is pretty much beyond it's ability to patch. And as Old Man Greybeard said, tire shops don't like it. It leaves a mess that must be cleaned out before a proper patch can be put in. 

You'd be better served with a plug kit, though I don't really like them either. But it'll get you where you need to get to go.

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Be sure to let the tire shop know that you have used any of those flat fix aerosol products.  They can be dangerous if you don’t know they’re there!!!

 

 

 

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I pretty much use that stuff for bicycles and wheelbarrows only.

 

Related ~ growing up in West Texas thorns in bicycle tires were beyond common - pretty much a daily issue, and I used a LOT of "Camel" tube patches.  Well, "Fix-a-Flat" had not been invented yet, but some old-timer suggested dumping a can of Pet condensed milk into my tubes.  Theory was it'd form a cheese-like coating that would seal the punctures.

 

Well, it actually did work reasonably well!  

 

However, there was one issue.  I had no idea that the milk would actually ferment.  And build up pressure as the resultant gas expanded on a hot, summer day.  Until one afternoon when I rode it to visit some friends.  With the bike just sitting there, the rear tire literally exploded with a sound like a pistol shot.  AND released an indescribably noxious cloud of horrendously stenchful vapor that had couple of buddies, their mom, and even the family dog retching. :wacko: Fortunately, I was upwind and only got to witness the event.   :rolleyes:

 

But did have to push the beast home.

 

                            Vintage Camel Worlds Best Tube Patch Tube patch Container w/ image 1                  Picture 1 of 9

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I also use in in wheel barrow, hand truck, gun cart, ATV and other small utility type tires.

 

However I use a lot more than called for in the directions. Most tires are at least to 1/4 to 1/3 full.

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I used SLIME in my cart tires. It slowed the leak, but then couldn't add air as it sealed the valve stem better than the leak!! Put in the stop a flat foam inserts, no more issue in years!

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Years ago it ate aluminum rims. 1980’s. I don’t think it does that any more. The formula has changed. 1985 was the last time I used it. I have seen others use it since with little or no luck with it. 
 

Wasn’t it Fix-A-Flat the company with the ad that said “Fix it and forget it”? My motto is “Fix it right and forget it”.

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It has a slow leak. I have to pump it up about once a week. So I was contemplating putting this stuff in it thinking that wherever the leak is at, this would plug it.

 

And I'm not in Australia, I would not need to change from Summer air to Winter air, because Summer did not just get over with and Winter is not just about to happen.

 

I would need to change from Winter air to Summer air.

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1 hour ago, Alpo said:

It has a slow leak. I have to pump it up about once a week. So I was contemplating putting this stuff in it thinking that wherever the leak is at, this would plug it.

 

And I'm not in Australia, I would not need to change from Summer air to Winter air, because Summer did not just get over with and Winter is not just about to happen.

 

I would need to change from Winter air to Summer air.

 

Take it to a tire place and have them locate the leak and patch it or repair it. It could just need the valve stem replaced also. Cost you between $20 - 25 probably.

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14 hours ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

I pretty much use that stuff for bicycles and wheelbarrows only.

 

Related ~ growing up in West Texas thorns in bicycle tires were beyond common - pretty much a daily issue, and I used a LOT of "Camel" tube patches.  Well, "Fix-a-Flat" had not been invented yet, but some old-timer suggested dumping a can of Pet condensed milk into my tubes.  Theory was it'd form a cheese-like coating that would seal the punctures.

 

Well, it actually did work reasonably well!  

 

However, there was one issue.  I had no idea that the milk would actually ferment.  And build up pressure as the resultant gas expanded on a hot, summer day.  Until one afternoon when I rode it to visit some friends.  With the bike just sitting there, the rear tire literally exploded with a sound like a pistol shot.  AND released an indescribably noxious cloud of horrendously stenchful vapor that had couple of buddies, their mom, and even the family dog retching. :wacko: Fortunately, I was upwind and only got to witness the event.   :rolleyes:

 

But did have to push the beast home.

 

                            Vintage Camel Worlds Best Tube Patch Tube patch Container w/ image 1                  Picture 1 of 9

 

 

 ..... the book, Uncle Hardpan, put it in the book ................ please :blush:

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3 hours ago, sassnetguy50 said:

Slime tells you how much to use, using too much allows it to reach the valve stem.  If you do it right it'll plug a bunch of nail holes.  There is heavy duty off road orange stuff from Moose that'll plug bigger holes.  

I put it in per directions and even parked it with stem up, still clogged even after replacing the insert twice, it would still plug the valve. Maybe due to being such small tires like 16" bicycle tires. Just my experience. Still have most of the bottle left.

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11 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

I used SLIME in my cart tires. It slowed the leak, but then couldn't add air as it sealed the valve stem better than the leak!! Put in the stop a flat foam inserts, no more issue in years!

We tried SLIME on our 4 wheeler at the farm. It didn't work worth spit either.

JHC:(

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2 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

I put it in per directions and even parked it with stem up, still clogged even after replacing the insert twice, it would still plug the valve. Maybe due to being such small tires like 16" bicycle tires. Just my experience. Still have most of the bottle left.

Ah, small diameter gun cart tires, I was thinking golf cart tires.  We did hundreds of tires and didn't have a complaint except for the guy who ran a T-post through a tire.  It is a terrible mess if you change the tire without washing the wheel, the slime on the bead can spin the wheel in the tire.

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On 3/8/2023 at 7:39 PM, Rip Snorter said:

Do not use it if you have tire pressure monitors - had a flat at a friend's place, back of beyond and we ended up navigating a good many miles of gravel with the crappy OEM donut. Have a full size spare onboard now as well .  I had it on an ATV and it wasn't bad for that.  Some use it for off road bicycles, but I always packed a flat kit and a pump. 

why not use it if you have a tire pressure monitor?  I ask as my son, to my dismay and opposite of what I told him, in lieu of getting the tool he needed to change the tire, filled it with fix a flat and has tire pressure monitors.

 

I've used them for years as when I was young I often had flat tires as I often could only afford the $10 used tires the gas station sold.

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King of flat tires here, 17 flats on my last truck and more than half of them on 10 ply tires, fix a flat makes a mess, often won’t work if the can is cold (half the year in northern states) and almost always leaves you with a slow leak, I have found a tire plug kit and either a dc air pump kit or one of the CO2 inflaters works best, almost always a permanent fix and just as fast as a can of slime that half the time squirts out around the top of the can and never gets the tire full. your mileage may vary 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Have not had it fixed. Just keep dragging out the compressor every 4 or 5 days.

 

Today as I'm coming back from walking the dog I see what looks like a rock stuck in the tread. Reach down with my finger to try to dislodge it. It is the head of a roofing nail.

 

Well, now I know why I have a leak.

 

I had that new roof put on almost 4 years ago. July of 19. Every time we have a big wind, I find roofing nails on the driveway. Apparently I found this one with a tire instead of with my eyes.

 

Wouldn't it be nice - and I'm absolutely sure it would be impossible - but wouldn't it be nice if the roofers would pay to have my tire fixed. Their damn fault.

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55 minutes ago, Alpo said:

Wouldn't it be nice - and I'm absolutely sure it would be impossible - but wouldn't it be nice if the roofers would pay to have my tire fixed. Their damn fault.

That belongs in the Grumpy thread.:lol:

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Plug that sucker and call it good.  ;)

 

Many years ago the Former Missus Hardpan had a slow leak on the port quarter tire.  I'd pump it up about every four or five days ~ was working long hours and hadn't had time to give it any more attention.

 

One evening, home from a long day and exhausted, and we were about to head out for dinner.  I paused to look at the tire.

 

"Well, I'll be!" I said.  "There's your problem!" and pointed to a prominently protruding nail.

 

"Oh my!" she exclaimed.  And before I could utter another syllable, she reached down and plucked that nail right out.

 

"Psssssst...." went the tire as it promptly flattened itself.

 

The only words I could come out with were a glum "Oh gee thanks."

 

No going out for dinner - we had sandwiches, which she assembled while I put a plug in that sucker and called it good.  ;)

 

 

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