Fix torn sidewalls, large punctures and little nagging leaks that can ruin your day - and your walletFix torn sidewalls, large punctures and little nagging leaks that can ruin your day - and your wallet
Tubeless tires users who run liquid sealant can often run a tire until the tread is nearly burned off the carcass without suffering a flat. When something large enough to defeat the sealant slashes into the tire, however, the usual option is inserting a tube for the remainder of the crippled tire's life. The thought of slugging around with a tube in my tubeless is almost worse than throwing away a nearly new, 60-dollar tire just because it has a sidewall rip. Luckily, there are ways to successfully repair fairly large holes and tears in tubeless tires. Armed with this week's Tech Tuesday and a little sleuthing at an auto parts store, you should be able to repair substantial damage to your tires and return them to service.
What We Used in This Experiment:
-Disc Brake Cleaner fluid
-Slime radial tire patch kit
-Genuine Innovations tubeless patch kit
-Clean shop towels
-Nitrile gloves
-Spring clamp or similar
-Pot scrubber
-Standard patch kit
-Hutchinson Rep' Air tubeless patch kit
-Abrasive cloth
Oh Gosh, There is a Nail in My TireSmall objects like nails rarely cause persistent leaks if a good sealant is present, but sometimes one will leak down when stressed. Genuine Innovations' automotive-style plug kit is well suited for such punctures.
Make sure your hands are clean. Peel a plug from the card and thread it into the eye of the tool and then add a dab of rubber cement.
Leave the offending item in place, or use a clean nail to plug the hole, so you can inflate the tire to offer some resistance to the tool. Shove the plug into the tire until only a half-inch (13mm) is sticking out of the tire.
Pull the tool straight out of the tire and the plug will remain. Clip the exposed plug close to the tire and you are good to go.
I Hate it When This HappensLarger punctures, like this spike, most often require an internal patch. The method is exactly the same as patching a tube, but the tire casing must be cleaned and prepared more thoroughly to remove the mold-release chemicals used in its manufacture.
Turn the tire inside-out and locate the hole. Scrub any petrified Stan's fluid from the repair area.
Don your nitrile gloves and some eye protection and spray some disc brake cleaning fluid onto a towel. Scrub the repair area clean.
Sand a larger area than you will be patching to prepare the surface. Apply a thin coat of glue to the tire and work it into the carcass. Do not apply the patch if there is any liquid glue present or you'll fail right here.
Peel the foil of the patch without touching the working face. When the glue is dry to the touch, press the patch in place, taking extra care to seat the edges. LEAVE THE CLEAR PLASTIC IN PLACE. Peeling the thin plastic patch cover usually lifts the edges of the patch - fail number two. Replace the tire and ride.
Should You Accidentally Poke Your Tire With a Knife...Hutchinson's Rep 'Air tubeless patch kit contains a specially formulated 'Super-Glue' type adhesive that remains flexible enough to heal gashes in the tread area where there is enough rubber to offer up a sturdy bond. I was skeptical the first time I used it, but it held up.
Invert the tire and scrub it clean from any sealant. Use brake cleaner on both sides to ensure a good bond.
Pinch the gash open and apply glue liberally into the puncture. Repeat this on both sides. The glue sets up in about ten minutes, so you have time to work without sticking to the tire.
Clamp the puncture area between two flat objects that won't stick well to the glue with a spring clamp or similar and let sit for a half hour. When finished, it may be hard to pick out the gash below the glue residue, and the fix will take a considerable beating. If the gash is larger than a 3/8 inch (10mm), or the tire is thin, you should add a conventional patch (or one from the Hutchinson kit) beneath the repair for good measure.
Sidewall Slashes, They're the WorstSignificant sidewall damage usually means a trip to the LBS to purchase a new tire, but wait - large-sized patches designed for radial auto tires can seal the rip and double as a boot to reinforce the sidewall.
Invert the tire and locate the slash. If it is close to the bead, your chances of a repair are nil - throw it out. If the rip is a half inch or more above the bead you have a good shot at a successful patch. Clean the tire as in the previous steps and then scrub the working area with brake cleaning fluid and a clean towel.
Sand the repair area well, but ensure that you don't burn through the casing fabric. Now apply a thin coat of patch cement in a larger area than the patch requires. Be careful to work the glue into the rough surface. Allow the glue to set up before applying the patch.
Peel the foil off the patch and press the face firmly onto the tire carcass. Put the carcass on a workbench and work the patch edges firmly to ensure that they are glued to the tire. Clamp the patch between a cone wrench and the work bench while the patch is setting up.
The finished patch is quite substantial, but it must be to brace against the tire's internal air pressure where the carcass was compromised. At 32psi, the sidewall shows minimal bulging. Sweet!
Past Tech Tuesdays:
Friends don't let friends buy EVO/ casings. I shoulda bought Maxxis
"Now, we all hate getting flats *grabs the knife, stabs the tire* Like so!" Hahahaha
Well timed, thank you.
www.pinkbike.com/news/Tech-Tuesday-Repairing-A-Torn-Tire-2011.html
Anyway,i have tube in my back pack in case of.**you never know amigo**