BajaNomad

Tire survivor Kit

PaulW - 10-8-2019 at 08:53 AM

Spend some time and get schooled on a flat/leaky tire field repair kit that I use. You should never travel without one of these kits. Cost - hardly any cost to make your kit!
I have kits in all my cars. The Jeep has on board air, but the other rigs use cheap 12v compressor, slow but will get me back to a repair place after the plugging exercise. Yes my daily driver has the kit and it has been used in the back country of Wyoming.
Typical repair usually can be done in 5 minutes.
You should never travel without a kit that consists of what is needed to fix small and huge leaks.

I have used it many times for my own Jeep and for others. More times that I can count. One day I put 17 sidewall plugs in a tire after the first spare was beyond fixing. That fix got us home from the Baja desert that day - we drove back slowly for over 30 miles. That tire held pressure for several weeks before being replaced. Tread leaks are easy since seldom one plug is required.

Tire Plug kit.jpg - 70kB

From the pic clock wise:
Bank bag to carry the stuff
Bunch of plugs from Walmart
Insertion tool and reamer from Walmart
Small tire cement can from NAPA
Channel lock plier from Harbor Freight to operate cement can lid
Fine black pepper in the same bag for fixing radiator for small and very large holes (Not for tires – ha).
Zip tie cutters to remove excess plug length when done – Harbor Freight
Small plier to hold the first plug when inserting additional plugs - Harbor Freight
Tire gauge (more below about a better gauge)
Crayon in case you find multiple leaks or cannot see in closely where the hole is
AND not shown a head lamp to see in the dark - keep in the glove box for other uses.

Usage instructions:
Ream leak hole - insert plug into insertion tool (difficult - use small plier to make happen) - 1/3 / 2/3 of plug in the tool - dip plug/tool into cement - shove plug into tire and pull out tool - use water to verify success - trim plug flush with tire. Permanent fix if only 1 or 2 plugs solve the leak. However, after a year or so it would be good to check your work to verify no leak.

Bonus #1 is the tire gauge. After extensive testing Consumer Reports reported the most accurate gauge is ACCURITE MS4400B. This one is especially good due to very accurate readings at those low pressures we like. If I remember correctly the other ACCURITE digital gauges were also good but cost more.

Best Tire gauge.jpg - 25kB

Bonus #2 is all about fixing trivial and huge holes in your radiator. Yes, Fine black pepper is the magic stuff. Proven by me and several others. When I go the Moab Jeep Safari I end up giving away a can of the stuff to the leaky radiator guy - so now I carry two cans.




John Harper - 10-8-2019 at 09:06 AM

Yes, I repaired three tires on other's vehicles just last summer in Wyoming as well. I'm sold on deflating my tires on those FS road, my truck did well over 300 backcountry miles without a single issue.

I did buy a decent compressor (Viair), but the cheap plug kit I got at HF worked just great. A lot easier to use than I expected. I would never travel without a tire kit, compressor, and a starter/charger (NOCO) ever again.

I've heard of using black pepper in the radiator before, good to know it works. Something else to add to the toolkit.

John

[Edited on 10-8-2019 by John Harper]

Mr. Bills - 10-8-2019 at 10:05 AM

Thanks for the post. I just added a yellow crayon to my tire repair kit and a can of ground black pepper to my cooling system repair kit.

Good tip on the air gauge. I wasn't sure it would be worth the $10 when I purchased mine on Amazon but it definitely is.

Some other good items to have in a tire repair kit are some extra valve cores and caps and a Colby Emergency Valve Stem.

colbyvalve.com

geoffff - 10-8-2019 at 10:31 AM

Good stuff!!!

I once remotely (over-the-phone) talked my wife through a successful tire repair using these tools when she got a flat out in the boonies.

Make sure your insertion and reamer tools have T-handles like Paul shows. Some have screwdriver-style heads, which are much harder to grip with enough force.

I have that same digital pressure gauge - works great.


[Edited on 10-8-2019 by geoffff]

geoffff - 10-8-2019 at 10:38 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Mr. Bills  
Some other good items to have in a tire repair kit are some extra valve cores and caps and a Colby Emergency Valve Stem.
colbyvalve.com


Wow, that's great! I hadn't heard of this ... ordering now :)

David K - 10-8-2019 at 03:45 PM

You're set Geoff! When is the next expedition? You know where you probably can crash en route!

vandy - 10-9-2019 at 03:34 AM

The only thing I would add is
a can of starting fluid to remount a tire.

Or in the interest of keeping things small,
one of those tiny WD-40 cans.

(There's probably YouTube videos for this)

[Edited on 10-10-2019 by vandy]

David K - 10-9-2019 at 07:46 AM

Quote: Originally posted by vandy  
The only thing I would add is
a can of starting fluid to remount a tire.

(There's probably YouTube videos for this)


Gasoline works!
I performed the 'Baja trucker's instant tire seating' for Art (edm1) on his 4x4 van conversion. I wish someone was filming it! I did film HB Murphy trying it before I gave it a go. I am not sure if that is still online (May 2010)... I will look... Nope...
Just a photo of Paul, the tire awaiting inflation and Art...

Fernweh - 10-9-2019 at 10:55 AM

Just a thought for not having an air compressor:

a standard manual tire pump - will work just fine, even on off road tires

Mr. Bills - 10-9-2019 at 11:38 AM

I carry a can of starting fluid (ether), but in my experience a ratchet strap around the circumference of the tire works just as well to seat a tire bead.

Mulege Canuck - 10-9-2019 at 08:04 PM

I use a cheap drill with a bit as a reamer.

BornFisher - 10-9-2019 at 10:20 PM

I use a can of spare tire. And slime. And plugs.

PaulW - 10-10-2019 at 05:46 AM

IMO using a drill instead of the tee handle reamer will give a big hole,so be prepared to use multiple plugs. Having said that I had a small leak in the tread of a BFG BAJA TA and it was nearly impossible to get the reamer thru all those tread layers. I should have used the idea of a drill.

[Edited on 10-10-2019 by PaulW]

John Harper - 10-10-2019 at 05:50 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BornFisher  
I use a can of spare tire. And slime. And plugs.


Yes, I carry Slime and Fix-A-Flat too. We used all three to try and fix a motorcycle flat on the Grey's River Road in Wyoming. I followed him about 50 miles into Alpine so he could get help. Tire still leaked after plug, bottle of Slime,and a can of FAF. Just had to stop every few miles and air his tire up again, and again, and again.

John

PaulW - 10-10-2019 at 05:52 AM

Yes, the can of sticky stuff sold in a remote grocery store was a last resort to putting on the spare. My wife will not let me forget that deal. Ended up at Discount tire many hours later and got a proper tire fix. Turns out they have a suction device to clean out the mess.

The mess created by Slime although it works fine is no longer used by me. Ha - famous last words. Reason most tire places have no way to get the Slime out so a proper repair can be done.

BajaTed - 10-10-2019 at 11:02 AM

All good stuff, but after the blow out and your flopping tire drops off the 6 inch road shoulder, my experience with getting the vehicle stopped was best done by finding a way to brake in a straight line at all cost.

Archie - 10-10-2019 at 11:36 AM

I have an ARB locker setup for my front diff in my cherokee, it says on the specs that can fill tires and serve the lockers, but i don't like the idea of burning a $200 bucks item, when a $50 jumper/compressor from costco can do the same job in the same amount of time, with some valuable extras.



I used it for like 6-7 years, and when the battery could not hold charge anymore, i extracted the compressor and now i hook it up to a newer smaller power station.



[Edited on 10-10-2019 by Archie]

mtgoat666 - 10-10-2019 at 09:11 PM

My kit: in baja I carry 2 spares, and let the tire shop fix the tire. In USA I call aaa or let the tire shop fix the tire.
I get maybe 1 flat every 5 years, my kit works fine so far.

Justbozo - 10-11-2019 at 08:11 AM

Stateside roadside services universal phone number:

1-800-OHH-CHIT

The first number that comes to mind when things go boom!

PaulW - 10-11-2019 at 09:07 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
My kit: in baja I carry 2 spares, and let the tire shop fix the tire. In USA I call aaa or let the tire shop fix the tire.
I get maybe 1 flat every 5 years, my kit works fine so far.

======== -=
Good Plan
Those of us that have issues in the back country need the kit to get back to the tire store. No aaa in Baja

Justbozo - 10-11-2019 at 10:31 AM

All very good stuff!
I have most everything but need to get it more organized.
Always seemed as though it was missing something.
It needs pepper!

matthew_mangus - 10-14-2019 at 05:46 PM

Great kit. I added the pepper and Colby valves today. Much appreciated.

John Harper - 10-15-2019 at 05:54 AM

How common is a damaged valve stem? I don't think I recall anyone ever having that problem or even hearing a story about it. Of course, I'm not a hard core off roader. Maybe rock hopping can do it?

I know from last summer that flats are surprisingly common in the backcountry. The plug kit and compressor were critical "on board" items for sure.

John

Don Jorge - 10-15-2019 at 06:23 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Mulege Canuck  
I use a cheap drill with a bit as a reamer.
Bingo!

I once put one of those tee handled reamers halfway through my hand when the stubborn rubber on a quad tire vs HF pos plastic tee handle reamer forced the reamer shaft up through the top of the plastic tee handle and into my palm. HF is truly a love hate thing.

PaulW - 10-15-2019 at 07:35 AM

The drill idea is a good one, however that item is not one I carry. Fixing the flat after getting home works great with a drill.
Regarding valve stems
* The bolt on rigid metal ones are most likely to get broken off. Never use them for off road. The bling is not worth the trouble because you must have the Colby repair to get home.

* The short soft rubber one are best. However the darn things were recalled a few years back because they kept failing. Regardless all my rigs now have the short flexible ones.
* Beware of the ones that are half soft and rigid. Soft to allow pull thru to install, but rigid metal up to the cap. Not at all like the short rubber ones. Long rubber ones are also OK. I had multiple failures on these things. Last tire purchase I asked about them and was told they no longer available.
Caveat. Memory fails. Maybe the recall was for the soft install metal one??

EngineerMike - 10-15-2019 at 08:23 AM

Question- my pickup has aluminum wheels with short enough valve stems I can't get the bicycle pump nozzle on the tire valve. Anybody know of a good valve stem extender for that purpose? I never had that issue w/steel wheels.

PaulW - 10-15-2019 at 08:43 AM

Auto stores should sell the extenders to work with s=certain pumps. Take them off when not needed. The ones I use are about 1" long. Never found any choices for different ones. The the stores all sell the same thing.

John Harper - 10-15-2019 at 03:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by EngineerMike  
Question- my pickup has aluminum wheels with short enough valve stems I can't get the bicycle pump nozzle on the tire valve. Anybody know of a good valve stem extender for that purpose? I never had that issue w/steel wheels.


That's why I got the Viair compressor with the screw on connector. I use a bicycle pump at home on my Harley (short metal stems) and it's a PITA to get the lever-style hose connector on the rear wheel. I only usually need a couple pounds so breaking out the compressor isn't worth it, but it is a struggle to get it down on the stem to where you can pump air.

John

AKgringo - 10-15-2019 at 07:33 PM

In addition to the kit for field repairs, I carry an inner tube with me. If you can limp in to a tire repair shop with leaky field repairs, installing a boot and tube can probably get you home with out having to shop for a matching tire.

BajaNaranja - 10-17-2019 at 12:48 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  






Those are some respectable Baja pin stripes...