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PaulW
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3075
Registered: 5-21-2013
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Tire survivor Kit
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.
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.
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.
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John Harper
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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]
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Mr. Bills
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Location: Area Code 530
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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
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geoffff
Senior Nomad
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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]
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geoffff
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Wow, that's great! I hadn't heard of this ... ordering now 
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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You're set Geoff! When is the next expedition? You know where you probably can crash en route!
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vandy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 538
Registered: 10-10-2003
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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]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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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...
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Fernweh
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Location: Centenario, BCS
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Just a thought for not having an air compressor:
a standard manual tire pump - will work just fine, even on off road tires
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Mr. Bills
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Posts: 189
Registered: 9-10-2019
Location: Area Code 530
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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.
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Mulege Canuck
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Registered: 11-27-2016
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I use a cheap drill with a bit as a reamer.
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BornFisher
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Registered: 1-11-2005
Location: K-38 Santa Martha/Encinitas
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I use a can of spare tire. And slime. And plugs.
"When you catch a fish, you open the door of happiness."
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PaulW
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3075
Registered: 5-21-2013
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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]
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John Harper
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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
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PaulW
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3075
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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.
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BajaTed
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Posts: 859
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Location: Bajamar
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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.
Es Todo Bueno
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Archie
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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]
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18385
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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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.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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Justbozo
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Location: Lake Michigan/Bahia Concepcion
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Stateside roadside services universal phone number:
1-800-OHH-CHIT
The first number that comes to mind when things go boom!
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PaulW
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3075
Registered: 5-21-2013
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| 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
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