The flat tire thread

[craig333]

I also have the safety seal kit. No comparison to it and one you'd get at an auto supply place. I have used it successfully. Takes a bit of muscle but not hard to use.

My truck has no locker or limited slip so this last time I opted to buy another tire for a spare. I only went from a 245 to a 265 so it shouldn't be too bad if I ever have to use it.

Currently just carry a little cheapie compressor unless I"m towing the Jeep, then I can use the compressor on it.

My old Chevy I had many flats. A combination of being overloaded and buying cheap tires. The flat I got while towing the Jeep was a big part of what convinced me to get a new Truck and Camper. No more overloading and good tires means a much smaller likelihood of gettting a flat.

Had one flat on the Jeep. That was pre detroit locker. Now if I get a flat in the rear I'll have to move a front to the back and put the spare up front since its an inch smaller. Spare still has the nubs on it so it was to spend the money on one the same size.

Caution---check your lug nuts. Was offroad with Jeep once and the rear tire came off, rolled down a hill. I thought the noise was just a u-joint getting ready to fail (carry a spare one of those too). Lucky for me it was group run and another person had spare lug nuts (and that Jeep has used the same size for close to forever).

I also carry a can of fix a flat but just figure if it needs to be plugged its too big a hole for fix a flat.

Oh, one other caution. Make sure your wheel size is fairly common. Not too far from truckee I had a flat with my old truck and camper. I had a spare but it looked like the twenty mile trip might be ten more miles left than it had. In truckee I tried to get another tire but no one there had that size (think it was 16" if I remember). Had to drive on into Reno (out of my way) on a spare I expected to fail at any minute, to find a dealer that carried that size. Btw, on that rig I did wind up carrying two spares, one in camper.

 

[craig333]

Oh, here's one I have heard for freeing up stuck lug nuts. Might even be useful for some other stuck stuff. I would never have thought of it but a guy I trust tells me it works. Use a road flare to heat it up. Something we should all have with us.

 

[pvstoy]

Oh, here's one I have heard for freeing up stuck lug nuts. Might even be useful for some other stuck stuff. I would never have thought of it but a guy I trust tells me it works. Use a road flare to heat it up. Something we should all have with us.

I put a thin coat of anti-seize on the studs. You can get a little more torque on the nuts when using anti-seize.

You can load up the wrench or breaker bar and while it is loaded smack it with a hammer. Works as a impack hammer would.

 

[davinski]

DD:

Sucky story about the tires....Always good to talk about it AFTER the fact.

Anyhow, I've had a couple of flats on trips to AK. The drive up the haul road IS brutal. not having 2 spares would be really unwise as the folks up there don't have a lot of patience for us tourist types....We used both of them on a trip up that road. Might have been nice to have a third......

Anyhow, got the stock spare under the rear of the truck. Always gotta remember to check the pressure there.

When I need to run a second spare, I have a hitch mount on the front of the truck and have a removable spare tire attachment. The extra tire goes here in the front of the truck.

Looked at ways to carry a 2nd spare. 1. roof of camper. no way. too heavy. 2. Hitch mount rear. no way, gets in the way of the door. 3. hood mount? would be nice if I could figure out a way. bad for aerodynamics. 4. custom rear mount? If I had to do it over, would be cool to have custom hitch and accessory mounts back there like some of those sportsmobiles have. $$$ option, but would be cool.

I also carry the cheapo compressor. Amazing how it keeps on working. Do carry a plug kit that I have yet to use. I remember changing a tire in the cold rain on the north slope. muddy muddy muddy on a stupid incline. Had professional patches placed on the tires in Fairbanks. Boy, was I a little nervous when both spares were used. Worked out OK, though.

Just goes to show that you probably can't over prepare.

At least you now have a story about flats in the middle of nowhere.

I am sure it will never happen to you again!

Dave in Seattle

 

[Alaskan Snowbirds]

Starter fluid for bead setting.

Dog,

It coulda' been woise...you could have been up the Haul Road and had to run a couple/three hundred miles!

...have used starting fluid to set tire back onto rim

BenG,

This is the second time I've heard of using starter fluid to set the bead. A guy told me about having a tundra tire pop off his S. Cub on a gravel bar landing. He used the starter fluid trick to put it back on...He said he sprayed the starter fluid into the tire while it was on the rim then lit it and when it flashed (exploded?) the bead set...said you have to be real quick to get some air in it or it will separate again.

That sound like how you did it??

I used a ratchet strap and Fix-a-Flat to put an ATV trailer tire back on the rim but doubt it would work for the truck tires unless it was a real heavy duty ratchet strap.

Happy Trails!
'birds

 

[kcowyo]

This is the second time I've heard of using starter fluid to set the bead. A guy told me about having a tundra tire pop off his S. Cub on a gravel bar landing. He used the starter fluid trick to put it back on...He said he sprayed the starter fluid into the tire while it was on the rim then lit it and when it flashed (exploded?) the bead set...said you have to be real quick to get some air in it or it will separate again.

That sound like how you did it??




Here's a short video from Youtube demonstrating the procedure -

.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

You probably won't want to get any tips or tricks from this guy on changing a spare tire safely







.

 

[BenG]

quote

This is the second time I've heard of using starter fluid to set the bead. A guy told me about having a tundra tire pop off his S. Cub on a gravel bar landing. He used the starter fluid trick to put it back on...He said he sprayed the starter fluid into the tire while it was on the rim then lit it and when it flashed (exploded?) the bead set...said you have to be real quick to get some air in it or it will separate again.

That sound like how you did it??

Yes starting fluid will ignite or explode and inflate tire, didnt have any problems having to hurry, as soon as it explode the tire was set, didnt have air comprssor but tire had enough pressure in it to drive on it, till I was able to get some air in it.

 

[Barko1]

You probably won't want to get any tips or tricks from this guy on changing a spare tire safely







.

Lol, the idiot doesn't have his flashers on!

 

[Tomas Tierra]

never had to use a plug since I went with the BFG AT.

Had a 82 toyota p/u, 87 Landcruiser, 97 4 Runner and all I put the BFG AT when I bought them including the spare. Never got a flat or any nails. Now the 2005 4 Runner has BFG AT but the spare is a new highway tire (saving money???)

.

BFG's will help DD

 

[Tomas Tierra]

For most of this truck's life I've run BFG AT KO's, a great tire that is good for many different conditions. I only got one flat with the BFG's and it was on the interstate after picking up a nail.
Last Fall, I swapped on a more agressive mud terrain tire (Interco's TrXus MT's) and I can't stand 'em. Going back to BFG's soon.

.

Two testimonials I would trust...KC and PV do some serious offroading....

I survived a Baja trip with five flats on one offroad run..I had two spares, and my buddies truck carried a plug kit, thankfully. He ran BFG's and had no problems. This was in '97. I switched to BFG's after that trip, one flat due to nail around construction site since then. 5 sets later, still sold.

I carry a same size BFG spare from Sunmans used tire outlet, on a mtching rim ( just in case ).A cheap ass plug kit is also in the rig..Been used on many anothers' tire.



TT

 

[Tomas Tierra]

I've ran BFG AT's exclusively for 20+ years, with thousands of miles off road. I've had two flats in that time, both nails, both in the city.

.


Another SOLID testimonial

 

[chnlisle]

Roger That on 4 vehicles.

 

[Alaskan Snowbirds]

Wonder if propane would work...

Here's a short video from Youtube demonstrating the procedure -

.

Slick! It even gives a rough idea of how much to use. Probably could use propane but I'm going to add a small aerosol of butane to the tool kit.

Edit: After reading some of the comments with the video it sounds like starting fluid (ether) is the tool of choice, not sure just what they used in the video.

Thanks KC,
'birds

 

[Kilroy]

I had two tires come off in a muddy trench. Club member put both back on with starter fluid. Second one he was a little slow with one of those extended lighters. The end of the lighter remained in the bead. Held air fine. The two that were reseated that way never leaked. The other two had slow leaks from grit getting into the bead when running low air pressure. It seems that the explosion (and it is an explosion!) heats the rubber up also, making for a good seal.

Dog,
It coulda' been woise...you could have been up the Haul Road and had to run a couple/three hundred miles!

BenG,
This is the second time I've heard of using starter fluid to set the bead. A guy told me about having a tundra tire pop off his S. Cub on a gravel bar landing. He used the starter fluid trick to put it back on...He said he sprayed the starter fluid into the tire while it was on the rim then lit it and when it flashed (exploded?) the bead set...said you have to be real quick to get some air in it or it will separate again.


That sound like how you did it??


I used a ratchet strap and Fix-a-Flat to put an ATV trailer tire back on the rim but doubt it would work for the truck tires unless it was a real heavy duty ratchet strap.


Happy Trails!

'birds