Fix a tire

[petehouk]

Hi everyone. I got a nail through a brand new Kenda on my Heavy Duti today. I'm pretty ticked. I don't think I have 20 miles on that tire yet. I am wondering what, if anything, I should do to repair the tire. The hole looks pretty small, but I'm still a little uncomfortable with riding a tire with a hole in it. Can I patch the inside of the tire? Should I not worry about it? Should I throw away a brand new tire?

I thought about taking a pictuer of the hole, but when I looked at it, it wasn't that interesting. So I guess it's a pretty small hole. But the nail that went through it was probably 1/16" thick. And it went all the way in, up to the head.

Thanks!

Pete

 

[deorman]

Patching can work, it's certainly better than having a hole for foreign objects to enter, or the tube to squeeze out and get pinched.

 

[petehouk]

Would a normal vulcanizing patch work? Like from a inner tube repair kit? I have seen Discount Tire do something simlar to the inside of auto tires. I just don't know if the rubber in a tire would vulcanize the same way the rubber in a tube. Has anyone tried it?

 

[stretch]

well you could try the tube patch. i might even do one patch right over the other to help prevent any rocks or anything cramming their way into the tire. oh and maybe put a little glob of the rubber cememnt in the hole to help?

 

[petehouk]

Well, I got a patch on there. I guess I won't really know how well it worked until I see how that tire wears. I'll let you guys know!

 

[gcrank1]

Resurrecting this old post...'cause flats will continue!
From my motorcycle shop days: yes you can use a tube patch inside a tire carcass, same methodology, though it is harder to scuff up the inside of a tire and they often have a 'substance' inside to keep from binding up a tube as it inflates, so getting it clean is way important. I liked to scuff/clean and repeat. We did this on tubeless tires with success (I dont recall but one failing, and that is because some 'flat proof' goo was used that just wouldnt let the patch adhere. FWIW, on the Alcan, truckers will break down a flat on one side (to get inside) and clean the punture, then apply a good dollup of Silicone Seal (dont leave the USA without it).
With a regular nail puncture the rubber is spread by the nail and when it is removed the rubber closes back in on itself, just like an ice pick wound on a human. What are the 'odds' that another object is going into that same spot on a compound surface in 360 deg.? Well.....if it's like so many other things in my life, I suppose........but, if it did, its going through that patch anyway.

 

[clamdigger]

Install Stops Flats 2 bicycle tire liners, available on Amazon- " The new Walmart "

 

[deorman]

Let me know when Amazon provides 2,000,000 people with jobs. :|

 

[Wilcycle]

I can remember when puncture repair kits had a patch of coated cloth to repair a breach in the carcass.
But then they also had a bit of valve rubber for the woods valve as well
Wow I had forgotten about that until this post.

Recently I ran against the kerb with my 700x23 road tyres and nipped a 3/8" hole in the sidewall.
It blew a clean 1/8" hole in the tube. A neat round bit missing!
I repaired both with self adhesive foam patches. One of the new instant repair things that I carry for emergencies.
(I might have used a couple on the tyrebecause they feel flimsy)
The foam patch lasted the 17 miles home; but I didn't trust it another yard :lol:

Kevin

 

[CCR]

I would just put a glueless (already has adhesive on it) patch on the spot. I would clean the area first though, stick some duct tape over it if it makes you feel better but i think the main thing would be to keep the hole from tearing and getting bigger or to keep your top from getting stuck in the hole and causing damage. Tire liners work pretty good too as stated above.

 

[gcrank1]

Oh yeah!...sidewalls are iffy, but that puppy got ya home!
I just tried one of these new generation Slime patches (no glue tube to dry out!!!) and it seems pretty sweet; like you I am not sure what to think of it until I have some real world experience behind me.

 

[clamdigger]

Slightly off topic, I tried the self stick patch named Scab on a small hole in an inner tube 26x1.75 . Cleaned the area first and it lifted off of the tube when the assembled tire was inflated. I had this happen again so I went to a new tube, but it gave me thought to the training that I had a long time ago. The so called right way to install a bicycle inner tube is to coat it first with talcum powder. I carry alcohol swabs and sandpaper in my repair kit to prep the area before patching,but it did not overcome the non stick talc. Perhaps rubber cement would have worked. It just seems that the self stick patch did not stretch either.

 

[clamdigger]

I can remember when puncture repair kits had a patch of coated cloth to repair a breach in the carcass.
But then they also had a bit of valve rubber for the woods valve as well
Wow I had forgotten about that until this post.

Recently I ran against the kerb with my 700x23 road tyres and nipped a 3/8" hole in the sidewall.
It blew a clean 1/8" hole in the tube. A neat round bit missing!
I repaired both with self adhesive foam patches. One of the new instant repair things that I carry for emergencies.
(I might have used a couple on the tyrebecause they feel flimsy)
The foam patch lasted the 17 miles home; but I didn't trust it another yard :lol:

Kevin

I can remember using vulcanizing hot patches with a cast iron c-clamp like tool to squeeze the inner tube and patch together while a compound burned and smoked to melt them together.

 

[gcrank1]

The Slime Skab is what I tried. I did the rub & scrub 3 times to get down to a good fresh rubber black (the scubber that came with the kit was kinda lame so I used my better old one) and after lifting the Skab off its backer thought it wasnt stretching much either, so I inflated the tube a little (about what it would be inside the tire, and applied the patch. I then 'stitched' it down like you do the old ones and noticed it was pretty sticky on the outside, so I talc'ed it. So far, so good at 70psi.

 

[Wilcycle]

I can remember using vulcanizing hot patches with a cast iron c-clamp like tool to squeeze the inner tube and patch together while a compound burned and smoked to melt them together.

Well I didn't claim to be the oldest rider on the forum :wink:

 

[deorman]

http://dirtbike.off-road.com :mrgreen:

 

[Gizmo]

Used to wrap a few inches of duct tape wrapped around my tire iron for just that kind of stuff. a couple layers of the silver stuff would keep the tube from poking out of a damaged tire and other stuff from poking in, at least to get you home. If the tire was damaged more than that it was time to replace it ASAP.
Gizmo

 

[gcrank1]

FWIW, the 'Gorilla Tape' version is way stronger than the common silver stuff too, might be a better bet if you can scare up a bud with some so you dont have to buy a whole roll (I'll give you a few 'wraps' if ya come over.....) :wink: .