Saw, to my shame, on a digital TV shopping channel that they were advertising a product for putting into your tyres to seal a tyre's tread should it become punctured with a nail or similar implement. The compound was called, if I remember correctly, 'Flat Free' and after letting down the tyres the recommended amount was then added via the valve and then pumped up again and run for several miles to distribute the product evenly around the inside of the tyre.
Do such materials have a deleterious effect on the tyre or its state of dynamic balance? Has anyone used these products or similar ones that are used after a puncture to reinflate the tyre and seal a hole?
|
I can sell you some snake oil which I purchased from a reputable source. Not only does it do what you want, but it makes women throw themselves at you, and gets rid of bird-poo stains on paintwork.
Load of tosh, IMHO.
|
I've used Ultra Seal in motorcycle tyres. I've never had any pressure loss when I've had Ultra Seal in the tyres - but I have when I've not had Ultra Seal in. Never used anything similar in car tyres, but I've recommended something similar to a friend who has porous alloys on his toyota.
the demonstrations that I've seen with motorcycle tyres are impressive.
|
If you do get a puncture and use such products many tyre centres will not repair the tyre.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
|
BMW bike website had endless debate about Ultraseal. As punctures as a rare happening it is difficult to seriouly debate the issue.
I put crushed eggshells round my back doorstep to keep tigers away.
It works.
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
|
|
|
I've had Ultra Seal in my Triumph Bonneville m/cycle tyres (tubed) for over 2 years now. No handling problems and no loss of pressure. Very reassuring when touring in remote territory!
|
Stuarti wrote >> If you do get a puncture and use such products many tyre centres will not repair the tyre.<<
If the tyre has to be taken off to be repaired then the sealant has definitely failed to do its job !
I'd agree with Geardie1 - it's very re-assuring on a motorcycle, where punctures always seem to happen when you're running for a channel ferry home on a Sunday.
I've never used the product in car tyres though
|
|
|
|
If you do get a puncture and use such products many tyre centres will not repair the tyre.
I read an article in one of the major car mags about one of the leading brand products in this area. It is one you apply to the tyre after a puncture which inflates it, and seals the leak. The can carries a warning that you shouldn't drive over 50 mph while this repair is in force, and as you say, most tyre centres won't / can't repair the tyre afterwards. In other words, the tyre becomes scrap unless you spend your entire life in cities.
Cheers
DP
|
My Touran has no spare tyre but comes with a can of gunk and an air compressor. I had my first puncture this year and obeyed the instructions in the manual - removed the valve, squirted in the gunk, reinflated the tyre and drove to the nearest garage slowly where they informed me they couldn't repair my tyre.
On Saturday, I noticed another slow puncture, which had deflated the tyre overnight. This time I reinflated the tyre using the compressor, waited 30 minutes to confirm that the tyre stayed inflated at a reasonable pressure then drove carefully to Kwik Fit who repaired my tyre with ease.
I would only use TyreWeld or similar if the tyre wouldn't hold pressure with reinflation alone and I was a long way from a garage. However, I'd be pretty tempted to call out the RAC and ask for their help if the tyre was that badly damaged.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Certainly works on bicycle tyres (product with the attractive name of SLIME) but of course they have an inner tube which may make a difference.
|
I assume then, from all these positive replies, that the days when pneumatic tryes are gaslight then we'll all be better off - let's hope that the pneumatic tyre is superseded by something more reliable and I don't mean runflats!
|
|
Potentially dangerous IMHO, a tyre going down slowly over a short distance is better than one that stays inflated though is structrally damaged to the extent that it blows at high speed.
|
I had a can of this stuff for about 15yrs. I didn't like the idea of throwing an unused thing away, so transferred it from car to car and often wondered if it would still work. A couple of months ago I must have damaged the can when throwing a trolley jack into my boot. The next time I looked in the boot, there was rubbery stuff all over the place and an empty, punctured can. So it might have served it's purpose after all that time. (Get you home repair).
I've had a dry powder fire extinguisher for even longer, the seal is unbroken, and the needle points at the green sector, is there any way of knowing if it'll work or not ?
|
|
|
|
O
it works wonderfully well on my wheelbarrow. Hawthorn plus wheelbarrow = green stuff fizzing out for a minute and then it's fine. Wouldn't dream of using it on the car.
JH
|
|
|
