Slime repair for punctured tires

[Qacer]

My minivan normally comes with run flats, so I have not spare tire. I stuck with conventional tires because they were cheaper and seemed to ride nicer. Recently, my tire received a deep puncture from an object on the road. The only way to get out of that situation was to call a tow truck.

For the future, I do not want to be in the same situation again. I found this kit in Amazon that seems to address my need: http://www.amazon.com/Slime-70005-Safety-7-Minute-Repair/dp/B001DZFZPG

Has anyone tried this with a tire that was punctured by a chef's knife?

Also, what do you do with the tire after you put the slime in? Are you still able to take it to the tire shop for repairs? Or will you be forever riding your tire with the slime in it?

 

[SparkyJJO]

I think that stuff is more for a hole from a nail, screw, etc. Not a large slit from a knife (I would doubt that a hole like that could be repaired too).

 

[Qacer]

I just read some reviews, and it also stated that it was not designed for sidewall cuts. My tire damage looks like someone stabbed it with a knife on the side.

 

[jlee]

The damage you describe is irreparable and would necessitate a spare.

 

[BUTCH1]

I put it lawnmower and wheelbarrow tires and it seems to work but I'm not sure if I would trust it with a car.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Slime is useless most of the time. Buy a spare and know it will work when it's needed.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Slime is useless most of the time. Buy a spare and know it will work when it's needed.

I agree. Slime has never really worked for me. I've tried it in mower tires, ATV tires, and one auto tire. Never held up.

Get a spare. Or use some actual Fix A Flat. It's much better than slime. Still might not work for the situation you described, but for just a nail or small puncture, it will work.

You are correct that regular tires typically ride better than Run Flats. The inherent design of the Run Flat or "puncture proof" tires makes them not ride as smoothly.

 

[SparkyJJO]

I just read some reviews, and it also stated that it was not designed for sidewall cuts. My tire damage looks like someone stabbed it with a knife on the side.

Sidewall damage is not repairable no matter the product.

 

[Qacer]

I was reading about spare tires for my van about a year ago. The only recommendation was to get the same type of tire, and then interchange that tire with the other tires during tire rotation. This would make the spare threads even with the other tires. I could not find a suitable donut tire. Since I live in an area where snow tires I highly recommended compared to just regular all-seasons, I would have to get a similar spare for my winter tires.

Anyway, if the tire is irreparable, do I need to get a pair of new tires to even out the threading depth on either the front or back? Or will I just be able to get one new tire and be fine with it?

 

[_Rick_]

Crucially, you will need a spare wheel, not just a spare tire.
You'll have to check with road safety regulation, on whether you can build your own space-saver, or whether those have to be specially regulated and signed off for the vehicle in question.

I don't think separate winter-summer spares are really necessary, as long as you use the spare only to make your way to the next place that can fix/exchange your flat tire, and going slowly so as to take the degraded traction into account, much like you would with a space-saver.

In that case you also wouldn't have to worry about keeping the fifth wheel in rotation. Treat it purely as an emergency item.

 

[razel]

Slimes and fix-a-flats are not permanent fixes. They are primarily used to get your car back on the road so you can get it to a tire repair shop. I remember using a fix-a-flat and it's written right on the can. You also MUST tell the tire shop that you used one to avoid the shock of charging you extra to clean up the mess it creates inside the tire.

Good call on not getting run-flats. Most people think they are permanent tires. Once they get damaged enough, that's it. Their structural integrity must be maintained and it's near impossible to tell, so for your safety, they nearly are always replaced. They are designed to primarily avoid you from encountering a blow-out and to take one or two nails.

Replacing your tire (including balancing/mounting/fees) starts at around $70 and up. $100 for a decent tire. That slime kit is $40. Yes, you do get a air pump though... but anyways I would just find a good tire repair shop. Don't be shocked if they try to sell you a pair to match an axle. That is standard procedure and a good mechanic will recommend it too but obviously won't push you as much as a tire shop. Assuming all 4 tires are the same and your new tires is also the same just tell them instead if they can pair your one new tire with the tire with the most thread on your car right now.

 

[thomsbrain]

Slime works really well for small, round punctures in the tread. I nursed a tire a couple hundred miles once at full pressure after sliming it and pumping it back up. I was very apologetic to the tire store but they cleaned the wheel up without complaining.

None of those products work with any kind of large hole, and you should never drive on a tire with sidewall damage.

 

[K7SN]

Slime has been around for a while; it is effective in an inner tube on the back of motorcycle when you come off a jump and see a piece of jumping cholla where your going to land but with a good set of knobbles the diameter of the needles are much less than a 4 penny nail. The same thing with a screw which gets between the threads of a car; the treads usually stop the head of the screw so you don't get much penetration..

There are numerous hazards on the road that it won't work. I put new Michelins on a truck back in 1970 and drove to New York where at three in the morning I encountered half of a Sparketts glass bottle (Yes the were thick glass bottles then) on an elevated portion of a tollway through New York City. Not something you'd expect but I drove all the way to Boston and back to Las Vegas on my new spare Michelin (Where I could get a new Michelin for free). Dung happens! You really need a real spare, not a donut tire.

I've always had road hazard protection on the tires I buy; I drive off highway and lots of gravel roads so I never get a new set of tires half way worn out before there is a new tire on at least one wheel. I replace it with a new tire and only replace my other tires as I need to replace because of tread wear. I have positive traction (posi-track) so I don't get stuck in sand so I try to keep roughly the same tire wear on my rear tires but for a couple 100 miles that isn't a problem.