Tubless tire repair?

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nyrblue35 · #1 Unread post by **nyrblue35** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 4:43 am

was just curious is you can use the fix-a-flat stuff that comes in a can for tubless tires but on a bike tire. tia

poppygene · #2 Unread post by **poppygene** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 5:46 am

Sure. "Slime" and some of the other products work just fine, as long as it's just a puncture and the tire's belts aren't cut or broken. On the other hand, you'll get the cussin' of your life from whoever mounts your next set of tires.

That stuff makes a mess of your wheels.
I wouldn't advise you to consider it a permanent repair, though, and you probably should go easy on it afterwards. Personally, I'd start looking for a new tire as soon as possible, and I'd consider any tire repair on a bike as simply a "get-me-home" fix.
I know guys who've run thousands of miles on "plugged" tires without a problem but there's still a certain risk. As always, it's your call.

BuzZz · #3 Unread post by **BuzZz** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 8:24 am

Just like Poppy said.

Who wants to trust thier hide and thier bike to a band-aid called 'slime'?

Use it for emergencies if you like, but don't consider it permanent.

Most shops will charge you extra to mount a new tire on a rim that's been slimed.

nyrblue35 · Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:05 am

nah i just bought a brand new front tire about a month ago and since i added the saddlebags i wanted to add a few things to the "must have" list to keep in the bags for emergency such as temporary flat fix stuff. etc. a friend told me at work that slime helps in balancing the tires as well and you dont need weights if you use that. that true? thanks

BuzZz · #5 Unread post by **BuzZz** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 3:32 pm

nyrblue35 wrote: ..... a friend told me at work that slime helps in balancing the tires as well and you dont need weights if you use that. that true? thanks

First time I've heard that claim. If I seen the tests and studies on this, I would still doubt it.... and I ain't seen any tests or studies. But I'm anti-slime, so.......

TechTMW · #6 Unread post by **TechTMW** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 5:39 pm

nyrblue35 wrote:a friend told me at work that slime helps in balancing the tires as well and you dont need weights if you use that. that true? thanks

No, not true. Slime actually prevents the tire from achieving a proper balance because it's constantly squishing around in there. You still need to mount weights, and the slime prevents you from doing that because you can't get an accurate reading...

I dunno about the fix-a-flat type stuff. It may get you out of a jam. I use a plug-type repair kit and carry a bike airpump for emergency situations. I also replace the tire as soon as feasible.

I asked a friend once to help me mount my tires while I was doing some carburettor work (this was on my '82 xj). He had a hard time mounting the front because it's a thin tire - so he used the slime to try and seal the bead. Long story short, I cleaned out the tire and remounted and balanced on my own... but the slime left this residue on the rim which has caused a slow leak in the tire. So, now I need to take off the tire and really scrub the alloys to get this crap off. What a PIA...