sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
Ever sliced a sidewall on a trail? What did you do to fix it and get home (aside from swapping a spare). Got any pics?
Sidewall Gashes - post your pics and your fixes
- Thread starter sixstringsteve
- Start date
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
Here's one from Hanging Tree last year. A stick on the trail sliced Maverick's 40" irok, about an inch or two long on each V. We shoved a ton of plugs in there. It kept spitting them out every 10 min, but we kept feeding new ones in.
The more plugs we put in, the bigger the opening became.
It would slowly leak, and we blew a bead a few times, but eventually we got it off the trail.
The more plugs we put in, the bigger the opening became.
It would slowly leak, and we blew a bead a few times, but eventually we got it off the trail.
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sawtooth4x4
Totally Awesome
- Location
- Land of East Laytonshire
i just put on my spare and then buy a new tire when i get home. i've been lucky not to slash two tires on the same day though. i started running D and E range tires, the sidewalls are much better then C range tires.
How hard is it to stitch up a sidewall?
How hard is it to stitch up a sidewall?
sawtooth4x4
Totally Awesome
- Location
- Land of East Laytonshire
here is an interesting video
[video=youtube;_bctAjk0MCI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_bctAjk0MCI[/video]
[video=youtube;_bctAjk0MCI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_bctAjk0MCI[/video]
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
Great question. I imagine it's impossible on the trail, but i've never tried it with the tire off.
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Spork
Tin Foil Hat Equipped
- Location
- Saratoga Springs, UT
Curious why you would say that. His solution requires you dismounting the tire from the rim but a patch and some cord are pretty compact and easy to carry. I believe I've seen other pictures where they use some tie-wire and plugs to do a similar job.
how to break a bead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaZ-XTDYik8
Personally if I knew I was going to prepare for this situation, I would cheat and break the bead, cut off the valve stem and use a tube. Do something to keep the slash from exposing too much tube and be on my way. Using a tube you don't have to worry about getting the bead reseated so it simplifies a lot of the difficult parts of getting the tire to hold air.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
Once you break the bead, how do you reach inside to complete the sewing?
- Location
- Stinkwater
Curved leather needle?
sawtooth4x4
Totally Awesome
- Location
- Land of East Laytonshire
how to reseat the bead with starting fluid
i've done this. it worked really well. you have to me somewhat generous with the spray
[video=youtube;_M0GNLvPmAg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M0GNLvPmAg[/video]
i've done this. it worked really well. you have to me somewhat generous with the spray
[video=youtube;_M0GNLvPmAg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M0GNLvPmAg[/video]
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I'm mainly interested in sidewall gash fixes on the trail.
Spork
Tin Foil Hat Equipped
- Location
- Saratoga Springs, UT
Here's how I would do it...
Step 1. remove Valve Core
Step 2. Break the bead
Step 3. Flip tire over and break bead again
Step 4. Remove tire from rim (work on outside tire surface.)
Once you have access you can feed the thread as shown on the video
I didn't want to pull the tire completely off the one side of the rim so I stopped once I could get a hand in the tire. I don't think it would have been that big of a deal going further.
Step 5. Reassemble tire and put a strap on to help seat the bead. I use a blow nozzle for this part because a regular tire chuck doesn't allow enough air flow to seat the bead. Once the bead is seated put the valve core back in and inflate to pressure.
how to take a screenshot on a pc
Maverick
old-school
- Location
- Anywhere, thanks to my geeky droid
Here's one from Hanging Tree last year. A stick on the trail sliced Maverick's 40" irok, about an inch or two long on each V. We shoved a ton of plugs in there. It kept spitting them out every 10 min, but we kept feeding new ones in.
The more plugs we put in, the bigger the opening became.
It would slowly leak, and we blew a bead a few times, but eventually we got it off the trail.
I saw the thread and was going to ask you to post pics of the Hanging Tree episode... But you already did.
We talked about this but didn't do it...if that happened again I'd use a bolt with washers and shove plugs in the gaps.
That is a great video on the sewing of the tire, but if your going to go through that much work to dismount your tire, I would just put a patch on it. I wouldnt worry about the sewing part, it would take way too much time to do that. "ain't no body got time fo dat!!" 
I would however put a reinforced HD patch on it for a gash that big. If it is simply a hole, the patch type he installs in that video would suffice.
I would however put a reinforced HD patch on it for a gash that big. If it is simply a hole, the patch type he installs in that video would suffice.
That is a great video on the sewing of the tire, but if your going to go through that much work to dismount your tire, I would just put a patch on it. I wouldnt worry about the sewing part, it would take way too much time to do that. "ain't no body got time fo dat!!"
I would however put a reinforced HD patch on it for a gash that big. If it is simply a hole, the patch type he installs in that video would suffice.
A patch on a tear would not hold for 5 secs once you put air to it if it wasn't sewn first. If it is a small hole, a plug kit would work, but a tear like in the video or picture above it's not going to hold. Either way fixing a side wall should be just to get you off the trail because as soon as you compromise the sidewall of the tire it will start to come apart. They don't have the belts that the tread does and the sidewall will continue to tear from the hole or tear.
I have patched a side wall with a plug once, and then kept it around as a trail spare, but honestly on the freeway they can be pretty dangerous if/when they come apart.
I just stick a tube ($15) inside the tire and drive out. Works great, takes little space, and is reliable. I used 2 tubes on our last trip. One in my jeep, one in a rzr. The tube was a bit big for the rzr, but it worked fine. I believe it is still in it even.
I am not saying it is the smartest thing, but a heavy duty patch would hold.... You never know for how long, but it would most likely get you off the trail. I have been in the tire business for about 7 years of my life. When I say heavy duty I mean heavy duty. I am talking a patch that is probably 6"x6" if not bigger.
Ideally, a patch, and a tube is what I would do.
Cascadia
Undecided
- Location
- Orem, Utah
I have had a thick hd patch on a spare now for about 5 years. Never leaked a lb since the day it was filled up to 35 lb.