beckwith@ihuxv.UUCP (David L. Beckwith) (03/27/84)
I got a flat tire last week from a scew stuck in the middle of the tread. Has anyone had experience with those do it yourself tire patch kits or should I pay the ~$4 to get it patched? David L. Beckwith ihuxv!beckwith
chim@ncsu.UUCP (Bill Chimiak) (03/27/84)
The tire patch kit did not work on radials. Radial dealers tell me that this is always the case. My father and myself, however, successfully repaired a hole caused by a nail in a non-radial tire. The tire patching kit was one in which you inserted a black gummy insert into the hole, then reinflated the tire. Bill Chimiak
gvcormack@watdaisy.UUCP (Gordon V. Cormack) (03/29/84)
I have successfully used the tarred-string-inserted-with-a-needle tire repair on both radials and bias-ply tires. At least one of my patches has lasted 5 years and 50k miles. Near the very end of the tread life (less than 1/16 inch) that tire started to lose about 1 psiweek of air. As far as I know the only problem with radials is pushing the needle through the steel belts. I have also repaired holes in the sidewalls of tires. The trick here is to use several of the cords as the unbelted sidewall stretches more and is therefore not as tight a fit. I once used an inadequate number (2) and had them loosen on my first freeway trip. Using 4 fixed the problem permanently. Now my rule-of-thumb is that if it doesn't take about 50 lbs. force to get the needle in you haven't used enough cord. -- Gordon Cormack, University of Waterloo department of computer science
grw@inmet.UUCP (03/31/84)
#R:ihuxv:-69900:inmet:2700079:000:217 inmet!grw Mar 29 11:28:00 1984 Only bother patching it if the tread is not seperating. Often a screw will start tread seperation in radial tires. Of course if its a nylon bias ply tire forget I ever mentioned this and get it fixed. inmet!grw