Tire Pliers, Spoons, and inner tubes

[Randy88FJ62]

I would like to be more prepared when weeling in remote areas. I carry a proper spare tire but I would like to go a step further.

Let's say I got a 1 inch rip along a sidewall and had to fix that specific tire to keep going.

Can an inner tube be used to limp it back to pavement? Do people carry inner tubes as backups?

What's the best tire pliers and tire spoons for removal and installation?

I already have an ARB tire plug kit so I'm not looking for a kit.

I'd like to get a tube, tire pliers, and tire spoons at reasonable cost.

Any thoughts from those already doing this would be appreciated.

 

[Rallyroo]

There are tire repair kits with thread and needle to stitch up sidewalls. I've seen a demonstration and tried it myself at the demo table. I'd consider it a last resort. I don't have thread and needle nor inner tubes.

I've heard people using this brand of tire pliers...
http://www.extremeoutback.com/products/10/Tyrepliers+Beadbreakers.html

 

[george_tlc]

If you have a big slit in a tyre, you need to patch it inside before you put in a tube or the tube will pinch and be a goner.

Putting patches inside a tyre is tricky since there's mold release (silicone) that needs to be removed if you want any hope of a patch actually vulcanising.

The tyrepliers in the link above work well, I use them in oz. There are fancier ones that will also put the tyre back on which is 'useful' with non-split rims. Mate runs non-split rims and uses an R&R beadbreaker - works very nicely -> http://www.randrbeadbreaker.com/products.php

cheers,
george.

 

[sadam_husain]

carrying a spare wheels the best cure for a split tyre, as far as puncture repairs go beadlocked rims make it so much easier to repair puntures I carry a spare tube and repair kit with me and fix puntures as I go, once you've had a bit of practice you can pull a beadlock apart shove a new tube in and bolt it back up pretty quick and you don't even need to remove the wheel from the truck

 

[80t0ylc]

....................... once you've had a bit of practice you can pull a beadlock apart shove a new tube in and bolt it back up pretty quick and you don't even need to remove the wheel from the truck

That would make for an interesting video....(hint hint)

 

[rusty_tlc]

It is amazing how large a sidewall rip can be plugged, a 1 inch rip is totally fixable with plugs. I wouldn't run it on the highway but it would get you off the trail.

I've dismounted and mounted tires with spoons before, it is not for the faint of heart. If you want to go that way be sure you do three things;

practice at home
carry a bottle of 10% dish soap and water.
practice some more at home.​

You might also want to practice at home a few times. It's really not a skill you want to learn on the trail.

 

[Randy88FJ62]

If you have a big slit in a tyre, you need to patch it inside before you put in a tube or the tube will pinch and be a goner.

Putting patches inside a tyre is tricky since there's mold release (silicone) that needs to be removed if you want any hope of a patch actually vulcanising.

The tyrepliers in the link above work well, I use them in oz. There are fancier ones that will also put the tyre back on which is 'useful' with non-split rims. Mate runs non-split rims and uses an R&R beadbreaker - works very nicely -> http://www.randrbeadbreaker.com/products.php

cheers,
george.

Thank you everyone for the input. I will be leading more trips for my offroad club this upcoming year and I want to make sure I take the next step and carry a few more items.

Death Valley is notorious for eating tires and I'd like to invest in the proper tools for removing tires, replacing tires, and patching sidewalls to get back to pavement.


GEORG,
You lost me on your second paragraph regarding the curing of silicon.

I have a friend that runs a rock buggy and he has fixed sidewalls by sewing up the sidewall rip with wire and putting plugs in.

 

[george_tlc]

Regarding silicone (not silicon) there is silicone in the mold release agents and this makes it VERY problematic to use a cold vulcanising 'cement' with patches for repairs on the inside of the tyre. You need to remove that silicone (buffing wheel which you do NOT use for anything else due to now being contaminated with the silicone) before you can use the 'cement' and expect the patch to properly vulcanise to the inside of the tyre.

If you do some google searching and study of various sites you can learn about the difficulty of getting a good vulcanising bond if proper prep work isn't done first.

I speak from experience trying to get good bonding on the inside of tubeless tyres with side gashes and hoping they'll still hold air without a tube. This is on trips to the bush in oz where you won't be able to get to civilisation for several weeks and the repairs have to work longer term.

cheers,
george.

 

[Mace]

If you have a big slit in a tyre, you need to patch it inside before you put in a tube or the tube will pinch and be a goner.

Putting patches inside a tyre is tricky since there's mold release (silicone) that needs to be removed if you want any hope of a patch actually vulcanising.

The tyrepliers in the link above work well, I use them in oz. There are fancier ones that will also put the tyre back on which is 'useful' with non-split rims. Mate runs non-split rims and uses an R&R beadbreaker - works very nicely -> http://www.randrbeadbreaker.com/products.php

cheers,
george.

Sewing up a large slit in a sidewall and inserting a tube works well. You do not need to add a patch to the inside of the tire (although it does help). This is a trail repair to get a truck to the trailer. Not a highway fix. You do need to sew the crap out of it tho..

Rusty is correct, it's amazing how well a set of plugs can patch a hole. IT may not be a permanent fix, but it can certainly slow the leak to manageable proportions. Plug kits work amazingly well.

 

[george_tlc]

I'm specifically talking about a real repair that has to last long enough to get back to town when you are a week or more into the bush and loaded up with gear etc.

Obviously for w/end stuff where you are 20 - 30 miles at most from a trailer you can do anything including shoving grass into your tyre

cheers,
george.

 

[Randy88FJ62]

Thanks for the input everyone. I have some extra lockwire in my garage I can carry to use as the sewing material. What size sewing needle do you use?

I have an awl and nylon thread for backpacking repairs. Would something like that work well in this instance?

 

[Mace]

I'm specifically talking about a real repair that has to last long enough to get back to town when you are a week or more into the bush and loaded up with gear etc.

Obviously for w/end stuff where you are 20 - 30 miles at most from a trailer you can do anything including shoving grass into your tyre

cheers,
george.

Very few people are on expeditions into the bush where you are a week away from a trailer or a tire store. 99.99% of people that need to do an emergency patch on a big tire will be fine.


I use REALLY heavy monofillament to sew the tires back together. Large sewing needles work well, but with an awl, you can do without them..

 

[Randy88FJ62]

Mace,
By monofilament I assume you are talking about deep sea heavy fishing line?

 

[Mace]

indeed

 

[george_tlc]

Very few people are on expeditions into the bush where you are a week away from a trailer or a tire store. 99.99% of people that need to do an emergency patch on a big tire will be fine.

...in the US

cheers,
george.

 

[Mace]

...in the US

cheers,
george.

Absolutely