[zedro]

i put a hole in my Comp32 today (only 4 rides old ) next to a knobby in the tread pattern, and the Stans sealant was sporatically spewing out until the tire reached about 10psi. I dont trust the sealant to keep this hole sealed and i dont want to scrap the tire or fool with patches if need be. Has anyone burned in a rubber plug like they use for car tire punctures?

 

[Salami]

I would deifinitely NOT use a tire plug like they use for car tires. The plugs for car tires are for temporary use only. You can probably patch the tire though. The patch will get glued in with a special cement and is then covered with a sealer. It is pretty much a permanent repair on car tires, it should work on a tubeless MTB tire.

 

[D_D]

I would think a mtb tyre would be too thin and bend too much for a plug to stay in for long.
There are mtb tyre patches that are just bigger and thicker versions of a normal tube patch that should work a lot better.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Patches DON'T work, I tried it on one of Acadian's tires last year in Tahoe, didn't work. I don't think the plugs will work either because the tire is not thick and ridged enough. It would be worth a shot though, who knows it may work for a few more rides. Or patch the tire and use a tube.

 

[vitox]

my housemate ran a maxxis 2ply with a plug for several months (for the duration of the sealant actually) without any problem,

actually he just made the plug out of a small roll of tube (i leave those all over the place when i cut a rimstrip out of a 16" tube) on the trail.

id say those sidewalls are pretty similar to michy in terms of rigidity and thickness.

its a scary fix but it can work, just depends on the size of the hole i suppose.

 

[binary visions]

Two words:

Duct. Tape.

Interesting that the sealant was spewing out. It should have sealed the hole - put a gash in my Mich. Comp24's and had no sealant leakage. Are you using Stan's sealant or a homemade? Old or new?

 

[Mike B.]

The sealant (if you have the genuine article) will hold without any problem, I've ridden our test tires with literally thousands of punctures, gashes, and cuts for months without a problem. But, if you want to patch it, here is a little how to.

 

[zedro]

i'm using pure Stans. I'll check today if i can get full pressure into the tire again.

Bringing along rubber strips does seem like a good idea; one of my buddies got a big gash that couldnt be sealed on the trail either.

 

[kidwoo]

Originally posted by Mike B.
The sealant (if you have the genuine article) will hold without any problem, [/URL]

Of course it will...........always.

Anyway so when I get a big hole that won't seal with the genuine article, I take off the tire and clean it really well around the tear with isopropyl alcohol. I use the rather large clear glueless patches that park makes to close it. They market them as patches for tubeless tires even. This stuff is pretty similar to the thick frame labels/protective clear stickers that 3m makes.
I've also used duct tape and am still riding on a tire with that one.

I've done this several times with both DH tires and more so with xc tires. As long as you get a good bond on a clean surface that extends well around the tear you should be fine. Any breaches you have from that point on should be minute and the Stan's should work. I've never had a problem doing this and I've ripped quite a few tires UST and non UST with stan's.

 

[Macrider]

Originally posted by zedro
i'm using pure Stans. I'll check today if i can get full pressure into the tire again.

Bringing along rubber strips does seem like a good idea; one of my buddies got a big gash that couldnt be sealed on the trail either.

Zedro, my buddies and I carry Superglue for use with Stan's - a bead on the outside allows the Stan's something to press against and seal a sidewall tear - last year I sliced open a two-ply Minion on day 2 of an 8 day Freeride tour of BC - Superglued, inflated, rode on that tire for the rest of the trip, all over BC, heli drop, Whistler, the Shore - Stan's and Superglue held....

 

[derekbob]

A while back I read an article in MBA about patching tubeless tires, they said the trick to making a patch stick is treating the tire with "liquid tire/rubber buffer" which is a pretty caustic chemical according to them. Once youve treated the tire a regular patch should stick to the inside of the tire, according to MBA anyway.

 

[kidwoo]

Originally posted by derekbob
according to MBA anyway.

........by all means be careful.

They also claim grabbing your front brake while in mid-air will drop the back of your bike.

 

[zedro]

well i went with a rubber cylinder plug/contact cement setup, its holding for now and i'll just have to see if it survives the trails. Next time i might try the super-glue treatment, i didnt like the way the plug tool enlarged the hole...but then again if it works...

thanks for the ideas

 

[Salami]

Originally posted by kidwoo
........by all means be careful.

They also claim grabbing your front brake while in mid-air will drop the back of your bike.

Usually yes, but this time they should be right on about patching the tire. The buffing solution helps to raise the silicone-like compound out of the inner liner so the glue can do its job. If you use an automotive grade patch glue, most are designed to vulcanize to create an air tight bond.

 

[kidwoo]

Originally posted by Salami
Usually yes, but this time they should be right on about patching the tire. The buffing solution helps to raise the silicone-like compound out of the inner liner so the glue can do its job. If you use an automotive grade patch glue, most are designed to vulcanize to create an air tight bond.

True. More good alternatives are always a plus.

Zedro: I wouldn't have thought a bike tire wouldn't be thick enough to hold a plug like that but yeah, let us know if it works after a ride.

 

[zedro]

Update

well, the little plug held fine on todays ride @35psi and no leaking. So if your lazy with anything tire related, like me, these just might be for you....