# Tubeless Tire Repairs: Help and suggestions needed. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubeless-tire-repairs-help-and-suggestions-needed/394213 "2007-03-01T21:06:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubeless-tire-repairs-help-and-suggestions-needed/394213/1 "2007-03-01T21:06:42Z")
Lawnmowers, Snow blowers, Yard carts, etc. all commonly have tubeless tires. They go flat, sometimes the tire is okay and sometimes you just need to put a new one on. What is the best method to get the tires resealed to the hub so it holds air for pumping back up? What other tricks are good to know tire related? Jim ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2007, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubeless-tire-repairs-help-and-suggestions-needed/394213/2 "2007-03-01T21:15:58Z")
Depends on the size of the hole, and how easy it is to take the tube off. For bike tires (tubes, I know), I’ve used chemically bonding patches. However, these are similar to the ones that the pros use when I’ve seen them fix flats I’ve taken in. Rough up the area, apply the bonding chemical, and the rubber patch. I’ve seen plugs used in nail holes, but I don’t have any experience working with those. The best trick I’ve used to “set” the tire back onto the hub is to use some dilute soapy water. It provides some lube, so the tire slides into position, instead of becoming stuck in the wrong position. Finally, I’ve used “slime” and “goo” before, and they seem to work well, provided you remove the offending article. If you leave it in, every time the tire flexes at that point, it will break the seal, rendering the goo innefective. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2007, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubeless-tire-repairs-help-and-suggestions-needed/394213/3 "2007-03-01T21:20:21Z")
[QUOTE=Pygmy Rugger] Depends on the size of the hole, and how easy it is to take the tube off. For bike tires (tubes, I know), I’ve used chemically bonding patches. However, these are similar to the ones that the pros use when I’ve seen them fix flats I’ve taken in. Rough up the area, apply the bonding chemical, and the rubber patch. I’ve seen plugs used in nail holes, but I don’t have any experience working with those. The best trick I’ve used to “set” the tire back onto the hub is to use some dilute soapy water. It provides some lube, so the tire slides into position, instead of becoming stuck in the wrong position. Finally, I’ve used “slime” and “goo” before, and they seem to work well, provided you remove the offending article. If you leave it in, every time the tire flexes at that point, it will break the seal, rendering the goo innefective. [/QUOTE] Good advice, but I meant the large and wider tires you find on yard equipment. When the go flat, the seals to the hubs is very hard to remake. There must be some trick to tighten down the middle of the tire treads to pop the tire edges back onto the hub tightly. I was thinking along the lines of a tourniquet or ratcheting band. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubeless-tire-repairs-help-and-suggestions-needed/394213/4 "2007-03-01T21:25:32Z")
Get one of these. [http://www.4x4wire.com/reviews/beadbreaker/](http://www.4x4wire.com/reviews/beadbreaker/) ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubeless-tire-repairs-help-and-suggestions-needed/394213/5 "2007-03-01T21:28:30Z")
Or try this. > [@](#): > > Ok, first let me say that I love Rousseau products and have purchased the PM2700XL 3 piece table saw system to support my new Makita 2703. Everything is as it should be, solid, refined and painstakingly well designed. This miter stand is next on my wish list. > I also have a cheap as dirt two-wheeler that I use daily at work. It features the same tubeless inflatible tires as this Rousseau stand (although not as nice). Well, I had a huge piece of furniture that wouldn’t sit on the two-wheeler and fit under a doorway the other day. I thought I was being brilliant by letting enough air out of the tires to lower the thing, when ‘poof’ they both unseated as I hit the transom on my way through the door. My employer looked at me as if to say “you idiot” when I turned the situation into a positive display of McGyver-esqe ingenuity and regained some credibilty with him… here is what to do: > Moisten the sidewall bead area with some water and make sure both the tire and rim are free of dirt. Take a piece of standard clothesline and tie a loop in one end and pass the other end through it to fashion a large slip-knot. If you’re not handy with rope use a ratchet strap, or an old leather belt with a loop buckle. Wrap it around the centerline of the tire’s tread. Cinch the rope (ratchet the strap, tighten the belt) back tightly to compress the treads in towards the center of the tire evenly. You may need someone to hold the tire for you to keep it from turning, I just used my knee. This will force the sidewalls of the tire outward and into contact with the rim. At this point, just about anything that blows air will inflate and reseat your tires. I used a Campbell-Hausfeld battery powered compressor and it did just fine. Using this technique a bicycle hand pump would probably do equally well. > Good luck and check your tire pressure frequently. From here. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A3OW6TH6XY63WC?ie=UTF8&sort\_by=MostRecentReview](http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A3OW6TH6XY63WC?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2007, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubeless-tire-repairs-help-and-suggestions-needed/394213/6 "2007-03-01T21:39:27Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] Or try this. From here. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A3OW6TH6XY63WC?ie=UTF8&sort\_by=MostRecentReview](http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A3OW6TH6XY63WC?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview) [/QUOTE] That sounds like what I tried last week, I failed to compress the tire enough to get the tire mated to the hub. I realized today I might need some better mechanical advantage, so it does sounds like a good “ratchet strap” might be my solution. I am going to track one down and keep in handy in the garage unless someone comes up with an even better method. The tourniquet idea I had would involved a sturdy piece of wood, sanded smooth, maybe a foot long of 1"x3" material with two holes about 2" apart to tie off strong cord or rope. I would then use the wooden handle thus formed to tighten down the middle of the tire and hopefully achieved the results described in the quoted article. Thank you, Jim ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubeless-tire-repairs-help-and-suggestions-needed/394213/7 "2007-03-01T22:07:59Z")
You really need an air compressor to re-seat the bead - you need pressure and volume. A bike tire pump won’t move out enough air fast enough. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2007, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubeless-tire-repairs-help-and-suggestions-needed/394213/8 "2007-03-01T22:17:24Z")
Just be careful doing it! [Exploding wheelbarrow tyre kills man at service station](http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/WorkSafe/Home/Forms+and+Publications/Alerts/import_Exploding+wheelbarrow+tyre+kills+man+at+service+station) :eek: CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2007, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubeless-tire-repairs-help-and-suggestions-needed/394213/9 "2007-03-01T22:56:25Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Good advice, but I meant the large and wider tires you find on yard equipment. When the go flat, the seals to the hubs is very hard to remake. There must be some trick to tighten down the middle of the tire treads to pop the tire edges back onto the hub tightly. I was thinking along the lines of a tourniquet or ratcheting band. Jim [/QUOTE] If you have a chain wrench handy, that might do the trick. I also remember using a chain-type-wrench, that used nylon instead of a chain. It was pretty similar to the design you describe, but was made of steel. It basically pinched the strap between the wrench and the rocket (which is what we usually used it for :D); the fulcrum was where it pinched, the lever end was where the strap attached. The higher you make your holes, the more leverage you’ll get (to a point, of course). Edit: Found one at [MSCdirect.com](http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=2059870&PMT4NO=18942038) , to give a better idea of what I’m talking about. I guess it’s called a strap wrench. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubeless-tire-repairs-help-and-suggestions-needed/394213/10 "2007-03-02T00:24:35Z")
[QUOTE=Pygmy Rugger] Depends on the size of the hole, and how easy it is to take the tube off. [/QUOTE] I think the OP was about Tubeless Tires. ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubeless-tire-repairs-help-and-suggestions-needed/394213/11 "2007-03-02T00:46:45Z")
{Redneck mode on} Aint none of youall ever herd of using ether and a match(r n m off} Very dangerous, but it works. Stick with a ratchet strap and remove the valve core to move more air. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubeless-tire-repairs-help-and-suggestions-needed/394213/12 "2007-03-02T02:36:23Z")
Thanks everyone. I will pick up a small ratchet strap soon. The only ones I have are to huge for these little tires. Meanwhile Sears did the job for me along with an overhaul of the snowblower, a belt change and a carb cleaning. Not too bad for $89, but I would rather do it myself next time. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubeless-tire-repairs-help-and-suggestions-needed/394213/13 "2007-03-02T19:19:25Z")
[QUOTE=robcaro] I think the OP was about Tubeless Tires. [/QUOTE] I meant take the tire off the hub. Most of my experience has been with tubed tires (bikes, motorcycles), so once I started typing I kinda glossed overmyself. I still vote for a strap wrench, though. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubeless-tire-repairs-help-and-suggestions-needed/394213/14 "2007-03-02T19:37:41Z")
A ratcheting strap is the easiest thing to use. The cheapest is a lenght of rope. Wrap it around the tire, tie a loose square knot, stick a hammer handle through the knot and twist. It will apply the center pressure needed to force the sides of the tire to the rim. Personally, I use the strap.