On my recent shakedown trip in my new to me LD I got to thinking about the tire change issue. As of now my rig has no Jack and no lug wrench or breaker bar etc. Outside storage in my 1997 23.5 FL is pretty limited and I don't really want to fill it up with everything needed to change a tire not to mention the fact that changing an inside flat on rear dually is a bit intimidating. The way I understand it you actually need two Jack's to lift up the entire rear end or you risk twisting the frame. I'm curious how old timers in here handle the flat issue and what advice you'd have for this newbee. Carry all the tools or call for assistance or?
Have a plan for both. Have roadside assistance but have the tools and know how to use them if needed. Some people physically could not do this. Even though I "can" - I would not want to risk doing so in cases such as desert heat (had a flat at over 100 degrees once no relief in site).
The problem is that roadside assistance is getting worse - even AAA is cutting corners and some providers just blow them off. So between being in rural areas with potentially no cell coverage, adverse circumstances for changing, etc. - everyone takes the risk. Murphy is a cruel taskmaster.
I find that when you have the tools and are prepared - you are least likely to need them :-)
No you distinctly Do Not want to jack up the whole rear end to change a tire. You will not twist the frame, but you don't jack up the frame at all. Just the rear axle, nearest the attachment point for the leaf springs. Just inboard of the inside U-bolt that clamps the leaf spring on. My '99 came with the Ford telescoping screw jack and handle to operate it. I used it once, I think. I also carry a cheap Harbor Freight hydraulic jack, with lever to raise it and a wood block (about 4"x6"x12") to assist with getting the jack where I need it. Because the actual lug nuts are recessed into the wheel, I have a one foot 1/2" drive extension, and the heavy duty 'Pittsburgh' 18" breaker bar (HF). I also carry a 1/2" drive ratchet, and an impact rated socket (um..7/8" I think). For me I carry a speed handle also. Also needed would be about an 8" adjustable open-end wrench (some call it a crescent wrench), and a socket tool to get the fake lug nut off; to remove the wheel simulators. Some people need an 'Allen' wrench to get the lug bolt extender off. I don't have those.
Be advised that on occasion a good Samaritan may want to help you out, or even an ill prepared response unit, and they may need your tools, even if you don't know how or want to use them. Even if you aren't going to change the tire, you still need to know how to do it, to make sure the person doing it, does the right things at the right times. To be fair, there are a lot of variations out there.
Those tools weigh maybe 25 pounds, and fit in nooks and crannies, so don't take up that much space. RonB
Two BIG things I want to be prepared for are getting the LD started and the other thing is keeping it rolling.
Your concerns on “rolling” are valid. I’ve covered as many bases as I can in our RB. TPMS, breaker bar, torque wrench, hardened 1/2” drive 9” extension, hardened sockets for the lug nuts, patch kits, stop leak, Viair 12 volt compressor, 25 feet of air hose...and COACH-NET. Next on my shopping list is two 20 Ton pneumatic bottle jacks. The RB has lots of space for these items and if I run out of room I’ll just leave one BBQ at home.
Going and coming...both nobel goals. Best not to have one without the other.
Kent
I have had two recent bad experiences with inner-rear blow outs, but none on our new LD. In both instances, the tires were Michelins (They were recalled). The new LD chassis came shoed with Hankook tires. We do have road service (Good Sam) but I also carry what I will need if I must do the job myself. I carry a 20-ton bottle jack (not air assisted), an electric impact driver (DeWalt), and a ViAir Rv air pump. I have practiced using all of those items several times, twice on the LD, once on its Winnebago predecessor. Of course, the electric 1/2 inch impact driver does require firing up the gennie. I honestly feel that I could fix any flat if the need arises, but if relatively close to an urban area, I would definitely try the road service first.
When we towed an Airstream trailer years ago, we experienced two or three flats. On at least one of those occasions I used a plug kit and a cheap 12v pump to get the tire up enough to limp into the nearest town (Lee Vining, CA on Highway 395.) When I got to town I aired all the way up and that plug held just fine. So, I left the tire on. I never had a leak. That plug kit was the same one I used on my touring motorcycles, and it worked very well on those, too. I don't carry a plug kit anymore, but I have thought about it.
Like someone else here advised, there is no need to raise the entire rear end to change one tire. That's very dangerous, too. If the flat is an inner dual, jack up the flat-side axle. Block your front tires when you do so. Remember that when you lift a rear tire set, only one now has a effective parking brake working. Block both front wheels if possible. If the flat is an outer dual, that is easiest of all. Just place a block under the flat-side inner and drive up on it. Now the outer will be off the ground and changes quickly. You my need to loosen the lugs while the weight is still on the wheel.
When we towed an Airstream trailer years ago, we experienced two or three flats. On at least one of those occasions I used a plug kit and a cheap 12v pump to get the tire up enough to limp into the nearest town (Lee Vining, CA on Highway 395.) When I got to town I aired all the way up and that plug held just fine. So, I left the tire on. I never had a leak. That plug kit was the same one I used on my touring motorcycles, and it worked very well on those, too. I don't carry a plug kit anymore, but I have thought about it.
We carry a plug kit but have never had to use it. Is there a life expectancy for the stuff in those kits? Any particular brand recommended?
Jim
Jim -- I am sure there would be a reasonable life of the glue. I think the plugs would be good a long time provided they are kept out of sun and heat. I would check them from time to time. The plug kit I used to cycle with was an over-the-counter kit I purchased from any motorcycle shop. I don't recall the brand. It was a good kit. It came in a plastic flip up box that measured maybe 4 x5 x2. Of course, plugs can only be used on tubeless. I'm sure you knew that, but others might not.
Well some good advice here and I knew I should get what I need to do it myself but I was hoping to be talked out of it. No such luck.
Sawyer -- If you do purchase an impact driver, make sure that the finger switch has a "rocker" option. I found that to be a necessity to break the lugs. Also, don't get anything less than a 1/2 inch drive. Buy a good quality socket, too. You won't need an entire set, but make certain the socket you do buy fits your lugs (SAE or Metric) and that it is impact specific. Usually the impact sockets are flat-black finished.
I carry what’s needed to change the tires. But with the one flat we had on outside duel. I got it jacked up and got the lug nuts off with the stock lug wrench. That’s where the problem came. Could not separate the rear wheels as they had rusted together. So we ended up calling roadside assistance anyway. But I still carry all the stuff.
They make a little threaded rod affair that goes between the (steel) wheels to pry/jack them apart. That said, when I had new tires put on several weeks ago, even the tire shop had difficulty, breaking out the prybars and mallets.
I got a gear-reduction "torque-multiplier" drive for removing the lug nuts. It's like 6-800 ft. pounds of torque by turning a crank. Something I can leave on the RV and not worry about battery charge, etc. Still need a different wrench to get the lugs all the way off, if they're tighter than finger tight -- at 78:1 gear ratio it would take an afternoon to back one off. I've broken too many breaker bars to rely on them in the wild.
Use real wheel chocks to keep the machine on the jack. As mentioned above, lift by axle just enough to get the wheel clear of the ground. Don't stick your noggin under there without jackstands.
Next I'd like to find a weatherproof air compressor that I can mount to the frame underneath, and power with the generator. I'm sure they're out there in off-road land, but haven't begun the search or the saving of pennies for it.
Here is a funny, or disturbing, story depending on your perspective:
We recently returned from a 3 week trip to Colorado. About 20 miles south of Show Low Az, we had a driver side inside dually explosively blow out, likely because of a delamination of a Michelin tire. The tire was just under 5 years old, 7/32 of an inch of tread, no checking or cracking, and the nice crew at Discount Tire in San Diego who had rotated the tire a few months earlier said they looked fine. The explosion blew off the wheel skirt and the departing tread tore off the black tank hose storage and hose. Other damage was minimal.
When the AAA tow truck arrived 2 hours later (a guy and his 20 year old son, a woman, and two little kids in the back), they tried to jack up the Lazy Daze by the differential with their floor jack. I caught them in the act and insisted that they lower and reposition the jack to a location on the axle close to the wheel. The guy said "We always do it this way." I said "Not on my rig." Next, they couldn't pick up the axle with their wimpy 1 1/2 ton floor jack and announced that they couldn't finish the job. I suggested that they use my 20 ton bottle jack and lift the frame part way first, and then lift the axle. That worked to get the wheels off the ground. Then they didn't have a socket that fit the Lazy Daze lugs. I had one in my tool bag.
When we removed the spare tire, I asked them to check the pressure in the spare and they said they didn't have a gauge. I checked it with my gauge and it was a little below what I like to run at. I asked them to top it off. They didn't have a compressor. We used the Viair I carry with me. I asked them what they were going to torque the lugs to and they said "We get them real tight." I asked them to torque them to 140ft/lb as specified in the owners manual and discovered that they didn't have a torque wrench. They then used my torque wrench. I replaced the wheel covers myself.
Either of my two daughters know more about changing tires that the guys sent by AAA.
When I bought my Lazy Daze, I took a wheel and tire off and put it back on while in the comfort of the barn. That exercise caused me to buy and carry an old jump suit and gloves, three reflective safety triangles, a 20 ton and a 12 ton bottle jack, a cat's claw to remove the wheel cover, a rubber mallet to replace the wheel cover, a breaker bar with a 4 inch extension and the correct socket, a big 250ft/lb torque wrench, a good air pressure gauge, and a viair compressor. I don't want to wriggle under the Lazy Daze to change a tire on the hot pavement, but I can and I'm sure glad I had done it once and had the correct tools when Dumb and Dumber showed up to change the tire. Do this job once in the safety and comfort of where you store your coach. That knowledge will be very valuable when you blow a tire.
Yes, I have written a letter to AAA. Now it is time to get a different tow service.
Harold
Wow, sorry to hear about that Harold. On the bright side, at least it wasn't snowing! ;)
This is all great Information, I only plan to have tire troubles on the outside dually, just sayin...
We had an inside rear blowout last July on 395,, coming home from the Sierras. We were 40 minutes from Mojave, the nearest possible place Coach Net might have a truck and it was getting hot.
I didn't want to spend half a day waiting for someone to change the tire, so we did it ourselves.
Luckily, if this is luck, it was abut 10:30-am and the blowout was on the passenger's side, so there was a some rapidly disappearing shade to work in.
The challenge was on to beat the sun.
We did it, changing it and getting back on the road in 45 minutes.
First thing was to block the other wheels, to prevent the rig from moving, then laying down the sheets of cardboard, carried in both the Jeep and LD for such occurances.
Next the wheel skirt was taped in the up position with duct tape.
Two jacks were used, a 10 and 20 ton. One will lift the rear end, the other is for security, not having a jack stand .
The jacks were placed on a 12" X 12", 3/4' plywood squares, as the ground was soft.
You need to lift the rig quite a bit to get enough clearance to get the wheels out of the wheel well.
A 3' piece of 1' water pipe is used as a cheater, along with a long 1/2" breaker bar. A 6"- 1/2'' drive extension and a deep well socket are used to break loose and remove the lugs nuts.
I cheated a little using an 1/2"drive battery impact driver to remove the lug nuts, after breaking them loose. It's carried the Jeep, when we off-road.
It's getting tougher to lift and drop the spare, from its rear storage spot, we put the flat inside the coach.
It was a bit of work wrestling the two wheels out, needing to be careful not to damage the extended stems.
It was the same hassle getting the spare and outer wheel back into position.
Throw a pair or two mechanics gloves in your tool box, to save your hands.
The impact wrench took most of the work out of removing and tightening the lug nuts.
Having done this at home many times helped to speed the operation up, practice makes perfect.
One of the few nice things about working on the LD is getting cleaned up and changing clothes afterwards.
Larry
I agree AAA has gone down hill in their service.
We have State Farm insurance and for a few bucks a month we get roadside service included.
We used it with a car that needed a tow - we were 30 min outside of town and it was the middle of the night. Truck was there within 45 minutes and for an extra $25 we could get it towed an additional 25 Miles to our mechanic (vs "the closest one".
Driver who came out was very professional.
We thought this was a deal.
They cover RVs and I have been assured the coverage is same. I don't know if I fully believe that yet and I hope I won't have to test it out.
Jane
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone (https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/?.src=iOS)
The fun part about jacking up the rear axle is being underneath the entire rig while doing so....letting it down while laying underneath it is also fun. That being said I would invest in the proper tools to make the job as stress free as possible.
The list of tools needed, the weight of them and the space they will use in the very limited outside storage of my 24 ft LD is not heartening. Part of me thinks screw it, I see lots of really old people in huge motorhomes that obviously can't change their own tires and if they can rely on calling some to do it so can I. The other part of me that is a total self sufficient DIY type that built his own house from the ground up with wood cut off his own land and milled in his own sawmill says carry the tools and don't rely on help from some so called professional. Storage space is my big issue here and I'll really have to mull it over. On my shakedown trip I realized just how limited the outside storage is in my rig and how little really fits in there. The outside camp rug my wife insisted on and our portable dog fence alone use up a lot of it and then there's tools in general I like to have and other essentials. Really going to have to think this over.
Train the dog, ditch the rug haha!
Seriously though, being able to change a tire on any vehicle is right below being able to put gas in as far as priorities. I’ve had my lazy daze for 1.5 months, taken it out for the past 3 weekends and each time I’ve lost cell reception. Before we ever took it camping I had to replace the entire front brake assemblies which was Zero fun, also checking tire pressures and adding flow through caps meant taking the rears off....another eye opener. There isn’t a single piece of camping gear Id rather have taking up the space of whatever I carry to work on the RV, of course mine is 18 years old and has 140k on the odometer. I’d carry a tire lever long enough to effortlessly remove/tighten lug nuts. A 1/4 battery impact to do the spinning of the lugs once they are loose. A big ole bottle jack, a wooden Leveling block doubles a jack support. Some wheel chocks and whatever sockets/wrenches you need and none that you don’t. This stuff doesn’t take up too much space and not having some auxillery supplies won’t ruin a trip but being stranded surely will.
Train the dog, ditch the rug haha!
Seriously though, being able to change a tire on any vehicle is right below being able to put gas in as far as priorities. I’ve had my lazy daze for 1.5 months, taken it out for the past 3 weekends and each time I’ve lost cell reception. Before we ever took it camping I had to replace the entire front brake assemblies which was Zero fun, also checking tire pressures and adding flow through caps meant taking the rears off....another eye opener. There isn’t a single piece of camping gear Id rather have taking up the space of whatever I carry to work on the RV, of course mine is 18 years old and has 140k on the odometer. I’d carry a tire lever long enough to effortlessly remove/tighten lug nuts. A 1/4 battery impact to do the spinning of the lugs once they are loose. A big ole bottle jack, a wooden Leveling block doubles a jack support. Some wheel chocks and whatever sockets/wrenches you need and none that you don’t. This stuff doesn’t take up too much space and not having some auxillery supplies won’t ruin a trip but being stranded surely will.
The limited storage kind of reminds me of backpacking, you really have to decide what's essential and prioritize. I'm afraid if I ditch the rug and the dog fence I'll have to ditch the wife too which would lighten the load and free up some space but who will cook my meals and wash the dishes? This is a no win situation.
How long is your LD?
26.5 so I understand I have more space than you. Me and my wife are backpackers so we don’t bring much to begin with, most of our cabinet space is empty still. That being said if we were going for weeks at a time we would likely fill it up fast. Packing for a dog is a hassle but good training and an ecollar saves the space a crate/enclosure would take up.
26.5 so I understand I have more space than you. Me and my wife are backpackers so we don’t bring much to begin with, most of our cabinet space is empty still. That being said if we were going for weeks at a time we would likely fill it up fast. Packing for a dog is a hassle but good training and an ecollar saves the space a crate/enclosure would take up.
The rug has to stay but I'm working on the fence issue. Our German Shorthair is on her last legs and she's the problem child when it comes to this. They are a high strung breed and can't be on a leash or have a shock collar without going insane. She has been a great friend and hunting companion and things kind of revolve around her right now. When she's gone the pound rescue mutt will be fine on a rope and that will free up outside storage space. On the subject of inside storage though even our 24 ft model has room to spare. I'm really impressed with all the storage it has and on our 10 day shakedown trip we didn't come near using it all.
The list of tools needed, the weight of them and the space they will use in the very limited outside storage of my 24 ft LD is not heartening. Part of me thinks screw it, IReally going to have to think this over.
We own a 23.5’ Front Lounge and carry a good tool kit, lots of spares, along with two sea kayaks and gear. We are not under equipped .
You can store the tire gear and a lot more with planning. Your rig has plenty of potential storage .
Larry
FL owner for 23 years
Haha no doubt I understand the high strung dog attitude....we have a Belgium malinois and I’ve never seen a more active energetic dog.
My storage spaces on our 27MB are filled with leveling blocks, essential tools, spare tire, water filters, hoses, camera gear, books and food. We recently took our first trip in nearly 35 years without a German Shepherd who helped us out by mooching snacks, shedding, being in the way, and needing to go out in the middle of the night. The extra space from not having a dog along is not worth having. We look forward to another four-footed housemate.
Storage is full, but what else could we need?
We own a 23.5’ Front Lounge and carry a good tool kit, lots of spares, along with two sea kayaks and gear. We are not under equipped .
You can store the tire gear and a lot more with planning. Your rig has plenty of potential storage .
Larry
FL owner for 23 years
I had a trailer for a short period of time and one of the few things I liked was I could bring our bikes and kayaks in the back of the pickup. We now bring bikes only but I have seen racks that hold both. It looks like they need to be shorter kayaks than ours though. Are your roof mounted or do they stick straight up in back?
Storage is full, but what else could we need?
Do you really need to ask, Harold? ;D
I agree AAA has gone down hill in their service.
I have been less than thrilled recently with their phone customer service due to long wait times, giving wrong information, etc. but I must give credit where due. My little truck recently broke down and they were Johnny-on-the-spot getting me out of a bad situation. They kept me in the loop regarding arrival time via text message. I suspect their service varies depending on the area services are needed. I'm hoping Harold's bad experience was an exception and not the rule.
Hey,
Some things you just can’t leave home without. There’s always space...you just need to be creative. But then again, there are things you just don’t need. Just ask Steve (Martin that is).
https://youtu.be/w2X3vVMdh-s
Kent
. . . When I bought my Lazy Daze, I took a wheel and tire off and put it back on while in the comfort of the barn. That exercise caused me to buy and carry an old jump suit and gloves, three reflective safety triangles, a 20 ton and a 12 ton bottle jack, . . .
Harold
Question out of ignorance and curiosity: a number of mentions of 10, 12, & 20 ton jacks. With my GVWR of 14,500, what are your reasons for the apparent lifting capacity overkill?
[humor]
I already have the ladder and the rope, is the beehive supposed to be empty or filled?
[/humor]
joel
If you're using a jack near its limit, your exertion will be high. A 20 ton lifting one corner is well within normal strength limits if you're lying on the ground working one-handed. There is an intersection of actuation strength vs. how heavy it is to wrestle into place. 20 works for me. I'll even put up with the extra weight of air-actuated jacks in exchange for push-button convenience.
I have road side assistance but am unable to change a tire by myself. Fix it flat works in an emergency but take cookies to the guys at the tire shop when you change it
I have road side assistance but am unable to change a tire by myself. Fix it flat works in an emergency but take cookies to the guys at the tire shop when you change it
I've been wondering how well this product works and I'm thinking between it and a tire repair kit a person might be fine in 90% of situations. Have you ever tried fix a flat on your RV?
Fix-A-Flat Ultimate 1-Step Flat Tire Repair Kit - Walmart.com (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fix-A-Flat-Ultimate-1-Step-Flat-Tire-Repair-Kit/21800629)
I would be cautious about these quik-fix things, especially when you are talking tires that air up to 80 pounds. Few 12V inflators are designed to get that sort of pressure, and I think that even if it could do that, the process would be anything but "quik". I do carry a ViAir RV pump, but that is a pricey piece of equipment designed specifically to inflate large RV tires. Even at that, the instructions do caution you that the pump may shut down if it works too hard and over heats.
I have repaired several tires "in the wild." I have repaired several motorcycle tires (once, in Death Valley, I plugged a BMW sport tourer and used a small hand pump to inflate enough to limp into a gas station for full air -- about 45 miles! @ 20 mph.) I have also plugged a tire on an Airstream trailer, as mentioned earlier. I am a big fan of plug kits, but they are really only practical to use if a) the tire is tubeless and b) the loss of air is the result of a nail or screw/bolt that was picked up and you can see the culprit, mark the tire, extract the object and leave a relatively clean hole when you pull it out. If both of those conditions exist, plugs are fast and relatively easy, even on a rear inside dual. The hard part will always be the inflation.
If you are unfortunate enough to experience a blow-out -- as many on this forum have -- then a plug kit will be useless. Both of my most recent inside dual blows were the result of the tread separating from the casing. Both were on Michelin tires that were subject to recall for that very reason. Still -- big problems await you with those sorts of occurrences. Only a switch out with a spare will get you rolling after such an experience, and that does require a reliable jack and proper tools. If you "practice" ahead of time, it is really not that daunting of a task to mount a spare, but don't try learning on the job for first time on the shoulder of a highway. Pull into a safe zone, breathe, count to 25, then roll up your sleeves and get at it. It can be done.
Something is better than nothing, however the ability for a small compressor/inflator to do much good on our rather large tires may be taxed to the limit. Many here have small compressors costing less than $50 (think Home Depot or Lowes) and they work well enough.
The Viair RV 12 volt compressor comes in a small zippered bag and except for the patch kits, like plugs etc. (Which can be stored in its carrying bag), it is all you will every need to get your LD tires inflated (once the hole is repaired).
They aren’t too expensive at about $200.00 and fit neatly away. Actually the whole system may take up only a little more space than the kit you mentioned.
I purchased our Viair from a reputable vendor mentioned here and paid less than the Amazon prices and had it sitting in the rig within 2 days with free shipping. The Viair is extremely popular.
Something to consider.
Kent
Also, not often referred to with these fast, smaller 12v pumps is that there are two critical aspects to inflating a tire. The first, of course, is the amount of pressure needed to drive or even limp off to a gas station. The second is the volume of air needed, which is the real problem. The reason I was able to hand pump a motorcycle tire up to sufficient pressure to drive away at slow speed and seek a gas station is because a motorcycle tire is a low volume space to fill, especially when compared to the high pressure, large volume space of an RV tire. It is the volume that will kill a small pump.
Many of you are familiar with the Safe Jack system (12 Ton RV Jack Kit – Safe Jack (https://safejacks.com/collections/frontpage/products/12-ton-rv-jack-kit)), but let me tell you about the way my incredibly handy brother-in-law made for his Jayco 35' moho.
I have bragged about him on other threads, but he is a retired firefighter who for many years operated dozers for CalFire, cutting fire breaks, etc. He also ran his own dump truck/backhoe business on the side, and made nearly all repairs himself. He is one of those guys who can weld, fix hydraulics, auto electrics, etc. I don't know if he is aware of the Safe Jack system, but he fabricated his own similar sytem, custom made for the frame height of his Jayco. He welded the pipe extension the slips over the bottle jack so that he would only need to pump his jack up a few inches to lift the frame without the need to lift and block, lift and block, etc. It really works well, and he can use the pipe to slip over a lug wrench if necessary for extra leverage. (But, he also carries a 1/2" corded impact wrench). They retired to a farm in Oklahoma, and he has a great shop that he filled with tools and machinery. We go back once a year to visit, and this year I am going to ask him to weld me up a similar custom length extension sleeve for our new LD.
I had a trailer for a short period of time and one of the few things I liked was I could bring our bikes and kayaks in the back of the pickup. We now bring bikes only but I have seen racks that hold both. It looks like they need to be shorter kayaks than ours though. Are your roof mounted or do they stick straight up in back?
Larry's are carried longitudinally on the roof (custom rack and lift), or on the roof of their Cherokee toad.
Steve
I've been wondering how well this product works and I'm thinking between it and a tire repair kit a person might be fine in 90% of situations. Have you ever tried fix a flat on your RV?
Fix-A-Flat Ultimate 1-Step Flat Tire Repair Kit - Walmart.com (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fix-A-Flat-Ultimate-1-Step-Flat-Tire-Repair-Kit/21800629)
No I havent, not on an RV. But I have used fix it flat on my car tires. It worked great and got me to the tire shop where I was cursed by the guys lol. They dont like the stuff, somehow it makes their job harder which is why I say take cookies! If a tire disintegrates though, obviously it wont help you but if you run over a nail then it will
No I havent, not on an RV. But I have used fix it flat on my car tires. It worked great and got me to the tire shop where I was cursed by the guys lol. They dont like the stuff, somehow it makes their job harder which is why I say take cookies! If a tire disintegrates though, obviously it wont help you but if you run over a nail then it will
I recently bought a new to me mountain bike that was 4k new but I got it used for 1k. The guy I bought it from was a pro racer and he had tubeless tires on it to reduce weight. Tubeless bicycle tires seaI with the help of the same green goo that tire fix kits have I wanted tubes so when I removed the tires I found out why tire shops hate this stuff so much. Green slime everywhere. All over my work bench my hands my clothes my face even, oh and it has a really bad taste too! Stuff works though.
The green goo that is often used in bicycle tires is often "Slime". I discovered another shortcoming of using this product.
I used to commute to work on my bicycle. In order to ride on the trails with my friends on the weekend and ride to work on the roads during the week, I built another set of wheels for the bicycle. One set had knobby tires for the trails and a mountain cluster of gears, and the other set was lighter with a set of high pressure slicks and a road cluster. They both worked with the same brakes and deurailer so I got to use the same bike for both purposes.
After a spell, I used the mountain tires for commuting as well as weekend fun. I hung the road wheels in the garage for over a year. One day, I decided to mount the road wheels and take a fast spin. When I pumped one up to 100psi, it exploded throwing rubber and green slime all over me, the garage door and my ears run for about 20 minutes. I figured I had pinched a tube, growled, checked the tube position of the next tire and proceeded to pump up the other. Same thing happened. Both tires exploded off their rims. When I took the wheels and tires to my trusted bicycle mechanic, he said he had seen this before, but only with high pressure, lightweight tubes and tires that hadn't been used for a while and the slime had sat for an extended period in one part of the tire. Apparently the slime created a weak spot in the tube and it comes apart under pressure.
No more slime for me in anything except the wheelbarrow and hand trucks.
Harold
I carry the Fix-A-Flat goo with my LD tire fix kit, but have no personal experience with its use. Now, I may never have the pleasure. I’ll keep it in the rig, however, just in case I get a bit crazier than I already am.
I do have experience with exploding high pressure bike tires, however. Last year while LDing in Yellowstone, I had topped off my Relic 10 Speed tires to their max 110 psi and enjoyed a nice bike ride with my DW. Her Townie tires set to 50. Nice ride.
The next morning I was shocked to find my bikes back tire had come off the rim. Very strange. Upon closer inspection I found the inner tube had exploded. After some conjecture on the possible causes, I reasoned that due to the 110 pounds of air in the tire and the higher altitude of Yellowstone the tube had expanded too much and blew up. Yikes!
I no longer inflate my bike tires to maximum psi and settle for some 10-15 pounds lower while at higher elevations. I let the Mother Nature do her best to equalize the pressure.
I’ve never checked out whether this occurs with the LD tires. Maybe one day, but for now it’s lower air pressure and no green goo. When all else fails, my Nishki needs to be ready for a quick getaway.
Kent
Beautiful bike. Dura Ace bar end shifters? Chrome moly frame. Nice.
HD
I love those shifters. Big selling point for me at the time. I’ve never seen them on any other bike.
I was told the frame was magnesium alloy if that makes sense. What do I know? 16 pound bike. That’s good enough for me. And the tires still hold air.
Kent
I carry the Fix-A-Flat goo with my LD tire fix kit, but have no personal experience with its use. Now, I may never have the pleasure. I’ll keep it in the rig, however, just in case I get a bit crazier than I already am.
I do have experience with exploding high pressure bike tires, however. Last year while LDing in Yellowstone, I had topped off my Relic 10 Speed tires to their max 110 psi and enjoyed a nice bike ride with my DW. Her Townie tires set to 50. Nice ride.
The next morning I was shocked to find my bikes back tire had come off the rim. Very strange. Upon closer inspection I found the inner tube had exploded. After some conjecture on the possible causes, I reasoned that due to the 110 pounds of air in the tire and the higher altitude of Yellowstone the tube had expanded too much and blew up. Yikes!
I no longer inflate my bike tires to maximum psi and settle for some 10-15 pounds lower while at higher elevations. I let the Mother Nature do her best to equalize the pressure.
I’ve never checked out whether this occurs with the LD tires. Maybe one day, but for now it’s lower air pressure and no green goo. When all else fails, my Nishki needs to be ready for a quick getaway.
Kent
Funny you should bring this subject up because just yesterday I put a new tube in my bicycle tire with only 40lbs of pressure. I set it aside and was doing something else for an hour or so and all of a sudden BANG! My wife came running out thinking a gun went off. Just as you said the tire was blown off the rim and the tube was ripped along 6 inces of seam. Made me wonder what kind of wreck I'd get in if I was flying down some trail and that happened. Couldn't end well. This was a cheap Walmart tube as are the rest of the tubes in both our bikes and it's a bit unnerving.
Some SOBs don’t require to care any items to change a tire because they have no spare! That is crazy!
Ron