2 1/2" gash
Ugly
Clean it and then stitch it from the inside
First stitch
Stitched up like Frankenstein
A sold stitch about every 1/2 inch
Tie a knot on the inside and push the plugs thru
Smeared with glue
17 plugs, count'um
A good friend of mine, Lance, out here in AZ wrote this up and posted it on our local forum. I got his permission to publish this on my site and I present this to you the reader as a great trail fix.
Lance is a real hard-core wheeler. He runs hard and hits the trails with all the aplomb that a wheeler of his caliber does. I give him a 'tip 'o hat' for a truly great trail fix that everyone can learn from and do.
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So, what do you do when you are solo on the road heading back to the trailer and your tire gets a gash you can nearly put your hand in. To make matter worse you are not hauling a spare.
You fix it!
This trail repair, while it was a HUGE PITA, at least got me to the trailhead and on the trailer. Luckily, I had all the necessary tools and parts to make it work.
Tools and parts:
Air compressor (OBA)
Air hose
Tie wire (bailing wire)
Tire plugs and tool
Rubber cement
Pliers
1/2" socket (for Bead Locks)
Tire iron
Jack
LOTS of patience
2.5" slice that would not hold plugs.
The trail fix:
1) Removed the tire from the rig. Pulled all the bolts out of the BL ring and removed it. Propped open tire, but I did not remove tire from back bead.
2) Scoured the inside of sidewall with a wire brush and sprayed with Simple Green to clean, then brake cleaner to remove all contaminates.
3) Started with the tie wire, by stitching the cut closed.
4) Next, I tied a knot in some plugs and inserted them from the INSIDE, so they would not pull out as easily.
5) I reassembled the rim and tire, and aired it up. I was still getting some air escaping, so I sprayed Simple Green on it to find out where. The air was coming through the "stitch" holes, so I plugged them too. No more leaks!
I used 17 plugs. Good thing I had a new box of 50 plugs with me.
I ran about a couple miles to the trailer like this, and still had air in the tire this morning.
Time will tell on how this repair holds up. But I will start carrying a spare in the tow rig until I can get a replacement.
Tires are 37x13x17, mounted on Walker Evans Bead Locks and I run them at 5-6 PSI.
Time:
Took about 1.5 hours on the trail, by myself.