Tire Repair Question

[cms1001]

I have a 167XT, I use it as my mobility device(I have MS). I have a slow leak in my left tire which is becoming a real pain. It's been suggested that I usr a product called SLIME to remedy the problem.

Has anyone had any experience with this product. They have an impressive website.

[Bob.Kerns]

Originally Posted by cms1001

I have a 167XT, I use it as my mobility device(I have MS). I have a slow leak in my left tire which is becoming a real pain. It's been suggested that I usr a product called SLIME to remedy the problem.

Has anyone had any experience with this product. They have an impressive website.

SLIME is a "quick fix". It may well be a "good enough fix" -- I don't know.

But the "right fix" is simply to patch the tire. This USED to be something anyone with a half-mechanical bent of mind knew how to do.

It's been MANY decades since I've done it, but from memory, to give you an idea of what's involved:

First, you locate the leak. You might need to use some soapy water -- paint it over the various areas of the tire, an look for where it blows bubbles.

Then, on the inside of the tire, you lightly sand around the hole.

Then you apply some rubber cement, let it dry until tacky, and press a patch firmly into place. The patch is simply a small rounded piece of thin rubber.

Put the tire back on the rim, and reinflate, and you're good to go!

Auto tire repair shops use a variant of the technique -- instead of patching on the inside, they use a special tool to insert a cement-covered rubber plug through the hole. This has the advantage of not significantly changing the balance of the tire, which is important for automobiles. Segway tires don't rotate nearly as quickly, so dynamic balancing isn't an issue.

Similar techniques are used for patching inner tubes.

SLIME doesn't promise to repair all leaks. And once you use it, the sort of repair I outline here is extremely difficult. I used the stuff in my wife's car, and it not only utterly failed to fix the leak (from a puncture), it also made the eventual repair significantly more expensive.

On the other hand -- it should continue to fix any small future leaks, probably without your knowing they even happened. That could be a huge advantage, depending on how often you get punctures.

I don't really have a recommendation. I'm not putting it in my tires -- but if I had a lot of leaks, I might change my mind. But I travel over broken glass, thorns, nails, and other hazards, and in close to 3000 miles, have never had a leak.

But the reason I don't is because if it didn't work, I'd have a major problem repairing, or would need to replace. But if the repair option above is more work than you're interested in, "SLIME, or replace if that fails" might be a better strategy.

[Arturas]

is it i-167 or xt?

if it is i-167 i can share my experience. I used this slime product a lot and it always helped. Just do everything right and it will help.

[Joushou]

Arturas: I think it's a i167, "upgraded" to XT...

Bob: I haven't used "SLIME", but i have used another tire-sealant... Which definitely works. When we bought it for the first time, the seller came to demonstrate... He put some of it in an old tire we had, inflated it, and stabbed it with a large knife 20 times.
After a couple of seconds, it was completely sealed-.. We kept stabbing it for like, 45 minutes, but a couple of seconds after we stopped stabbing, it was sealed again... And, yes, i tried painting it with soapy water, to check for small leaks, but none, zip, nada...

The amount we bought costs $600USD, but that's also enough for more tires than i can count... I'm considering giving my x2's tires some, as i frequently have to glide over broken glass (People keep throwing glass-bottles on the pavement...).

I have never tried this SLIME, and i can't remember the name of our tire-sealant... But unless you lost half of your tire, my sealant should do the trick! (I'll find the name for you... But i'm not sure if you can buy it in smaller quantities...)...

[Bob.Kerns]

Originally Posted by Joushou

Arturas: I think it's a i167, "upgraded" to XT...

Bob: I haven't used "SLIME", but i have used another tire-sealant... Which definitely works. When we bought it for the first time, the seller came to demonstrate... He put some of it in an old tire we had, inflated it, and stabbed it with a large knife 20 times.
After a couple of seconds, it was completely sealed-.. We kept stabbing it for like, 45 minutes, but a couple of seconds after we stopped stabbing, it was sealed again... And, yes, i tried painting it with soapy water, to check for small leaks, but none, zip, nada...

The amount we bought costs $600USD, but that's also enough for more tires than i can count... I'm considering giving my x2's tires some, as i frequently have to glide over broken glass (People keep throwing glass-bottles on the pavement...).

I have never tried this SLIME, and i can't remember the name of our tire-sealant... But unless you lost half of your tire, my sealant should do the trick! (I'll find the name for you... But i'm not sure if you can buy it in smaller quantities...)...

That doesn't sound so bad. If failing to fix the problem is unlikely enough, then making it hard to repair becomes less of a concern.

In the interest of accuracy -- I'm not sure the stuff I used was SLIME-brand. SLIME is what I remember, but that may be because of the discussion here. But SLIME's website does say it won't fix everything.

Actually, the more I think about it, given how difficult a flat out in the wild would be for me (since I'm using it as a mobility device, it would leave me rather stranded) -- using it makes sense for me. Having to buy new tubes more often would be a small price to pay for not getting stranded.

Anyway, other than possibly having to replace rather than repair, and the initial cost, I don't see a downside.

[Joushou]

Well, i have never had the seal break... The stabbed tire still holds pressure!
This is also intended for larger tires, that are expensive to replace... So it's a permanent, strong fix, not just a "Work till next workshop"-fix. I can definitely recommend it, but i still haven't been around the tank, to read the brand... Pretty sure it isn't SLIME.

[MagiMike]

I've used SLIME and give it a 5 thumbs up. Great product. Not to expensive.
search fer slime and you will see segchat members have used this without problems fer years.

[cms1001]

Special Thanks To Dick.

[bentbiker]

Originally Posted by cms1001

Special Thanks To Dick.

Your profile says you are not an owner. What model do you have -- Gen1 (or X-series) with tubeless tires?

[SegNerd]

I see lots of info about choosing new tires and repairing existing tires, and this is definitely helpful information, but for me the most troublesome part of the process would be having to install the new tires.

I must admit I'm more of a software guy - as in, earlier this week, it took me three hours to figure out how to change the InfoKey battery .

Are new tires as hard to install as I'm guessing they would be?