Flat Tires

[Skyhigh]

Haven't seen a thread addressing this in a while, and want to see if anyone has new information. I have had 8 flats in the past year so this information may help me, and I imagine it is something that should be thought about by anyone traveling in the backcountry away from services.

So, the situation is you have a flat tire, and can't access your spare, or you're already on your spare and get another flat.

What do you do? Does anyone have resources to fix a tire in the field? How do you do it?

 

[jmez]

I always have a plug kit in my glove box of both my pickup and UTV. Air compressor that runs off the lighter and several of the compressed air cylinders. If you can find the hole and it isn't real big plugging one is easy to do.

 

[rustneversleeps]

8 flats in a year?! My advice is to invest in good tires man. I've had 2 sets of Duratracs and am on a set of Cooper ST Maxx and havent had a flat on any of them. Im going back to Duratracs on the next set. I spend a fair amount of time off the beaten path.

Good tow rope, jack, and accessible spare would be best advice just to be prepared going on questionable roads. Also a bottle of fix a flat for emergencies.

 

[J Bar]

I am with Jmez I have a plug kit and a 12v air pump in the pickup, get a average puncture and a plug is a life saver.

 

[wyodan]

I just went through the described situation last year where I had one flat, was on my spare, and got another flat. I now have a tire plug kit and a compressor in my truck at all times. I had to ask several people cruising the mountain for a hand in order to get home that day.

 

[CorbLand]

I have a plug kit in my toolbox. Not really sure what good it will do me considering the fact that I dont have a compressor. I should probably invest in a compressor. I also have no idea where my jack went so I need to get one of those too.

 

[VernAK]

Seldom have a flat but if I do, it's usually a sheetrock screw......damned things are sharp.

I too carry a plug kit and pump and if traveling the Haul Road or such, I take the spare out from under and put it on top of my load where I can access it easily. Some of my rigs have upgrade jacks and wrenches.

I don't try to wear out tires.......new tires seem spendy but I like good traction and a nice ride. Flat tires in backcountry can get expensive or could ruin a hunting/fishing trip.

I'm currently running Cooper AT3s on two vehicles and the other will get em before I start my summer trips.

 

[Backyard]

I always have a plug kit in my glove box of both my pickup and UTV. Air compressor that runs off the lighter and several of the compressed air cylinders. If you can find the hole and it isn't real big plugging one is easy to do.

^^^Exactly this^^^

 

[LaGriz]

I recently read of a situation in "Bugle" where a guy had locking lug nuts on his 4X4 and did not have a key. He was driving on the rim when he met the guy writing the story. The 2 of them tackled the problem and eventually got the lug nut off and the spare in place.

These kind of problems can really mess up a hunt. Last year my partner forgot his NR tags and all paperwork at his home. I happened to stop at my house for something I had omitted in my load out. When I got back in the truck I started to rundown the list verbally.... wallet, keys, phone, phone charger, optics, tags! That's when my buddy remembered he left them on the kitchen counter at his home. Only delayed us about 20 min. Had we traveled to New Mexico, it would have required a day-long trip to Santa Fe to straighten it out. To date I have made several trips out west over the last 25 years. Have not had a hunt ruined over such an event. Enduring multiple flats would be a real challenge on anyone's hunt.

LaGriz

 

[timbrhuntr]

I am interested in this too. Sometimes its not just the tires. In Alabama spring turkey I came out to my truck and my tire was slashed with a note left saying stay home. I am a non-resident. I changed the tire and moved to another different totally different area of public land parked and walked in. When I came out another tire was slashed note said told ya. I had no phone service and would have had to walk 13 miles to the closest town luckily an nice gent in an old ford picked me up and even went back to my truck and got the flats for me and drove me to a tire place.

 

[duchntr]

I carry two plug kits and a compressor along with an extra bottle jack to supplement the jack that came with the car. 8 tires seems like a lot so first make sure your tires are at the correct pressure. Then id make sure you are using correct load rated tires and maybe consider stepping up to an even tougher tire.

 

[bobr1]

I carry a plug kit and also a decent air compressor. It's one that was recommended to me on an off road forum. It's pretty small and works extremely well. Also, my in laws got me a cordless impact wrench for Christmas. It's definitely overkill and not needed but it does makes taking a tire off super fast and easy. I plan on throwing it in next fall or on long road trips.

Air compressor

 

[Stuie88]

Just out of curiosity where are you getting all the flats? Reason I ask is I used to go 4wding with a bloke who never set his tyres down to the right pressure when we were out bush, and I was forever repairing his tyres. Or he would drop them and then use too much loud pedal and I'd be putting it back on the bead for him.

If you are getting them on rocky tracks Id look at the pressure you are running once you get off road.

If they are from nails and screws and stuff then there's not much you can do.



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[dirtclod Az.]

Two plug kits and compressor,also a mechanical tire pump.If your elect.
compressor gets turned up side down it wiil burn out the compressor.
Learned that the hard way.Twice.

 

[manitou1]

Brother and I were pig hunting Texas years ago. Had a flat and screwed a sheet metal screw into the hole with some of the nock/insert glue that you melt with a lighter.
He had that tire on for nearly three years and it held air!

 

[mtnrunner260]

About 10 years ago got 2 flats on a jeep Cherokee. Walked/jogged 24.3 miles through the night to get cell service.
Got a ride and fixed with plugs and fix a flat can.
Now have that stuff in truck all the time.

 

[Skyhigh]

8 flats in a year?! My advice is to invest in good tires man. I've had 2 sets of Duratracs and am on a set of Cooper ST Maxx and havent had a flat on any of them. Im going back to Duratracs on the next set. I spend a fair amount of time off the beaten path.

Good tow rope, jack, and accessible spare would be best advice just to be prepared going on questionable roads. Also a bottle of fix a flat for emergencies.

I actually just replaced them with the tires I had previously. Idk what happened with these ones though, they were great for around 15,000 miles and then they weren't anymore. The 8 tires happened from august to mid-december, so really not even a year. It was crazy.

 

[rayporter]

one of those cheap 12v compressors has saved my bacon several times. my biggest problem now is they wont air up my trailer tires that take 110lbs.

 

[Skyhigh]

Just out of curiosity where are you getting all the flats? Reason I ask is I used to go 4wding with a bloke who never set his tyres down to the right pressure when we were out bush, and I was forever repairing his tyres. Or he would drop them and then use too much loud pedal and I'd be putting it back on the bead for him.

If you are getting them on rocky tracks Id look at the pressure you are running once you get off road.

If they are from nails and screws and stuff then there's not much you can do.



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I have got the from a variety of things, rocks (while parked in a gravel parking lot, that was the first flat on the set), nails, and unknown debris (big enough to cut sidewalls/ 1" + sized holes). I have since changed to a different tire and have had better results.

 

[isu22andy]

Make sure you have ten ply tires. I have 5 or 6 ply tires on my beater truck and the same exact tire in 10 ply on my nice pickup. Nice pickup gets driving 40-50 k a year, and junker gets drive 4-5 k a year. Junker gets 3-4 flats . Nice pickup hardly gets any if at all.. And they are driven in very similar terrain.