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  • DWNSHFT

    Nov. 6, 2009 6:05 p.m. DWNSHFT Reader

    I've got a leak in my truck tire. A tire shop tried to fix it but it still leaks. I don't want to spend $150 for a new tire so I'm looking for a reasonable alternative. I have lying around a can of Fix-A-Flat. This would likely fix the leak. But what about when I go to replace the tires? Will I have a rim coated with goo? Or dried-out, caked-on goo?

    I'm sure the collective wisdom has been there, done that. So clue me in on the long-term after-effects of Fix-A-Flat.

    [Edit: I searched this post but thought this was worth asking.]

    Thanks!

    David

  • neckromacr

    Nov. 6, 2009 6:25 p.m. neckromacr New Reader

    Where's it leaking from? FoF seems to not work more than it does work. But my view may be biased because people coming to my shop have already tried using it and failed.

    I will tell you it is noxious nasty stuff that will coat everything inside the wheel and tire. I hate the stuff. I've had tire tech's that couldn't handle tires after being injected with FoF the chemicals would causes rashes and burn the eyes.

  • oldsaw

    Nov. 6, 2009 6:32 p.m. oldsaw HalfDork

    Where was the tire punctured and how did the shop try to fix it?

    Sidewall puctures are generally non-repairable. Holes in the tread should be repaired with a patch, not a plug. If your shop used a plug, try another shop that will do it correctly.

    And plug-patches are not the same as a plug; they are a patch with an extruded extension that fills the hole in the tread while the patch actually seals the air chamber.

    As noted in the original thread, Fix-a-Flat drives shop techs crazy; it's messy and makes it very difficult to properly clean the inner surface of the tire. If that surface isn't totally clean it's unlikely a patch will adhere properly.

  • mith612

    Nov. 6, 2009 7:23 p.m. mith612 New Reader

    Fix A Flat also damages aluminum, and will over time make it porous. As in it will leak through the structure of the rim

  • DWNSHFT

    Nov. 6, 2009 7:28 p.m. DWNSHFT Reader

    The puncture was in the tread. The store says they put a patch on it, which would be a patch-plug as I can see the plug at the tread surface. While I can't verify the patch, I believe them (it is a well-known, national tire chain). When I took it back to them, they said it wasn't possible to attempt another repair. They offered a free service and I guess I got what I paid for.

    I'm not concerned with effects on the tire, as the alternative is to scrap it. But I'm wondering if it will be difficult to clean of my wheel, potentially have negative side affects down the road.

    Thanks for your thoughts!

    David

  • benzbaron

    Nov. 6, 2009 7:34 p.m. benzbaron Reader

    I put that green crap inside my bicycle tires, never again. If you want you could go to a parts store and buy a repair kit and give it a try. I had to have a plug put into a motorcycle tire once and it held up well.

  • zoomx2

    Nov. 6, 2009 7:36 p.m. zoomx2 Reader

    Put down the FoF and walk away slowly.....

    Stuffs crap and as neckro said it is harmful to techs. Never seen it but I've heard of tires blowing because it's very flammable and a tiny spark can set it off when dismounting the tire.

    If you are set on taking the cheap/easy route I suggest getting a bottle of Slime. Thicker and less noxious than FoF, seals 10x better. Warning though, bottle says not for use on road tires (made more for ATV/trailer/lawn mower tires) due to it being so thick, if it's not spread evenly it can throw the wheel off balance. Also when you do get the tire changed, your tire tech WILL hate you.

  • YaNi

    Nov. 6, 2009 10:42 p.m. YaNi Reader

    zoomx2 wrote:

    Also when you do get the tire changed, your tire tech WILL hate you.

    Amen

    I hated fix a flat even more than that greasy tire shine. When I think about it, if the fix a flat worked I wouldn't have had to repair it... FYI the majority of it never hardens, so when you dismount the tire you get splashed with white goo that reeks.

    How far in from the sidewall is the puncture? Within an inch from the edge of the tread and you usually can't repair it because of the amount of flex that occurs in that area. Is there any corrosion around the bead? How slow is the leak?

    I really don't see how they could screw it up. If it's still leaking it usually is a bead leak or another puncture in the tire that was overlooked.

  • ignorant

    Nov. 7, 2009 6:59 a.m. ignorant PowerDork

    tube?

  • Kramer

    Nov. 7, 2009 1:26 p.m. Kramer HalfDork

    zoomx2 wrote:

    Put down the FoF and walk away slowly.....

    Stuffs crap and as neckro said it is harmful to techs. Never seen it but I've heard of tires blowing because it's very flammable and a tiny spark can set it off when dismounting the tire.

    It is no longer flammable. Not that I would use it, but this excuse is no longer valid.

  • poopshovel

    Nov. 7, 2009 1:54 p.m. poopshovel UltraDork

    Tech will not only hate you, but will likely charge you more.

    Fix-a-Flat is an "in-car" item for use in two situations:

    • You get a flat in the middle of berkeleying nowhere at 3AM, and forgot to replace the plug kit you normally keep in the glovebox the last time you plugged a flat...and/or, you don't have your 12V jumperbox / mini-compressor in the car, because you let your douchebag buddy borrow it ...and your spare is flat.

    • Your wife gets a flat, and either can't or won't change a tire, and can't get in touch w/you.

    Otherwise, never, ever, ever, ever use that stuff.

    "Don't want to spend $150 on a new tire" and "CAN'T spend $150 on a new tire" are two different things. Buy a new tire. Even if it's a $60 tire that doesn't match the others. Or you could try plugging it yourself for the heck of it. It's stupid simple.

 

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