Tire repair-sidewall

[HillBillE]

So, anyone ever rip out the sidewall on your Jeep tire?

I punched a hole in my 33x12.5-15 Dunlop Mud Rover a week ago. The tire only has 1500 miles on it!

Brought it out to the place I bought them at, see if it could be repaired.

For $50, they remove the rubber around the damaged area, leaving the belts, and replace it.

Then stick the tire in the vulcanizier overnight, same machine they use to make the retreads on semi tires adhere.

I'd heard of it being done on semi tires, and even 44"+ boggers and such.

I was glad to find out they can do a 33" tire!

Would cost $200 to replace it, so $50 to fix it is fine with me.

They are even going to try and get it done before close if biz Friday night, so I have a spare for National Trails Day on Sat!

I just dropped $1000 on 5 tires and 1 wheel last Feb. This one was my spare. I rotated it in while in Moab, so it would wear the same as the others.

On Sat the 21st, we hosted the Open House at the IROHV park. While pre running the trails, I cut the sidewall.

Stupid! The trails we use for the Open House are more like dirt roads than Jeep trails! (Can't take the newbies out on the +4 trails their first time offroad!)

Hopefully this will do the trick!

[SavageSun4x4]

You for to see this: http://www.savagesun4x4.com/enter/je...re_repair.html

I had a 37 MTR that I could stuff my fingers in the gash on the sidewall. BUT amazingly it would hold air. So I took some ACETONE and a tube of 3M black weather strippting and cleaned it, then stuffed it the 3M in there. I had to do this every few months or so, it lasted for over 3 years and finally gave it up down in Mexico driving along the Sea of Cortez and I had aired down to about 3 lbs. But it worked and worked well...

[HillBillE]

Great write up Don! " I've stitched and booted" a few tires in emergencies, and have done done one stitch and plugs. Wasn't very big, only an inch or so, but enough that it wouldn't hold the plugs. Did one stitch, used 6 plugs (3 on each side) and 2 cans of 'Fix-a-Flat' (hate that gooey stuff! but it was all we had for air!)


Your Inner MacGyver comes out, when your rig absolutely, positively, has to be off the trail that night!

I've even driven my CJ out to the trailhead, on 3 wheels and a log skid! Damned if Bill never sent me the pics of that one!

[SavageSun4x4]

Great write up Don! "

I've even driven my CJ out to the trailhead, on 3 wheels and a log skid! Damned if Bill never sent me the pics of that one!

Thanks, just shows what can be done when you need to.

3 wheels and a log skid...pics or it never happened LOL

[airforce26yrs]

See, if you had the Discount Tire Certificates you would get a new tire free. They will sell you the Certs even if you did not but the tires there, at least they did for me once.

[SavageSun4x4]

See, if you had the Discount Tire Certificates you would get a new tire free. They will sell you the Certs even if you did not but the tires there, at least they did for me once.

True and I could have done that, but one of the guys at Discount who started as a tire changer is now in the front office and I get some VERY good treatment at Discount so I don't abuse my relationship. I get pricing that only fleet buyers get and a fone call gets me tires that others are waiting on for weeks and months. Rick is also a wheeling buddy and Jeeper so taking advantage of friendship is one thing, but abuse is another...

[trailsnail]

Nice write up, one of those things people don't think about until it happens.

[airforce26yrs]

True and I could have done that, but one of the guys at Discount who started as a tire changer is now in the front office and I get some VERY good treatment at Discount so I don't abuse my relationship. I get pricing that only fleet buyers get and a fone call gets me tires that others are waiting on for weeks and months. Rick is also a wheeling buddy and Jeeper so taking advantage of friendship is one thing, but abuse is another...

I am not saying to abuse anything or one. Are you saying that because you get such a good deal that you do not buy the certs or won't they sell them to you because of the good deal?

[SavageSun4x4]

I know that...I buy the certs and I just chose not to have them replace the tire. That tire was wheeled and wheeled long an hard. You would have had to see the tire to understand. I send them a Lot of business. Could I have asked for a new tire, sure, but no need calling in a chit when I did not need to. I rarely replace tires one or even two at a time, I do all 4 or 5. My tires take a BEATING, sliced, diced, chunked and my tires are way above and beyond normal use. Usually I sell them to a wheeler when they get to the point that it takes a pound just to balance them.

Just me, I never like to feel obliged...