Tire sealant "SLIME"

[Von]

Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

Has anyone has any experance with a product called "SLIME"?
Its a tire sealant that you put in your tires to prevent leaks before they happen. I have slow rim leaks on both front tires on my tractor and just added some to the tires. Did I waste my money ($10.00 to do both tires) or will this solve my problem?
Would like to hear from anyone who has tried this stuff.

 

[JerryG]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

Von,
I have used Slime. It is pretty good stuff, if the hole is on the tread face and isn't to big. If your problem is along the edge of the rim, I really don't think that it will help.

 

[Von]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

Jerry,
I think the leaks I have are between the rim and tire, it is very slow to leak. I will let you know if it works on these leaks.

 

[kerr]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

Von, i have used a product by berrymans in 4-wheeler tires for many years.Im guessing about the same thing.It works real good for thorns,nails.I think all P.M. is money in the bank!

 

[hayden]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

I've used it, not quite the way it's intended, but in a way you might find interesting given your problem.

Last week I got a front flat and didn't realize it until the tire bead had unseated from the rim. This was of course at my place in Vermont where everything is 30-45 minutes away, and it was Sunday. My portable pump that plugs into a lighter couldn't produce enough air to reseat the bead. I drove off and got a small compressor and it wouldn't do it either. I then went to a service station and got the guy who was off duty but working on his own car to let me try the shop air hose. Still no dice.

I gave up and went home, then decided to try a thin coat of slime around the bead to hopefully help retain enough air to get the bead to seat. IT WORKED! The stuff spattered and sprayed all over the place as the bead was seating, but the tire took air and held it.

I think if you can get the slime to coat around the bead it should work fine. Personally I prefer to not have goop like that inside my tire and rim which is why I only smeared a thin coat just around the bead, but to do that you need to break the bead on the tire.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by hayden on 07/14/01 08:09 PM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Bird]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

Hayden, for the way you used the slime, you can also use grease. When a tire bead doesn't want to seat that way, though, I wrap a strap or cable around the tire, centered on the tread as much as possible, the tighten the strap to press in on the center of the tread, which pushes the bead out. Of course, you can buy straps made and sold for that purpose and there's even an inflatable model available. Naturally, as soon as the tire starts to inflate, you have to loosen the strap.

Bird

 

[Alan L.]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

I use a product called "Master Seal" I think - bought 6 quart bottles at Tractor Supply 2 years ago. I had a flat the first day I used the tractor (before putting the sealer in the tires) and have not have a single flat since. And that is in very thorny conditions. I put 2 quarts in each rear tire and 1 quart each in the front tires. It has the consistency of snot, so I guess it would qualify as slimey. It is harmless to the tire and can be washed out with a water hose if needed. Seems like it was about $7 per quart. Well worth the $42.

Alan L., TX

 

[RJohnson]

Re: Tire sealant "SLIME"

Von,
I have used Slime in my garden tractor tires and it does keep them from gong flat when I am using the tractor. But when I let it set for a long time the tires lost air and eventually went flat. I would air them up and they would hold while I was mowing but then go flat again after the tractor would set.
I found that there were just to many mesquite, honey locust and prickly pair thorns in the tires to stop them from leaking. I believe it was because the thorns themselves are porous and the slime does not complete coat the thorn and air would leak through the thorn. I finally gave up the battle and had all four tires foamed solid /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. It has been the best investment I have made for the garden tractor. Cost a fortune/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif but in my case well worth it. If you live in an area that does not have 4 inch long thorns you may not have to go to such extremes, but the mesquites grow faster that I have been able to mow them down.

Randy

 

[hayden]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

I'll try that next time.

 

[MarkV]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

Von,
This will not fix your problem, but I though some of you might enjoy the story. A fellow down the road has a Case skid steer and is a heavy equipment operator by trade. He can make that skid steer just plan dance. It is fun to watch. Anyway, he was moving a bunch of dirt from his property to fill in around the house and I thought I would give him a hand with my B21. I also have a slow leak in a front tire and while working with him it got lower than I noticed and broke the bead on the tire. I was looking at a long walk up hill to get the compressor when he tells me he can take care of it right there. What he does is take starter fluid, sprays it in the tire,(tire is off the tractor) sprays a trail from the tire and throws a match to it. The expanding air pops the tire back on the bead. Well, it did not work very well on the low profile R4, but he says he does it all the time on the skid steer. I think I am more at home with a compressor.

MarkV