Over the past year, I've been annoyed by slow leaks in several tires: the right front on the lawn tractor, the left on the little trailer and the one on my small wheelbarrow. The tractor tire is tubeless, but the other two aren't.
Recently, I started plugging the holes in the tractor tire. After five plugs, I realized that the task was futile. The tire was riddled with holes, probably from sand burrs. It was time to try a different solution.
I've heard for years that Slime can turn bicycle and other small tires into permanently self-sealing tires. It is only a temporary fix for highway tires, but for lighter duty tires it can be permanent.
The underside of the cap on the Slime bottle is a wrench for removing valve cores.
It is possible to inject Slime into the valve stem with the core intact, but it is better to remove it--and it's easy. The bottle has excellent instructions, by the way.
With the core removed (and the tire deflated), squirting the green Slime into the tire is quick and easy. For my wheelbarrow tire, I used about a third of a sixteen ounce bottle. With the core reinserted and the tire inflated, it was time to push the wheelbarrow around to spread the Slime inside the tire.
I had my fingers crossed, but after two days, all three tires were up to pressure. I was very pleased with the results. And then I discovered the right front tire on the tractor was flat. Sadly, the bottle is empty and I'll have to wait to get into town and buy another.
Stephen
Recently, I started plugging the holes in the tractor tire. After five plugs, I realized that the task was futile. The tire was riddled with holes, probably from sand burrs. It was time to try a different solution.
I've heard for years that Slime can turn bicycle and other small tires into permanently self-sealing tires. It is only a temporary fix for highway tires, but for lighter duty tires it can be permanent.
The underside of the cap on the Slime bottle is a wrench for removing valve cores.
It is possible to inject Slime into the valve stem with the core intact, but it is better to remove it--and it's easy. The bottle has excellent instructions, by the way.
With the core removed (and the tire deflated), squirting the green Slime into the tire is quick and easy. For my wheelbarrow tire, I used about a third of a sixteen ounce bottle. With the core reinserted and the tire inflated, it was time to push the wheelbarrow around to spread the Slime inside the tire.
I had my fingers crossed, but after two days, all three tires were up to pressure. I was very pleased with the results. And then I discovered the right front tire on the tractor was flat. Sadly, the bottle is empty and I'll have to wait to get into town and buy another.
Stephen
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