In the previous Backcountry Skills, we delved into tire CPR 101, reviewing techniques and equipment for repairing basic punctures, broken valve stems, and how to dismount a tire from its wheel. But what do you do if a commie rock, branch, or whale bone slashes a gash in your sidewall? This issue recently landed front and center during a run guide for Sierra Trek on the Fordyce Creek Trail, a route that surpasses the Rubicon in technical challenges. Most participants were running 38- to 40-inch tires, didn’t carry a spare, and one of them had a run-in with the aforementioned foe. This month we are diving deep into our bag of tricks and exploring ways to bring an ostensibly dead tire back to life, albeit temporarily, and get you off the trail. what do you do if a commie rock, branch, or whale bone slashes To keep the attorneys at bay, we need to emphasize that the following are for emergency trail fixes only, are not approved by the DOT for on-road use, and the repaired tire should only be used at very slow speeds.
TIP:Per the U.S. Department of Transportation, shoulder and sidewall repairs are not permitted for vehicles driven on public roads.
Now that we’ve covered the ‘Don’t try this at home’ disclaimer, there are several options for resuscitating a flatlined tire; traditional interior patches, surgical stitching, or a combination of the two, each of which will require removing the tire from the rim. The third, which we will get to in a moment, is a new product from GlueTread.
Patches? We Don’t Need No Stinking Patches!
TIP:Be sure to fully remove the membrane from the interior work area prior to applying a patch.
Scalpel, Please!
If welding with batteries is the Holy Grail of backcountry repairs (see Backcountry Skills #1, Tread Jan/Feb 2023), stitching a badly torn sidewall is a close second. The Extreme Outback Products and Power Tank kits include waxed sail thread and stainless-steel wire respectively, but if you are in a pickle, this type of surgery can be accomplished with bailing wire, tire plugs, and silicon. For this exercise we cut a 2.5-inch slice in the middle of the sidewall and went with the in-a-pickle scenario. You will find the process is akin to suturing up a laceration in your buddy’s leg…but with a little less finesse.
Whichever method you use (wire or thread, silicon or patch) sidewall flex can be detrimental to this type of repair. Reinflate to the point that sidewall flex under a load is limited, but not to the point that the repair area bulges much (psi will depend on tire, wheel diameter, vehicle weight, and so on). So, it’ll hold air under a great load—though the bailing wire fix might have slow leaks, so you should swap it out for the spare, if you carry one. This Frankenstein fix will not be pretty, but it should get you off the trail or provide a spare if things go pear-shaped…again. If you must use it, avoid rubbing the subject tire against rocks, tree branches—anything.
TIP:When stitching, be sure to cover the plugged area and suture holes with silicon from the inside.
TIP:Inflate a stitched tire only enough to eliminate most sidewall flex.
Super Glue?
I met the GlueTread crew at the 2022 SEMA Show, and while I was skeptical about ‘super gluing’ an external patch for trail use, I listened to their pitch. While I’ve not personally trail tested this product, my buddy Tyler Laursen (of MORRFlate systems) recently slashed all four tires on his rig, repaired them with GlueTread, and drove the Rubicon Trail. Is this the miracle drug that renders dismounting tires a thing of the past?
TIP:For best results, be sure to precisely follow GlueTread application instructions.
Down the Trail
I’ve learned a lot since that commie push rod confrontation back in the `80s, and I am always impressed when someone comes up with a better mousetrap. After drilling, slicing, and dicing our test dummy tire, it begrudgingly held air for several days. Not bad! As for my crewmate’s GlueTread repair on the spareless Sierra Trek vehicle, he finished the trail and was having coldies with us around the fire in basecamp that night. If you follow the instructions, this stuff is pretty darn amazing.
Whether it’s stitching, patching, plugging, or super glue, pick your poison, get the gear, and practice, practice, practice in the comfort of your garage. Next time one of your buddies finds themselves in a tire pickle, you’ll be the hero of the day.