slow leaking tires - what do you use?

[Bighanded 1,234]

I've got some of the green slime stuff sitting around the garage was getting ready to pop some tube stems and drop some in there, but figured I'd check with the pros first

 

left rear and both front tires tend to leak after a couple days. I keep a small inflator on the bike so I'm never stranded, but taking that couple minutes before I ride isn't always what I want to do..yesterday for example, the wife had 2 grandkids on the golf cart headed out back...I was going to run out back to keep an eye on them and they love that we play hide n seek and chase with me running after them..but, needed to pump up some tires first... I get that these are low pressure 

 

thanks

 

Ed

[SlammedRanger 1,560]

I use sta-flo liquid starch. Put it in just like slime. Can get it at walmart dirt cheap. And there is zero mess when removing a tire like slime.

[56Sierra 1,845]

6 minutes ago, SlammedRanger said:

I use sta-flo liquid starch. Put it in just like slime. Can get it at walmart dirt cheap. And there is zero mess when removing a tire like slime.

Never heard of such a thing.  Going to try it since Slime has been giving mixed results for me.

I did find Slime works better if after putting it in, you ride for a while then remove the wheels setting them on their sides for a few hours then flipping them for a few more.  These are older tires where very minor leaking on the sidewalls is occurring.   

Again, thanks for the tip.

[_Wilson_™ 6,593]

i recall another post about that sta-flo liquid starch, and your right slime makes a big mess when breaking a tire down, deal with green slime is works good, while the tire is revolving, i take it sta-flo works much better ? once it finds a leek, it's permennant seal ? 

[SlammedRanger 1,560]

43 minutes ago, 56Sierra said:

Never heard of such a thing.  Going to try it since Slime has been giving mixed results for me.

I did find Slime works better if after putting it in, you ride for a while then remove the wheels setting them on their sides for a few hours then flipping them for a few more.  These are older tires where very minor leaking on the sidewalls is occurring.   

Again, thanks for the tip.

Your welcome! Glad to help!

[SlammedRanger 1,560]

26 minutes ago, _Wilson_™ said:

i recall another post about that sta-flo liquid starch, and your right slime makes a big mess when breaking a tire down, deal with green slime is works good, while the tire is revolving, i take it sta-flo works much better ? once it finds a leek, it's permennant seal ? 

Yeah you gotta put it in and ride it just like slime. The only difference is starch drys fast when it get enough oxygen. So it will roll around until it finds the gap and then when it starts to seep out the hole it hardens and seals. Its is mostly used with sand dunes riders. And works really good on beadlock wheels. But it will work on non-beadlocks aswell. I have it in all 8 of my tires. My mx and my xc tires. All are beadlock but the mx fronts. Before sta-flo i had 3 tires that would air down very slowly. 2 of them were my mx tires that sit off the quad most of the time. I just checked them after sitting in a stack all winter and none of them lost even 1 psi. All the xc tires on my quad are the same way. Not even a single psi lost sitting all winter.

[Bighanded 1,234]

ok..now I'm really glad I asked... I NEVER woulda thought of that....thx!

 

[_Wilson_™ 6,593]

i just havent got around trying it yet ... these old carlisle 489 tires (well two) have a couple plugs , but none leek around the beeds, and still have fair cleats for what i use this bike for. but both have green slime, just a small blast of air and I'm good to go, but yes when they sit for a while they go soft, ha! just have to choose a new set brand of tire when these give up the ghost. lol, so far it's the mud lite at. 

[jeepwm69 7,749]

I use slime, but I've discovered that if I let a rig sit for awhile, the tires will still seep down even with slime.

 

Will try some of that starch next.  Can't hurt anything!

[Bighanded 1,234]

and so, the next question of course....how much do you put in there?

 

[SlammedRanger 1,560]

45 minutes ago, Bighanded said:

and so, the next question of course....how much do you put in there?

 

I usually put a 1/2 cup per tire.

[LedFTed 1,142]

i always had trouble using the slime plugs, they would leak air out of the center of the plug.

used black pepper mixed with water once, it lasted longer than slime liquid. and ya dont need as much.

Edited March 20, 2021 by LedFTed

[Tim-ANC 202]

Pepper and water? Sarcasm? 

[_Wilson_™ 6,593]

i used regular plugs plus green slime in some case, and just plain slime in other situations, looks like slime tire plugs mixed with slime would work better, then just slime plugs, water is just going to freeze in certain seasons of the year plus will cause more rust in steel rims. 

[LedFTed 1,142]

On 3/20/2021 at 10:34 AM, Tim-ANC said:

Pepper and water? Sarcasm? 

it sorta worked out in the long run. my bro-in-law worked out a deal where i got good used tires, then it changed to some better tires on the deal with one of his friends, and i got his rims and he got mine. [i didnt know we were changing rims].. mine were in better shape, least on the outside,, his were in worst shape on the outside, but i bet he was surprised to find out what my rims looked like on the inside. 😀😀😀  aint karma a bitxh !!!!

Edited March 22, 2021 by LedFTed

[Fishfiles 20,147]

Slime is a new formula , it is water based , the old stuff was oil based and very messy and you needed gasoline to get it off the rim , tire guys wouldn't fix a tire if there was Slime in it , the new stuff when mixed with water is soapy and after cleaning the rim looks like new 

[shadetree 5,970]

i WILL NOT use slime. my trick is grease the heck outta both the tire bead and rim bead, never had a tire leak on me yet. the best part of this ?. when it comes time to break them down ?, its very easy to pop the bead off the rim !.

[Fishfiles 20,147]

  I could see where grease might help to  seal a leak at the bead to rim connection during mounting , but they make tire rim bead sealant for that , which works better than grease as it adheres  the tire to the rim , last week a brand new tire I got mounted on my boat trailer went flat the next day , when I took it back , he glued it with tire sealant , good stuff ----

 

but grease on the bead won't help with a " Prick " thru the threads or side wall ----  I know people who dump the tire sealant ( Slime or such ) into their  brand new tires to , down the road , prevent leaks while out in the woods , guess you could call it " Prick Prevention " 

 

[Esterman7 7]

I imagine some people will think I work for this company but I had a slow leak on my foreman and this stopped it. Since then I put it into everything I own. Zero turn mower everything. I’d definitely try quad boss tire sealant. I did a lot of research when I was looking for a sealant and that along with word of mouth led me to this stuff. I’d definitely put it in as I really think it will take care of those holes now and pretty much the tire for the rest of its life. Never has to be taken out or replaced but if you do, it’s just easily washed out.