Fixing a tire sidewall slice?
 

I can not find any used 14" tires around here for the life of me. I am wondering if anyone has any ideas/tips on repairing a sidewall slice?

I am not planning on driving the car, or doing highway driving...Just want the tires to hold air while I am fixing it up until I can afford a new pair.

So long as you don't drive - remove wheel and fill tyre with expanding builders foam - let it set - put it back on

As long as you won't be driving it on the road, buy a tire tube (used way back before radials). Depending on how big the cut is, you could put some rubber, a tire patch, or other material inside to cover the cut so the tube does not squeeze out. Tubes can be found at places like Tractor Supply or farm stores as they are used in older front tractor wheels and implement wheels.

Once again, DON'T DRIVE IT THIS WAY.

AS LONG AS YOU DON"T DRIVE IT - you can sand down the rough area inside around the slice and fix it with a bicycle tire patch kit. Do the world a favor and mark the tire so nobody tries to drive on it.

Dan

True
 

If you have a set of junk rims, this may be a good idea, otherwise I would suggest inner tubes, but they are blasted expensive today.


I have done this expanding builders foam with trash tires on parts cars, and it works..

Please note the tire needs to be warm, roughly 70° F during curing as per product direction, for fastest - best result.


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Are you gonna do some test drives? Is it not rolling at all, or just off the highway?

tirerack.com has 14" tires. In fact, they have 13 different ones. I have the Kumho Solus KR 21. All season, good on all surfaces including snow and ice, surprisingly grippy for the treadwear rating, and not very expensive.

You don't have a spare? If you're not going to drive it, how about another size 14"er?

Sixto
87 300D

I'd check the dump/junkyard/slip the guy at the tire shop a fiver for a roller.

for your consideration
 

I have a non-matching set of Michelins that are currently taking up space in my living room. They came off the sedan when I had new snow tires mounted.

The odd tire has some significant age-cracks in sidewall, but all held air and passed RI safety inspection fwiw.

If you cannot find anything suitable locally, any & all are yours for the cost of shipping

And they actually are in your living room too! You're not married with children are you...

married
 

to an amazingly tolerant woman no less- no kids in the house, just pups

when I was single, I had not only car parts, but also a mostly complete motorcycle in the house.

With those two you don't have time for children - I'm surprised you get the time to put car parts in your living room. My neighbour over the road has just got a new puppy for his daughter - he has the look of a broken man now (that he's the one who is always walking it and picking up the sh__)

unintentional thread hijack-but puppies!
 

Leia & Leroy are 7 & 2 respectively, Auntie & nephew. I got them each @ 8 weeks old. never again will I get a puppy.

shame you are on the other side of the divide... I've got multiple sets of tires on rims I'd trade with ya...

It is rolling and running, well missing some fuel stuff...windows...some lights :P It is sitting in my driveway awaiting restoration, I just want it to look a little better till funds are available.

Well I have four but all sliced :D Have a good one in the 78, though as soon as I took it out....i would get a flat.

For farm use (under 15mph, offroad) patching with glue and pieces of rubber is fine. If you're going on a hard surface, or over 15mph, or turning at any speed but an idle a sidewall patch will probably blowout on you when it flexes.

I say leave it until you can buy new tires. Nothing you will do will be anything approaching making the tire actually usable for the road, and you will spend a lot of money and time screwing around with the busted tire. Call it hooking up an IV and busting out your sutures for a patient in the morgue.

If you want it to look better in the meantime, jack up the car and put a block under the control arm so the tire doesn't look flat

LOL I rebuilt the carbs on my old Honda CB400T on my dining room table in college with the bike in the living room. I miss that bike.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...9/100_0093.jpg

Think that is the best idea...I have a stack of cinder blocks next to the house....will make it appear in better shape...

When doing a turbo swap that went horribly wrong in school I knew a guy who would push the project car into a different parking spot every few days to make it look like it was moving :P

How big is the slice? If it's a long slice then you're SOL, if it's just a hole then a rubber coated rope plug will fix it. I have seen up to four rope plugs in a row for a rock-induced gash, but that was to get back off the trail. Some shops also use an umbrella shaped plug/patch that may be an option if you can't break the tire down to put a rubber patch inside.
Prior to everyone suing everyone for everything, radial tires could be plugged and patched down to 1" from the bead, and I have run tires like this for up to 10,000 miles.

Britneys? We got Jack 3 months back at 8 weeks after having lost Rudy, our 13 year Britney who was the smartest dog I've ever personally been around. Hope Jack can become something close to the same.

I would have to go look, but there was a broken steak knife by the tires so i want to say it is only a half inch on each side. I don't have the tools to break the tires down, so a plug that I can put in...from the outside would be best....I PM'd Quahog about the tires he has...

You can break a bead by placing a 4x4 on the bead and lowering the car onto it. I've done that on the road-it's a PITA but doable.