Tyre needles and full tubeless repair kits in waterproof tubes

[Mr K]

Looks like this might fly- I'll get on it again properly tomorrow.....I've had those rat tails for quite a while and it's time to push it forwards a bit

For anyone looking on and wondering rat's tails/strings are the only thing that I've had repair a puncture 100% reliably.

 

[Fanum]

Just a thought, is it worth putting in 2 smaller tubes of glue rather than one big one? It's just that I know that I get punctures so infrequently that the opened tube would have dried up by the time I need to use it again. TBH I'd rather have 5 "single shot" tubes of say 10ml each, just enough in one tube for one repair.

I ordered the small tubes, but they fekked up.

They don't appear to dry very quickly at all though, as long as the cap is screwed on properly.....I'm still using the original one that I opened in Zagora early last year and I used it to seal the back of a watch last week (don't ask) and it was fine.

apart from being bright blue

EDIT....the rat tails don't actually NEED glue....I just use it to 'make sure' and it does make the things easier to get in the whole then the open eye needle out.
Never had one leak yet, with the glue

 

[DavidHale]

Fairy snuff.

 

[bustupbiker]

One for me also please/maybe two

Lyn.

 

[DrFarkoff]

me too

 

[brassmonkey001]

I'm in.

 

[King Rat]

That's interesting. The chap who is thinking baout making a top notch tyre inserter thingymajig hasn't had hardly a post, yet this thread, on the same subject, is onto 2 pages.

I like the mini compressor too - found one at Busters. Going to ask about it more and have a decko at one. Not cheap at £35, but only 120mm x 100mm or something like that (I looked just now, but can't remember exactly) not much bigger than a packet of ciggies though.

Personally, I use a Stop n Go plugger kit, so don't need a needle tool - but if you find a better compressor, TELL ME PLEASE!

 

[Aidan1150]

One for me too please Bill.

 

[Fanum]

Personally, I use a Stop n Go plugger kit, so don't need a needle tool - but if you find a better compressor, TELL ME PLEASE!

The best mini-compressor I've seen in action is the Slime one.....I haven't looked at how much they are though I'm afraid

 

[roddy]

I like the mini compressor too - found one at Busters. Going to ask about it more and have a decko at one. Not cheap at £35, but only 120mm x 100mm

Woolworths went they existed used to do a mini compressor that is about that size for £10 you only got flying leads and the leads could fold up inside the unit, I changed the croc clips to the 12v plug found on the GS for ease of use.
Since Woolie's are no more I'm sure I've seem Shell garages doing the same model quite cheap

HTH
PS Sorry for the Hi-Jack

 

[Keith Chapman]

Bill, put me on the list for a kit please.

 

[ianboydsnr]

That's interesting. The chap who is thinking baout making a top notch tyre inserter thingymajig hasn't had hardly a post, yet this thread, on the same subject, is onto 2 pages.

I like the mini compressor too - found one at Busters. Going to ask about it more and have a decko at one. Not cheap at £35, but only 120mm x 100mm or something like that (I looked just now, but can't remember exactly) not much bigger than a packet of ciggies though.

Personally, I use a Stop n Go plugger kit, so don't need a needle tool - but if you find a better compressor, TELL ME PLEASE!

its not the same, its a full kit, not just the insertion tool, and with the ability to cable tie it out of the way, I already have the strings and insertion tool,but its a better package

 

[James Bryan]

Yes please X 2

Put me down for two please Bill.

All the best, Jim.

 

[DavidHale]

Just out of curiosity here (feel free to take the piss ) but bike tyres and cars tyres are both black and round. Any regulations or obvious things that I'm missing that would mean this kit couldn't be used on car tyres as well?

 

[DavidHale]

That's interesting. The chap who is thinking baout making a top notch tyre inserter thingymajig hasn't had hardly a post, yet this thread, on the same subject, is onto 2 pages.

Not really comparing like-for-like. Civil is offering an obviously very-well made tool that would be very useful to have, whereas Fanum is offering an off the shelf solution to the entire puncture problem.
Fanums kit will suit me down to the ground whereas if I did a lot of off-roading or other riding that meant I would be getting frequent punctures I'd probably look at the tool made by Civil as well.

 

[ianboydsnr]

Just out of curiosity here (feel free to take the piss ) but bike tyres and cars tyres are both black and round. Any regulations or obvious things that I'm missing that would mean this kit couldn't be used on car tyres as well?

no, use on car tyres to

 

[Fanum]

Just out of curiosity here (feel free to take the piss ) but bike tyres and cars tyres are both black and round. Any regulations or obvious things that I'm missing that would mean this kit couldn't be used on car tyres as well?

Car tyres tend to be harder to get the needles through...particularly if they're 4x4 tyres.

Otherwise, no, as long as you can get the reamer in and then the needle, not a problem. (I coat the needle with glue as well as the rat tail, then it all slips in nicely)

As above, one of the chunky tyres I've got on the Landcruiser has a rat tail in it that I repaired it with in Granada, and since then it's come all the way back to the UK, back out to Morocco, done a whole trip and come back again, no probs.

Common sense means you check it every half hour for the first few hours after fitting then keep an eye on it for the next few days, but as long as the puncture was caused by something like a nail or screw and it's in the 'right' part of the tyre (ie not the wall), there's practically no chance that there will be any significant damage to the metal braid in the carcass, which is what can lead to a fast/catastrophic failure.


I don't know what the AA use nowadays, but certainly the Spanish Gruas use the rat tail kits.

 

[DavidHale]

In that case put me down for 2 seeing as my car doesn't have a spare!

 

[Fanum]

Just for Info, there's an art to using these rat tails........not an art, but a trick.

First you pull out the nail (for the sake of argument) then you ream the hole thoroughly (roughens up the hole and the inside surface surrounding the hole so the glue will take properly)
Then you fit the rat tail to the needle, coat both with glue, push it right in so that there's only a cm or so of the two ends of the rat tail sticking out.

Then comes the trick....You twist the needle around twice...this puts a double twist in the rat tail loop that you've now got inside the tyre.

When you pull the needle out (pinching your fingers at its base next to the surface of the tyre ) the double twist inside forms a ball and it all sets nicely and seals it really well.

You can add two or more rat tails if it's a larger hole, but TBH this would only be an emergency 'get me out of this desert' type thing to do , as if it's a big hole, there's a chance the metal ply inside the carcass could be damaged.

 

[Thor]

I'm in for one