Vulcanising tyre repair

[frank rabbets]

Back in the day I used to take my punctured/damaged tyres just down the road to the local garage to be repaired. If there was a small hole they would put a plug in but for sidewall punctures and tears they would vulcanise the damaged area. Since tyre depots took over vulcanising has taken a back seat. They just want to sell you a new tyre when the outer tread or sidewall is damaged. There are still vulcanise repair specialists about though so if one damages a new tyre it could well be worth trying to find a place.

A lot of local garages had vulcanising equipment. you did not have to go far.

 

[flint]

I think that the advent of tubeless and radial tyres made vulcanised sidewall repairs unsafe, it only repairs damage to the rubber, not the plies. Still ok for things like earthmovers etc., but not on something that’s going to be doing 80mph.

 

[frank rabbets]

That could be right but my friend in Cheltenham has just had a new car tyre vulcanised. I don't know if they took a risk. I do know it was only a nail hole right on the edge of the tread.

 

[flint]

I'm not sure on the legality of it, but probably ok for a small hole where the plies are not damaged and it's just to stop the air getting out.

 

[frank rabbets]

At last somewhere reliable. Reminds me of where I got my motorcycle tyres vulcanised.

 

[StarCruiser]

Life is cheap in India where they view it differently.
Danger sign makers could in theory make a fortune but in reality would starve. As someone whose job is to look for, mainly electrical, risk, my alarm bells were ringing all over the place when I visited. Health and safety gets a bashing here, mainly when it goes overboard but they could really do with some in India!

 

[Towpack]

I've also had tyres vulcanised in the (distant) past. I've also had tubes put in tubeless tyres but that is another big no no these days. I carry one of these when I'm out on the road bike....http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Motorcycl...357735?hash=item1e92f215e7:g:gc0AAOSwPe1UCGAQ..and yes, they do work and work very well indeed. In fact, the one and only time I've had to use it it gave a 100% seal and I ended up, rightly or wrongly, leaving it in until the tyre was worn out, another 1500miles later. The instructions are obviously littered with warnings about speed limits and 'temporary only' etc but I guess that H&S for you. The dirt bike has tubes so your stuffed but then they are 6mm tubes and quite tuff, if an absolute bitch to fit.

 

[frank rabbets]

Link does'nt work for me TP. Is that one of those pressurised cans of tyre sealer? I keep one in both cars but hav'nt had to use it yet. Are they all more or less the same ?

 

[Pat]

Link does'nt work for me TP. Is that one of those pressurised cans of tyre sealer? I keep one in both cars but hav'nt had to use it yet. Are they all more or less the same ?

I operated a cartage & contracting business and we used to retread our tyres up to 5 times per casing.When cold process bandags usually used new on front and bandags on rear axles.

 

[Towpack]

Link does'nt work for me TP. Is that one of those pressurised cans of tyre sealer? I keep one in both cars but hav'nt had to use it yet. Are they all more or less the same ?

No, it's a mushroom plug type kit. Try item No. 131314357735 in the Ebay search bar.
I used some tyre sealer called Finilec over 30 years ago in a tyre on my Capri but the hole must've been too big 'cos it just sprayed out all over the place. The tyre shop I later took the tyre to then said they couldn't repair it as I'd used the sealer and it had affected the inner surface of the carcass so a patch wouldn't stick? Never used it since.

 

[frank rabbets]

I remember commercial tyres had so much rubber on them that when they were almost bald you could cut another tread depth in them with a special hand held tool with a heated blade on.

In 70's 80's millions of bald tyres went to India so this practise died out or was it banned?

 

[StarCruiser]

I remember commercial tyres had so much rubber on them that when they were almost bald you could cut another tread depth in them with a special hand held tool with a heated blade on.

In 70's 80's millions of bald tyres went to India so this practise died out or was it banned?

I've seen that done on 'regrooveable' truck tyres when I worked at Lec refrigerators which was the biggest employer in Bognor, now, sadly gone.

 

[fbnss]

They still get regrooved. Bloody stinks!

 

[Shayne]

I had a tyre plugged by a mate who is a site diesel fitter 2 or 3 years ago when i got a ships nail in it which i felt was big enough to come out at speed and cause an instant flat .

I promptly forgot about it and i think i have changed tyres since but i can be sure it stood up to motorway speeds or else it would have been a memorable ride home .