[bullit4404]

My Bullit doesn't have a spare tire, your Bullit doesn't have a spare tire. What's the best way to deal with a flat, other than to have a spare, which I'm going to acquire shortly.
I've had quite a bit of experience with flat tires and the consequences, having worked for a Goodyear dealer in the past. Firstly, if at all possible, I would suggest you do not use the tire "slime" that comes with the car. It is very hard to clean out, can damage the rim, and under high heat can be, for lack of a more subtle word, "explosive." It's not flammable, per se, but I've seen tires blow off the rim when left in the sun after slime injection. Pretty much your tire will be ruined if you use it. If you do use it make sure you tell the tech whose fixing your tire that it was slimed. I had a tire blow off the rim in close quarters and a person can be injured. It makes a big bang!
Better alternative, buy yourself a plug kit, with the two tools and a strip of what looks like "turds." You pull the nail out, one tool opens up the hole then you push the "turd" into the hole with the second tool after coating it with rubber cement from the kit. Them pump up your tire. The plug repair is OK, and will get you home, but your tire's speed rating is reduced, because your are disturbing the steel cords and tire plies. Not the proper way for a permanent fix. More on that shortly.
Do not drive on a flat tire, you will ruin it in a short time. It may look fine, but when you take it off the rim, you will likely find a handful of rubber bits rolling around inside. I've had customers who got a flat, drove it off the highway, had a plug put in the tire and re-inflated, only for the tire to blow out shortly after. If you've driven on a flat tire for any distance it's probably NFG.
Proper flat fix: If you get a flat and there's a nail in the tire and you can re-inflate, do so and head for the tire pros.
A proper fix involves removing the tire, pulling the nail and, after prepping the tire around the hole, using a special patch with a spikey rubber thing in the middle.( see attached) Some come in two pieces. You pull the tube part through the hole from the inside and then the patch is adhered to the inside of the tire, and the tube thing is trimmed off. This is a proper fix. Put this tire on the right rear, in case you have a problem later, at least you won't be standing out in traffic.
If you are in the boonies and get a flat, you do what you have to do to get home, but quick fixes are not permanent fixes, and a significant cash outlay may be unavoidable. Get a spare. Road side "assistance" or AAA will just drop you off somewhere "safe" and take your car to the nearest tire dealer.

 

[FarmerDon]

Back in the day(50s and 60s) that repair was called a nail hole boot repair. That was before the tubeless tire. Those repairs are still available for radial tubeless tires today. Most are used in pickup and tractor and trailer tires. Car tires don't balance very well with that repair patch-plug.
Excellent advice on tires and the freon issues of an auto air conditioner. Keep up the good writings:smile2:

 

[pwd72s]

Long ago, a guy who left this board after buying a hot mopar posted this.

http://www.imboc.com/forums/225-08-...-info-how-you-can-have-loaded-w-pictures.html

Before I joined IMBOC, I went to a wrecked-em yard. bought a jack, lug wrench, and 17" donut spare out of a wrecked 2009 GT. The downfall to that move is that the different size means I shouldn't use it on the rear for fear of damage of the limited slip. So, would have to change 2 wheels. Cost me a C note.

That said, I wouldn't change a tire if the flat happened on Oregon's crowded I-5 for safety reasons. I'd call a flatbed tow...

Another tip...a 1/2" drive breaker bar with a long socket makes a much better lug wrench than the one supplied by the factory.

 

[bullit4404]

Don
With the new "Road force" tire balancers you can get the tire to balance pretty well. The radial patches are also much lighter than the ones used in previous generations. Thanks for the comments

 

[bullit4404]

Paul
You shouldn't damage the differential because it is "limited" slip and acts like an open diff. most of the time. But, that said I wouldn't want to drive too far with a "donut" regardless. The other issue is if you have the big front brakes, a 17" spare won't fit? I'm with you, call a flatbed!

 

[FarmerDon]

Good info on the new radial nail hole patches. Been using the string type for years. Not a fan of them but only use them on vehicles that doesn't go over 60mph. That's from a retired farmers perspective.

 

[pwd72s]

News items here...cops hit when issuing tickets on I-5...seems to happen all too frequently. There they are, on the shoulder,lights flashing like Christmas trees, and somebody still nails them. Why I'll call a flatbed tow. I'd also stand as far off the freeway as possible, watching that oncoming traffic.

Thanks for the limited slip info...no big brakes on my car, still stock. Just didn't see the need since my track days are long behind me. So, the 17" donut spare fits fine.

Salesman told me no spare on the Bullitt because 18" wouldn't fit in the trunk space. Right... I can hear the bean counter now: "We'll save $xxx per car by dropping a spare, giving them a can of goo and an air pump."

 

[VIC-TIM]

have been using tire plugs all my life and never had one fail. even used it on drag radials and it never failed. have seen patches fail, but never a plug. others have said their plug failed, but I suspect an improper installation of the plug.

 

[bullit4404]

I never said the "plugs" fail, I meant the tire can fail, and if you use them you are likely nullifying your tire warranty and speed rating.
I've used them often at a customer's request, but it's not the recommended fix. A regular patch on the inside of a radial can fail. I've never seen one of the illustrated patches fail because it's a plug and a patch in one. Often patches fail because the tire belts come apart. When you put a plug in you are risking tearing the steel belt, which can later cause delamination of the tire cord. And, how can you be sure if the tire has gone flat, that the puncturing object has not damaged the inner liner of the tire. You have to dismount the tire. Once you've got the tire off, you might as well fix it right?
You have obviously led a charmed life when it comes to tire plugs. May your good fortune continue.

Here is the whole procedure as outlined in the approved repair manual.

 

[bullit4404]

Think we used to charge $24.95 for a proper tire repair, and about $10.00 to plug a nail hole(on the car). It was free to customers who bought tires from us. Pro rated tread warranty was 6 years and mileage varied by the tire.

 

[TrueBlue02058]

Will an inside patch maintain the original speed rating of a performance tire ?

 

[bullit4404]

Depends on the tire manufacturer's protocols? If the tire is plugged and patched from the inside and the tire was not "injured" then usually it's OK. I still don't like repaired tires, wouldn't run one at the track. Put on right rear for street use.
Check with tire manufacturer for their policy. And, suggest you buy the road hazard insurance if you buy UHP tires.

 

[JackDW - 852]

Thanks Pat, another great article. WARNING, of you still have the "fix-a-flat" that came with your Bullitt, it has long ago expired. Don't count on that getting you out of trouble.

Also add a little more to your last comment "Road side "assistance" or AAA will just drop you off somewhere "safe" and take your car to the nearest tire dealer". I had a conversation with Ford customer support several years ago about this same thing. If you have a flat "in the middle of no-where" that fix-a-flat cannot help what happens if you have your family (wife, kids) with you. As you pointed out, the tow diver will drop ALL as a "safe" location as determined by the driver. That location my or may NOT be what you determine as safe. Now, if it is Saturday night or a holiday and there is no local service available. Your car sits until the place opens for business even if that means a day or two. All this because Ford was too CHEAP to include a simple spare tire.

 

[bullit4404]

Good point on the expired "slime." Chances are if a tire goes flat out on the road, it's probably ruined anyway. Even a few hundred yards can tear sidewall cords. There's only one or two plies in the sidewalls. Sometimes you have to ruin the tire to get safely off the road. Then what. No spare, it's flatbed time. That's why I got the Gold CAA/AAA. They will tow you to the nearest dealer. Still no joy on a Sunday night, but they'll pick up the tab for a hotel.
Here's a bit of trivia. Why are the majority of flats on the rear tires? When you drive over a nail, the front tire flips it up just in time to puncture the rear tire. Screws or nails in boards or shingles will have no preference. Never follow a roofer down the road.