Tire sealant "SLIME"

[Von]

Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

Has anyone has any experance with a product called "SLIME"?
Its a tire sealant that you put in your tires to prevent leaks before they happen. I have slow rim leaks on both front tires on my tractor and just added some to the tires. Did I waste my money ($10.00 to do both tires) or will this solve my problem?
Would like to hear from anyone who has tried this stuff.

 

[JerryG]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

Von,
I have used Slime. It is pretty good stuff, if the hole is on the tread face and isn't to big. If your problem is along the edge of the rim, I really don't think that it will help.

 

[Von]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

Jerry,
I think the leaks I have are between the rim and tire, it is very slow to leak. I will let you know if it works on these leaks.

 

[kerr]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

Von, i have used a product by berrymans in 4-wheeler tires for many years.Im guessing about the same thing.It works real good for thorns,nails.I think all P.M. is money in the bank!

 

[hayden]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

I've used it, not quite the way it's intended, but in a way you might find interesting given your problem.

Last week I got a front flat and didn't realize it until the tire bead had unseated from the rim. This was of course at my place in Vermont where everything is 30-45 minutes away, and it was Sunday. My portable pump that plugs into a lighter couldn't produce enough air to reseat the bead. I drove off and got a small compressor and it wouldn't do it either. I then went to a service station and got the guy who was off duty but working on his own car to let me try the shop air hose. Still no dice.

I gave up and went home, then decided to try a thin coat of slime around the bead to hopefully help retain enough air to get the bead to seat. IT WORKED! The stuff spattered and sprayed all over the place as the bead was seating, but the tire took air and held it.

I think if you can get the slime to coat around the bead it should work fine. Personally I prefer to not have goop like that inside my tire and rim which is why I only smeared a thin coat just around the bead, but to do that you need to break the bead on the tire.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by hayden on 07/14/01 08:09 PM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Bird]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

Hayden, for the way you used the slime, you can also use grease. When a tire bead doesn't want to seat that way, though, I wrap a strap or cable around the tire, centered on the tread as much as possible, the tighten the strap to press in on the center of the tread, which pushes the bead out. Of course, you can buy straps made and sold for that purpose and there's even an inflatable model available. Naturally, as soon as the tire starts to inflate, you have to loosen the strap.

Bird

 

[Alan L.]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

I use a product called "Master Seal" I think - bought 6 quart bottles at Tractor Supply 2 years ago. I had a flat the first day I used the tractor (before putting the sealer in the tires) and have not have a single flat since. And that is in very thorny conditions. I put 2 quarts in each rear tire and 1 quart each in the front tires. It has the consistency of snot, so I guess it would qualify as slimey. It is harmless to the tire and can be washed out with a water hose if needed. Seems like it was about $7 per quart. Well worth the $42.

Alan L., TX

 

[RJohnson]

Re: Tire sealant "SLIME"

Von,
I have used Slime in my garden tractor tires and it does keep them from gong flat when I am using the tractor. But when I let it set for a long time the tires lost air and eventually went flat. I would air them up and they would hold while I was mowing but then go flat again after the tractor would set.
I found that there were just to many mesquite, honey locust and prickly pair thorns in the tires to stop them from leaking. I believe it was because the thorns themselves are porous and the slime does not complete coat the thorn and air would leak through the thorn. I finally gave up the battle and had all four tires foamed solid /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. It has been the best investment I have made for the garden tractor. Cost a fortune/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif but in my case well worth it. If you live in an area that does not have 4 inch long thorns you may not have to go to such extremes, but the mesquites grow faster that I have been able to mow them down.

Randy

 

[hayden]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

I'll try that next time.

 

[MarkV]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

Von,
This will not fix your problem, but I though some of you might enjoy the story. A fellow down the road has a Case skid steer and is a heavy equipment operator by trade. He can make that skid steer just plan dance. It is fun to watch. Anyway, he was moving a bunch of dirt from his property to fill in around the house and I thought I would give him a hand with my B21. I also have a slow leak in a front tire and while working with him it got lower than I noticed and broke the bead on the tire. I was looking at a long walk up hill to get the compressor when he tells me he can take care of it right there. What he does is take starter fluid, sprays it in the tire,(tire is off the tractor) sprays a trail from the tire and throws a match to it. The expanding air pops the tire back on the bead. Well, it did not work very well on the low profile R4, but he says he does it all the time on the skid steer. I think I am more at home with a compressor.

MarkV

 

[Bird]

Re: Tire sealant "SLIME"

MarkV, I've talked to a farmer who says when the bead won't seat on a big farm tractor tire, he just squirts a little propane in the tire and throws a match at it. He says the little explosion seats the bead very well. Of course, he also told me the owner of one tire repair shop ran him off and told him to never come back when he did it in their shop one day. I have no doubt that it would work; but not while I'm within shrapnel range./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I agree with the guy who ran him off./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[Rick Jay]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

Hi Bird,

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( When a tire bead doesn't want to seat that way, though, I wrap a strap or cable around the tire, centered on the tread as much as possible, the tighten the strap to press in on the center of the tread, which pushes the bead out.)</font>

When you made this post (over 3 1/2 years ago!) my tractor was barely a year old and had a whopping 30+ hours. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Now, it's almost 5 years old with a whopping 160 hours. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Anyway, I was out moving some snow today and I noticed the left front tire on my B2910 was off the bead. It's cold out, it was going to be dark soon, tractor is covered with snow, and I have a bit more to do before night fall. Did I say it was cold out?

Somewhere, in the back of my mind, was your post that I quoted above. I drove the tractor near the garage and used the loader to lift the front end. I "borrowed" the nylon strap I use to help keep my air conditioner in its box during the winter. Wrapped it around the tire REAL TIGHT and hit it with the air compressor. IT WORKED!!! With no more than 10 minutes down time, I was back working and finished well before dark.

I just wanted to say "Thanks!" for your advice. Think of this as just another tribute to TBN's Premier Poster whose advice is timeless and always on target. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thank you,

~Rick

 

[JohnSr]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

Ask anyone who has repaired tractor tires what they think about tire sealant! Most hate it because they have to clean it out to do a REAL repair. The real problem seems to be repairing a tire after the liner has been treated with a sealant. Patches dont want to hold and you end up putting a tube in the tire (assuming we are talking about a tubeless tire). If its leaking at the bead and its not bent up too bad I would demount, clean up the beads, straighten any bent up areas and remount. Sometimes a tube is necessary if the rim is in bad shape.

Like anything else, a quick cheap fix will usually end up costing you more in the long run. That said, I would only use that [stuff] if it were a rental machine or if the tire was almost worn out and you just need to make it last a little longer.

Good Luck,

John

 

[aardvark]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

I've put Slime in the tires of my BX23. So far it's been a lifesaver. The guy who used to own my prpoerty has left hardware and nails and screws and junk all over the property. I think I pull a new nail or screw with a pair of pliers at least once a weekend. The Slime just seals up the hole and I keep going.

 

[andrewimbrogno]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

We use something similar to slime in our rough terrain forklifts....on jobsites ur always running over nails so u really need your tires to be filled with the stuff. I dont know exactly what it is but i think its tougher than slime...works wonders though. I was wondering if you guys know if slime is flammable or not...because whenever a tire comes off the rim we need to get it running again in a hurry so we spray a little WD-40 along the inside of the rim and light it up...the expanding air pops the tire back onto the rim...you have to be quick to fill the tire up with air or it might fall of the rim again...this is dangerous and dont recommend you do it but it does work. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Bird]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

Wow, Rick, you did find an old post. Glad it worked for you.

 

[dknarnd]

Re: Tire sealant \"SLIME\"

There are some very good sealant out there that will not freeze above 0 F and are good for the lift of the tire. Usually they will seal from 1/4" punctures without any problem and in slow moving tires such as with tractors they will seal even larger punctures in the tread area but probably won't work for a sidewall slice.

Since the better ones do not harm either tires or wheels I wonder if this stuff could work as weight also. I am going to ask for some weight per gallon specs from manufactures. Although I know it probably isn't as heavy as other liquid weight options.