Tubes in tubeless tyres?

duffbeer911

duffbeer911

New member
Hey there... I had a puncture in a tubeless tyre today and when I took it to the guy he said he couldn't repair it other than putting a tube in it. It did have two quite big nails sticking out of it. Is it right to put a tube in a tubeless tyre if it cant be fixed otherwise?

thanks!
 
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uh. what?

I completely understand what you are asking however. Where did the nails puncture the tire? within the tread or the sidewall? I wouldn't imagine the sidewall.

The proper repair procedure is to remove the tire, buff the spot where the patch will go, put the patch on and seal it up. remount tire and reinstall.

A tire plug may work as well.

Do not use a tube.

edit: I suppose I should ask the obvious. bicycle tire or passenger tire?
 
yeah i didn't think it sounded right which is why i brought it home still punctured. Its a rear tyre off my 4runner. The nails are not in the sidewall, just in the tread. I've had this tyre fixed once or twice before ... there's lots of stray nails around here!

I'll go see a different guy tomorrow and see what they say.

Thanks for the info.
 
No problem. Passenger tires should not have tubes installed then. Either have it patched or you could probably install a plug yourself, it's pretty simple. Some places may even plug your tire for no cost :).
 
a tube can be used in a tubeless tire, BUT, if the tire is too damaged for a proper repair, it needs replaced.
 
I wouldn't ever use a tube on a radial tire. That's my opinion on it though. If you can't patch it, it's damaged enough that it should be replaced.
 
I have been plugging my own tires on my cars and trucks forever. Plugged a tire or two in Iraq too. Never had an issue with a plug repair...ever. I even had a triangle piece of metal in a 37 on my Ram, took 2 plugs to get it to stop, wheeled the rest of the day on the tire, then swapped the spare on to drive home.

I had 2 nails to plug on my old wrx, went another 20k on the plugged tire without an issue.

Only plug the tread, never the sidewall. I don't even mess with a puncture on the shoulder of the tire, just too questionable.

Get a plug kit at the auto parts store or even walmart. Air the tire up to about 10psi to make it firm. Pull the nail out with needle nose pliers. Use the reaming t handle to clean out the hole. Put plug in plug tool and coat plug with rubber cement. I usually put some rubber cement on the edge of the hole too. Push plug about 2/3 into tire and then pull tool back out. Plug will stay in tire. Use razor blade to cut excess flush with tire and air up. All fixed.
 
Try to find a shop that uses plug patches. They are basically a patch with a plug attached to seal off the hole. Discount Tire uses them.

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There are tubes designed for use in radial tires.
Yes, a tube in a tubeless tire is fine.
A repair is preferred.
 
technically a tube in a tire that will be used on the street is illegal -not DOT approved but it will work and i have run tires like this before. i do this with trailer queens on rigs the dont have beadlocks. that way when you brush up against something like a log or a rock and you seperate the bead from the rim you dont lose all your air and go flat, or if you get a piece of bark stuck in between the rim and tire you dont lose your air...
 
great thanks for all the advice.. will take it to the "shop" this morning and let you know what they say.

I doubt I will find a proper plug patch out here in Sierra Leone though ... usually the guys just patch up the punctures with bits of rubber
 
duffbeer911 said:
great thanks for all the advice.. will take it to the "shop" this morning and let you know what they say.

I doubt I will find a proper plug patch out here in Sierra Leone though ... usually the guys just patch up the punctures with bits of rubber
Click to expand...

Just some perspective from someone with third world experience (Brazil). The use of tubes to extend the life of 'non-repairable' tires is very popular down there, too. I've done it many times. The crappy quality of the roads and the relatively primitive tire shops make this a frequent alternative. It's not the end of the world. When some roads are more pothole than asphalt (I do NOT exaggerate, and I'm talking about the main highway from São Paulo to Brasília for a very long stretch) you are going to damage a lot of tires.

Your equivalent of Luis and João probably knows more about it than the people on this board. US practices are directed against one-in-a-million events written by liability lawyers. The third world is different.

Here is a relatively nice Brazilian tire shop:

4.jpg
 
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I also look at expedition portal frequently and the overlanding / expedition community seems to concur that the ability to sew a tire and use a tube is almost as critical as having proper recovery gear. Thanks for the confirmation Durk.
 
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