[elie]

Yesterday, we went riding on a snow/mud trail in the mountain.
One of our atv bumped his rim on a hidden rock under the snow, which left him with a flat tire. The tire kit and the special spray tire can't fix such rim.
So guys, what do you do for such cases ? Do you carry an extra spare tire?
Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Thx

 

[sneutel]

Elie, i carry a hammer!! Seriously I do!!!

 

[starky]

It depends on how bad the rim is bent but the only thing you can do is try to hammer the thing back into some kind of round shape. If you ride with someone like The Beast you are in good shape but i would have to resort to a rock.

 

[elie]

I had tools, but not a hammer (don't ask me why) !! We managed to hammer the rim trying to put it back in place, but the bent was really bad.
On his way back, the guy had to stop several times to put some air in it.

We never go off-roading less then 6 or 7 ATVs. We were thinking of carrying one tire (with rim of course) with us when going far rides. If we carry a front tire (25-8-12), can we fit it in the rear in case of a rear damaged tire/rim ?

Do you think a tire tube can be a solution ?

 

[sneutel]

A tube can work, the only hassle is sometimes it can be a real "bitch" trying to break the bead, Also you will then need 2 long tyre levers, now I thought, one big hammer was easier!! also a hammer can fix a bent tie rod too! I also find if you tie it to the end of your tow rope and swing it around fast, it helps keeping others out of your favourite spots too!!

 

[starky]

I need to get me a hammer.
Yes, you can put a front tire on the back. It's narrower but is is the same size around.

 

[elie]

Yeah me too. I think it IS the simplest solution. And keeping a tire on your racks all day long ... isn't very joyfull.

 

[starky]

Hauling a spare tire and wheel around may not be the funnest thing to do, but if you are riding in rocky conditions with the chance of bending a rim or gashing a side wall, it's not that bad of an idea.

 

[sneutel]

Starky, I have found that tyre plugs will even fix a gash on a sidewall. I fixed one last saturday using 4 plugs in a row on a Raptor 350 front tyre. It held all day with some very rough riding!!

 

[starky]

I've heard of guys using soo many plugs that it looked like a big wad of rubber sticking out the side of the tire. Whatever it takes to get you home.

 

[usmcgriz]

hey fellas, i also keep some RVT silicon, you know for like caulking in the bathroom, it also helps with trail repairs like sidewall gashes. get the clear kind and make sure its a good brand. it helps seal small pin holes also. you can coat the plug with it to help seal out dirt while the plug drys. you can also use it in place of the rubber cement that comes with the plugs. bad thing is that is it takes a 15-25 minutes to get the outer skin of it hard enough to ride. we have used the exhaust of another quad to help speed up the process up. i keep some in the "trunk" of the griz. i also keep a small butane torch or lighter in my kit. it comes in handy in lots of ways like melting the rubber on tires for a temporary fix , prepping the hole for a patch or plug or patching broken plastic on the trail. later, Marinegriz.