Flat tires

[Rockwell Schrock]

What do you do when you get a flat tire while pursuing the storm of the year? Do you chase on the spare tire? Use Fix-a-Flat? Get to a garage ASAP? I noticed that a lot of chasers list Fix-a-Flat as a chasing essential, but I was under the impression that it should only be used in extreme emergencies because it ruins the tire.

What about if you get a flat tire on the way to your target area, say sometime in the late morning?

 

[Brian Stertz]

Best results obviously is to carry a full size spare...fortunately I've avoided such pitfalls. My worst moment of driving over/around debris came on 5/3/99 between Moore and Midwest City. Drove over quite a bit of stuff that should have flattened my tire outright. Somehow the only thing that came about was a slow leak from what looked like a worn down roofing/shingle nail. I would not use that fix-a-flat stuff unless I knew it was now or never -and- the chase would be ending near a town where I could get to a tire shop in the morning. That stuff can be pretty volatile if driven on for extended periods.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Fix-a-flat (and equivalent brands) rocks and is a chase neccessity. At least with my car, getting to the spare requires taking out all of the gear - pelican case, tripods, suitcases, cooler, etc. Every time I get a flat it seems to be in the middle of wind and rain, so having to empty the car is not cool. The fix-a-flat is a quick fix until you can get to a shop to repair the tire.

I have used this stuff several times and it works great. Sometimes you will need two cans for a single tire though.

I carry four cans with me at all times!

 

[B Ozanne]

What about carrying a plug kit and a compressor? Should be able to fix a tire in a just a few minutes. Plug kits are just a few dollars.

Driving on a spare is not that bad either. I drove on my donut for 150 miles with no problems. Certainly not ideal, but well within the limits of drivability. Just make sure there is air in your spare before you go out.

 

[Bill Hamilton]

I always carry a plug kit as well as a portable jump start battery pack with built in compressor. The spare tire is a full size but (knock on wood) I haven't had to ever use it yet.
Tires are always a main priority of mine no matter what time of year it is.

 

[cedwards]

The biggest danger with Fix-A-Flat, is it's flammable gas. That is why they say to tell the tire place that it contains Fix-A-Flat when you get your tire repaired. Imagine him smoking while deflating your tire!

It can also upset the balance on your tire, but when in a pinch, Yes, I will use Fix-A-Flat. It is only a temporary fix and can get you out of a jam, or pickle, or whatever kind of food you may get stuck in.

 

[fplowman]

Uggghhh, April 18th flat while running to the storm.. Drove all the way back to KC from Marshall Mo. on a donut spare.. Miserable.. My FULL SIZE spare for what ever reason was flat!

Keep a full size spare along with tow ropes, jacks etc.. For a complete chase equipment list.

 

[David Drummond]

I discovered during the Hurricane Rita trip that I could carry two full size donut spares (full diameter, just the thin width tires) in the same space as a full size spare....so I am doing that now. Also carry fixaflat and tire plugs. I can only recall one time outside of the hurricane when I got a flat on a chase, and it was a complete blowout. Changing a tire when CGs are hitting in the field next to the road at night adds a whole other dimension to chasing.

 

[Tim Samaras]

I carry a can of compressed CO2 with me. If I'm in a hurry, then I'll give it a quick pump if the timing is not good to change the tire. If its a slow leak, I may choose to keep pumping it every half hour-hour so that I can continue the chase. If one continues to chase on the changed spare...chase is over with another flat. I actually had two flats while chasing in SE CO a couple of years ago. Gawd only knows what I hit...but I chose the one that leaked the fastest, and changed it out with the spare...and kept the other one pumped most of the evening. I actually carried two spares for 2005, but decided that was overkill...

I like the idea of carrying a plug kit. I may consider that this spring.

Oh, when I had my Caravan, I ALWAYS carry a full sized spare.

Tim

 

[MClarkson]

full size spare, and many cans of fix-a flat. In a hurricane you are on your own and there is surely debris on every road. Its also about the only time I ever drive under the speed limit.

 

[Paul Austin]

Full-sized spare, six-pack 'o fix-a-flat, cell phone and my AAA-plus card. I'm definitely not calling off the chase, unless it's a rather marginal day anyway...and even then it depends. Never thought of the tire repair kit - brilliant! I carry everything I need for almost any roadside repair I can think of...and I never thought of that one?

 

[B Ozanne]

Plug kits are essential. They cost next to nothing, and its what the pros are going to use to fix your tire. The repair takes just a few minutes and is ready to drive on immediately.

 

[Andrew Stoller]

Fix A Flat won't ruin a tire. It can start rusting and deteriorating the interior of a wheel. Bottom line is, get the stuff out ASAP and have the wheel and tire completely cleaned before remounting the tire to the wheel. Most tire shops DESPISE Fix A Flat and charge an extra fee for the cleanup.

That said, I carry two cans and the factory donut spare.

After being stranded with a flat spare, a word of advice: check your spare pressure at least a couple times a year.

 

[Chris C Sanner]

I just carry a full size spare in the back area of my explorer and hope for the best. I've thought about putting another spare in its normal spot underneath the back for those rare emergencies, but that would probably be a bit of overkill. Now that I say that though, I'll lose 2 tires to something in a crucial part of a storm chase