I've read the countless arguments regarding the advantages of quiet non-runflats vs the security of runflats. What are your thoughts on using tire sealants (for security) in non-runflats (for noise reduction). A lot of sealants, including "Slime", is corrosive, destroys TMS and is a mess to clean up. It also is installed after the tire is flat and you still need a safe place to stop, risk working in the rain & mud, etc, etc.. But I've been reading about a product called "Ride-On". It goes in BEFORE you get a flat, cleans up with water, is non-corrosive and appears to be an ideal solution to our delema. It just stays in the tire and seals flats as they happen. You wouldn't even know you got a puncture! It even balance the tire dynamically! Our tires would each need about one 16oz botttle ($20.00). Check out the web site for all the details. Is this the answer to our prayers...or another snake oil product?
P.S. I don't sell this stuff... just intrigued by the claims.

 

After looking at their web site...it seems it IS a third option. And, a GOOD one at that. The 20 bucks a tire is more than made up when you purchase the less expensive non run flat tire. To bad I just bought a set of Michlen Pilot AS ZP's.

 

Very interesting read and thanks for sharing. This stuff seems to have a large following in the motorcycle and commercial/municipality areas. I did read that the product may not be compatible with non-epoxy coated TPMS units. Any idea if the Vette TPMS units are epoxy coated?

This may be a good solution for non run flat tires, at least for 85% or more of the types of punctures a user may experience.

We have a lot of motorcycle owners on the Forum and it would be great to get some real world feed back from them.

Nice find

 

I ran this stuff once in a motorcycle. It works great and the balance let the tire last almost twice as long as normal. The problem comes in when you replace the tire. The stuff is glued to the rim and is a total mess to clean up. It will throw the new tire off balance unless you get it all off or put in another can, which makes the eventual clean up twice as hard. I never used it a second time and I would never put it in a car tire.

 

very interesting. thanks.

 

Op, you need to go read the label on a SLIME bottle. They have had a TPMS compliant product on the market for several years.

 

The cost to have this stuff removed from the rims out weighs its usefulness.

 

Here's what concerns me regarding this stuff. Let's say you hit a nail, big screw, etc. and it rips into your tire. This stuff supposedly will immediately seal the tire. You will never know that you're depending on that sealant to hold air in the tire. The tire should be plugged or possibly replaced for safety reasons but you'll keep on driving for months not knowing you have a problem.

Will it eventually give out? Could the puncture expand? Maybe it could lead to a blowout if the tire structure was weakened. Imagine a tear on the inner sidewall - you won't know it happened.

I would like to know if/when one of my tires is damaged so I can make an informed decision on how to deal with it.

 

I just carry a tire plug kit and mini air compressor with my car. Actually my DD didn't come with a spare either (G8 GT) so I guess I'm kinda used to the risk.

 

Paul, when and where was your last flat tire, that got flat in a way that made your car undriveable?

 

I saw a demo of this stuff on Jay Leno's website a few years ago and it was amazing. They drove a vehicle over a board loaded with nails and did not lose any air from the tires.

Possibly Wolfdogs could advise his opinion about this stuff with run-flat tires and the risks involved. He is a retired tire safety engineer.

 

Could you put the Ride On stuff in after you get a flat (i.e. through the valve stem) and then just pump up your tire with a compressor? Or does it have to get dumped in while the tire's being mounted? If it didn't have to stay in the tire, that might address some of the downsides.

 

I had a slow leak in my 2012 Grand Sport rear tire. Lots 2 lbs a week.
Had it repaired at Borelli Motor Sports for $137.50. That included tire removal, inside plug repair, remount, balance and refill with nitrogen. There was a small nail inside and if that wasn't removed it could have ruined my tire. Even now I may have lost my Z rating. Expensive repair.

 

Thats the highest price I have ever heard of to fix a tire.

I was in DC this summer and picked up a nail. Went to two places to get it fixed. One wouldn't fix it because I didn't buy it from them. The other said I would have to replace the tire because the nail was too close to the sidewall. (1 1/2 to 2 in. from sidewall) That's what happens when you are 2000 miles from home. I bought a can of flat fix and watched the tire pressure on the way home.

When I got home, I took it to Discount Tire and they plugged and patched it for free. They will fix flats for nothing, whether you bought them from them or not. They want you to come back. That's why I have been using them for the last 25-30 yrs.

$137 to fix a flat is terrible. Sorry you had to spend that much. Some places are just to high.

 

$15.00 here at the tire shop i go to,but they patch it.Ca.is very expensive on everything.

 

There is another product called Rhino tire sealant This has to be applied into the tire at their factory.

 

If you read carefully about Slime, it is safe for TPMS sensors, they just need to be washed after its' use. "Dynamically balance"...I'm not convinced. There are a number of runflats that are just as good as non now...I'll stick with one of them.

 

hoganj; I wasn't aware of "the mess factor". I thought I read that it was water clean-up. I'll check into that, it could be an issue. Or like 1500CC suggested, carry it in the car, but don't put it in till you actually get a puncture...but then you're back to working on the side of the road...which you'd be doing anyway, even if you carried a spare tire...hummm.

MikeyTX; my bad... I "swallowed the kool-aid" and stated what I heard on the web, but never actually read a Slime label.

Globeman; I appreciate your concerns about structural integrity. On the other hand, if Shelby America uses the stuff...?

Wayne; The last flat I had was in 1969, in my '56 Plymouth 4-door ( my choice of vehicles and tire selection have definately improved since those days), when I was in the service and was returning from Tjuanita with a car load of fellow servicemen. I didn't actually get a puncture/flat, it was a re-tread that delaminated. And it didn't render the car undriveable, it just started shaking like the devil. I realize that flat tires aren't all that common anymore, and that one shouldn't start fixateing on them, but with my luck, the minute I let my guard down and don't stay prepared...guess what's gonna happen!

Thanks to the rest of you for your thoughts. I'm going to look into to this a little further.

 

I don't like the product because it doesn't let you know there is a puncture. Even with runflats you'll eventually get an alarm going off if it is leaking any.

No one should pay close to $137 for a tire repair. It isn't rocket science to fix a tire.

 

Personally, I'm not putting any kind of goo in my tires. I go with factory run flats on the street, and sometimes non runflats for track days. Everthing's TPMS, and carry a good compressor and plug kit. With the tires monitored, the compressor alone should be able to get you home. If I get a puncture, really want to know about it.