Well, I Slimed It!

[pa-outdoorsman]

In my previous post, I told you guys I had gotten a slow leak in one of the rear tires on my new 450i unit. Airshot suggested plugging the hole rather than using sealant. Only problem was, I looked and looked at that tire and really couldn't find any damage to speak of. There were a few VERY minor abrasions where the rubber surface seemed to be nicked, but I mean these were all so small there was really no way to tell whether it was a surface scratch or went all the way to the interior of the tire. After searching for the source of the leak to no avail, I figured one or more of those tiny nicks must be the culprit, but not sure how I would figure out which one.

So, in the end, I just decided to pump 16 ounces of Slime into the tire and see how it worked. Well, I am happy to report the Slime eliminated the issue immediately. I removed the valve stem, put the Slime in, replaced valve stem, reinflated, drove around the block and voila, no more slow leak. It's been several days now and the tire is still holding steady at proper pressure. I don't know what the long-term implications of using the Slime might be in terms of rusting the inside of the wheel or anything, but it certainly solved my leaking problem. And, if I run into a similar issue where I have air loss but cannot definitively determine the source of the leak, I won't hesitate to Slime my other tires.

Incidentally, in reading online reviews of Slime, I saw numerous ATV/UTV owners who swear by it. In areas with lots of sharp rocks, burrs, cactus thorns, etc., they say it's almost impossible to go any length of time without getting these little pin-sized punctures and that the Slime just seals them right up and keeps you rolling. Just wondering if anyone else here on the forum has had experience good or bad with tire sealants and your opinions on them. Thanks.

[red_russian1]

In my previous post, I told you guys I had gotten a slow leak in one of the rear tires on my new 450i unit. Airshot suggested plugging the hole rather than using sealant. Only problem was, I looked and looked at that tire and really couldn't find any damage to speak of. There were a few VERY minor abrasions where the rubber surface seemed to be nicked, but I mean these were all so small there was really no way to tell whether it was a surface scratch or went all the way to the interior of the tire. After searching for the source of the leak to no avail, I figured one or more of those tiny nicks must be the culprit, but not sure how I would figure out which one.

So, in the end, I just decided to pump 16 ounces of Slime into the tire and see how it worked. Well, I am happy to report the Slime eliminated the issue immediately. I removed the valve stem, put the Slime in, replaced valve stem, reinflated, drove around the block and voila, no more slow leak. It's been several days now and the tire is still holding steady at proper pressure. I don't know what the long-term implications of using the Slime might be in terms of rusting the inside of the wheel or anything, but it certainly solved my leaking problem. And, if I run into a similar issue where I have air loss but cannot definitively determine the source of the leak, I won't hesitate to Slime my other tires.

Incidentally, in reading online reviews of Slime, I saw numerous ATV/UTV owners who swear by it. In areas with lots of sharp rocks, burrs, cactus thorns, etc., they say it's almost impossible to go any length of time without getting these little pin-sized punctures and that the Slime just seals them right up and keeps you rolling. Just wondering if anyone else here on the forum has had experience good or bad with tire sealants and your opinions on them. Thanks.

We use to use it on our Honda 90 3 wheelers when I was young after driving through a cactus patch.  It does work but makes for a nasty mess when you do have to actually break the tire down to add an inner tube or replace the tire.
Did you try using a soapy water solution to locate the leak?  That's the best way to do it.  Also, did you check the valve core or valve stem for a possible leak?  I've seen many valve cores leaking when people can't find a leak on the tire.

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[pa-outdoorsman]

I didn't try the soapy water, because I really didn't even want to take the wheel off the axle if I didn't have to. I did think about the possibility of it being the valve. However, based on the fact that the problem has been eliminated by the Slime, I think we can safely say in hindsight that was not the issue.

The bottle says the Slime will stay in liquid form inside the tire and can be left in there up to two years (not sure why the time limit). It does clean up with water. So, although I am sure it will be sloppy when that tire is eventually taken off the rim for replacement, hopefully its just somewhere where I can spray the rim off with a hose and wipe it up. Whatever it is, I realize that's something I'll eventually have to deal with...

[airshot]

Yep, I have used the stuff myself with good sucess. I still prefer a plug if I can find the hole.  About 3 yrs or mire down the road it will stop sealing and just start oozing green liquid out any hole, even those previously stopped.  Added this stuff to a quad I had years back, worked great until it started oozing green snot.  Had it comming out all over from all the holes over the years. Tire looked like it was growing green hair.  Broke it down to add a tube...what a mess to clean all that snot out of there. Thats my slime story and I am stickin with it!!

[mstparker]

I use really soapy water. Jack it up a little so you can spin it, start spraying the soapy water on top and watch for big bubbles or a stream of little ones. Spin and spray get someone to watch the backside of the tires sidewall. Spray the sidewalls too..

[airshot]

If you ride in areas where small punctures are prone, adding slime can be good or you will constantly fixing holes.  Found that by riding corn fields after harvest. The stuble is brutal on atv tires!  Same out west where there are big thorns to cause numerous holes.  We just put up with cleaning the green snot out after it stops sealing. Just wanted everyone to know this stuff only lasts a few years.

[randyo]

I've never been one to use slime to begin with.   I have always heard the stories of making a mess when you actually replace the tire , then about 8 or 10 years ago, an employee told me he had a tire rot from the inside, then a second person, same story, I still hadn't personally used the stuff, however one day driving a jeep that I had bought used, at a traffic light, when I went to take off, it was just as I had blown the clutch,  felt like clutch was slipping, upon further inspection, it was a rear wheel spinning inside a tire, and still held air, I put my spare on, when we broke the tire down, slime (from the previous owner) disintigrated the bead, turned it to viscous fluid, and allowed the wheel to spin, without loosing air

[pa-outdoorsman]

Seems like Slime is a polarizing topic - people either love it or hate it. I don't dispute anything anyone has shared. I guess in my situation, I kind of feel like the Slime was a necessary evil, since I couldn't identify the source of the leak. My alternatives were taking the tire to repair shop for further inspection that may or may not have yielded an acceptable repair or replace a brand new tire. For the few dollars the slime cost me, I'll live with whatever happens to the tire a couple years down the road. The way I see it, if I ride enough, I am likely to wear out all my tires and need to replace them well before I should be concerned about the impact the Slime is going to have. If anything comes up in the meantime, I'll certainly let you know...

[airshot]

I really hope you do ride enough to wear them out in a couple years, nothing worse than a machine just sitting and not going!  Most that have used this stuff had looked at other options and decided that was the best option at the time. Another thing to consider is a tube, I carry one with me just in case. Cant change it on the trail but getting to a shop to have it installed might be better than going back home.