Which is the best kit?

[Bensouthall]

Morning,

I'm gathering all of my equipment together, slowly but surely, for my TransAfrica trip at the end of the year but could do with some guidance!

My Landrover Defender will be running a set of Michelin XZL 7.50R 16's for the trip which I will start off by running tubeless until the need to put an inner tube in arises when the inevitable first puncture happens.

I've been practising removing and replacing tyres from rims with my levers (christ I'm real pleased I've got 10 ply sidewalls now!) but want to get hold of the equipment I'll need to fix my own punctures.

Can anyone suggest the best place(s) to get hold of:

1. Wheel/Tyre bands(?) to protect the inner tubes from wear on the wheel itself
2. Decent Michelin inner tubes, and
3. A puncture repair kit for both tubed and tubeless?

What are the best bits of equipment you used to make this sort of job easier and effective?

Be good to hear your views....

Ben

[noel di pietro]

Ben,

I doubt if you need those bands to put inside your rim. We drove from Netherlands to Cape Town with ZERO punctures (new BFG M/T) . Driving back from CT to NL on the same 'worn' tyres we got 5 punctures. Never needed the tubes (I had 2) and managed to repair all 5 leaks with plugs from the outside. Still driving around on these tyres. Never needed the 6th tyre. Other people I met had the same experience. The leaking tyre issue is not as big as it may seem.

Only people with 2nd or 3rd rate brand tyres got more punctures and people with split rims (hopeless junk). The tubes can come in handy for swimming though!

Cheers,
Noel
exploreafrica.web-log.nl

[Surfer]

Most kits include plugs, awl and the (i forget its name) the awl with a hole at the end, the one for pushing the plug in. For both tubed and tubeless.

The only time u will need the inner i presume, is if the hole is to big to be plugged. In that case you will probably need a new tyre anyway. It will last a fair way till the gash gets another something in it that will cause a leak in the tube. Or the side walls get nicked while deflated.

How are you reseating the tyre? U have a big compressor?

[Surfer]

We also used BFG At did 46000km on 4 vehicles and not one of us had a puncture from London to Cape Town.

Hope this helps.

[Bensouthall]

I do have a good deal of confidence in Michelins I'll be using for the trip, just want to make sure I have the plans in place in case of problems.

All sounds good to me, I'll probably carry a couple of spare tubes just in case I can't get the bead back on the rim with compressor and tank I'll be using.

Will probably end up buying one from Matt Savage as I consider it an essential piece of kit and they don't seem to crop on Eblag that much anyway......unless someone has one they'd like to part with!?!

What are your experiences of getting the bead back on then?

Best places to buy one of the puncture repair kits?

Cheers for your input,

Ben

[Surfer]

Takla Puncture Repair Kit

these are the ones we had...

Just make sure you have enough pressure in the tank. i think 7 bar should be ample. Or you can use the lighter fluid trick. Or from the spare wheel. But that involves quite a bit

Staun Bead Locks also work a treat for low pressure driving.

Or some tyre weld if you need to get somewhere fast with no spare.

[henryuk]

wheel/tyre bands? If this is the equivalent of rim tape on a bike wheel (essential, especially with spoked wheels) I swear by good old duck tape. It is a hell of a lot cheaper than 'proper' rim tape and has lower friction with the tube, which I assumes means less heat gets generated.

I try and go for natural rubber tubes, more elastic and heat up less, again don't know if this applies to larger wheels?? sorry about that!

[henryuk]

p.s. I am sure lots of people have seen the icelanders using lighter gas to re-bead a tyre, does this work in hot places too?

[Surfer]

I have seen it done in warm places. South Africa, Kenya, i think there is even a video showing how to do it.

Yup it is the same as rim tape except its very sturdy. Not that expensive. And the extra weight generated by 4x4 will really flatten those side walls when sand driving. Especially in the desert.

[bmw.bec]

We got a puncture repair kit from Frogs Island that contains all thats neede to repair punctures.

Cost £30 but its well worth it

[Runner]

Ive used XZLs in Africa for a long while and never had a puncture in the tyre itself. Had a valve fail once but thats it - and that included airing them down for soft sand.
Talk to Boab.biz about their Aussie Tyreplier systems - both kit for removing tyres and for fixing the flats. XZLs are a pig to get on and off rims - esp if you are using the (brilliant) LR 130/Wolf rims.

[m37charlie]

All sounds good to me, I'll probably carry a couple of spare tubes just in case I can't get the bead back on the rim with compressor and tank I'll be using.

Will probably end up buying one from Matt Savage as I consider it an essential piece of kit and they don't seem to crop on Eblag that much anyway......unless someone has one they'd like to part with!?!

What are your experiences of getting the bead back on then?


I got the bead back on my 395/85R20 XZLs (a good deal stiffer than 7.50R16s!!!) using a bicycle tube. In my case 20", in your case 16". Well lubricated with dish detergent, or you can use official tire lube, a vegetable grease. Just don't use petroleum based grease. You put the bike tube between the outer tire bead and the rim and inflate it. That pushes the tire and its' other bead against the other side of the rim, and seals the air chamber. Then put ~3-4 psi in the tire and while inflating the tire pull the bike tube out.
A circumferential strap with a "Spanish windlass" (twisting with a strong bar) will work with a smaller flexible tire but not with Mog sized truck tires. I've also seen inflatable circumferential air tubes but again it won't work with a heavy truck tire.
Some people use an "air blaster", a ~1 cu ft bottle with a ball valve and a nozzle that is wide and thin to blast air into the bead area that is presumably leaking. The blaster is charged up by a compressor via a normal tire valve.
Of all the alternatives the bike tube option is reliable and doesn't take much space when stored. Take a spare bike tube, though. Assuming they make 16" bike tubes.
I think by "bands" you are referring to what is called a "flap" between the tire and rim. Michelin makes both flap and tube. Be sure if you get tubes to get the proper (short valve stem) tubes for tubeless wheels. But tubeless is actually better, generates less heat and slow leaks are much slower without tubes.

Charlie

[noel di pietro]

We had the set from Rema Tip Top. Found even sales point who had extra plugs in Africa!

Cheers,

Noel
exploreafrica.web-log.nl

[roamingyak]

Matt Savage now also sells tyre repiar kits (and for a sensible price as well (and they are the same as the Frog Island ones)).

Matt is in the process of putting some tyre kits together (compressor, repair kit, levers etc) so maybe ask about those when buying...

http://www.mattsavage.com/acatalog/Tools.html

[Bensouthall]

Thanks for all of your input on this subject, really good to have the range of views on things.

Darrin - they certainly are much cheaper through Matt Savage so will be using him for both the repair kit and a compressor fairly soon. The tyres which you sold me over a year ago are finally on my rims ready for my departure at the end of the year!!

Spent today changing all four tyres over so I could get some practice in....boy do I feel tired now, not the weakest sidewalls are they! Fat blister now takes pride of place on my right palm from using tyre levers all afternoon.

If anyone is considering buying a set of tire-pliers, make sure you do, they take a hell of a lot of the hard work out of the job of breaking the bead

index

Ok, off to plan the next part!

Ben