Boonies/Off-road Flat Tire Repair Essentials?

[WartHog]

Am increasingly going exploring in Mendocino NF, etc. Always have a Master Flow Tsunami MF-1050 12v Air Compressor behind the seat with a can of Fix-a-Flat and Bottle & 3-1/2 Ton wheeled Jacks in the Camper Shell. I don't get too wild when 4-wheeling so haven't considered buying/carrying a Hi-Lift style jack. What other essentials do you carry? Also, who makes a good tire plug/repair kit?

[WOODY2]

Check out Colby Valves, easy fix for torn or broken valve stems.

[Neuvik]

The ARB tire kit is very good and I've used it a lot. Maybe things have changed but the tire companies wouldn't repair my tire when I used the tire goop.

copy from an older thread, haha. There is actually 6 plugs and the tire drove fine for the entire trail until I could swap my spare at my convenience on the flat.

Originally Posted by Neuvik

In addition to the other great ideas

Tire repair kit. And check your tire changing equipment.


Play the count the plugs game!

One cool thing about a hi-lift is you can use it for a winch. I run with one, but use a bottle jack for tire changes and maintenance.

[Killer Bee]

safety seal kits are what the pros use - https://safetyseal.com/

that ARB kit looks similar may even be a little more ergo

beware of some of the flimsy crap sold in parts stores, especially if you're out of AAA reach

and definitely yes to the hi lift jack - good farm jacks have a myriad of uses, I've used mine many times

[WartHog]

Originally Posted by Neuvik

The ARB tire kit is very good and I've used it a lot. Maybe things have changed but the tire companies wouldn't repair my tire when I used the tire goop.

copy from an older thread, haha. There is actually 6 plugs and the tire drove fine for the entire trail until I could swap my spare at my convenience on the flat.


One cool thing about a hi-lift is you can use it for a winch. I run with one, but use a bottle jack for tire changes and maintenance.

Thanks for the info on the ARB kit - ordered two for my Brother and I. I have a Warn 8000 that I bought from a fellow CG'er - need to get my front receiver mount installed so I can use it front or rear. Truck is a 96 Chevy Ext Cab LB with 6.5 Diesel - kind of a pig so I try not to take it places my common sense says not to go.

[RandyD]

Originally Posted by WartHog

Thanks for the info on the ARB kit - ordered two for my Brother and I. I have a Warn 8000 that I bought from a fellow CG'er - need to get my front receiver mount installed so I can use it front or rear. Truck is a 96 Chevy Ext Cab LB with 6.5 Diesel - kind of a pig so I try not to take it places my common sense says not to go.

I have the same setup; a Warn Winch that hooks into a receiver hitch, and I have a receiver hitch on both the front and rear of my pickup. I keep the winch strapped down in the bed of the pickup when driving, to protect it from any damage.

[sonofeugene]

Originally Posted by Killer Bee

safety seal kits are what the pros use - https://safetyseal.com/

that ARB kit looks similar may even be a little more ergo

beware of some of the flimsy crap sold in parts stores, especially if you're out of AAA reach

and definitely yes to the hi lift jack - good farm jacks have a myriad of uses, I've used mine many times

Safety Seal. The best kit around. I have a kit in both of my vehicles, plus I also carry a pump, a Dynaseal, a Stop and Go kit, and as a last resort, a bottle of Slime. However, I've never had a flat that Safety Seal couldn't fix.

You can find Safety Seal for good prices on Amazon.

[luckylogger6]

How about a full size spare and good tires? I put 10-15k miles a year on dirt roads and yet to need a second spare. If I'm going really remote by my self I pack a second spare.

I do keep a plug kit and co2 inflator on the 4-wheeler

[Killer Bee]

two full size spares are nice if you have space but really depends how hard you plan on beating the trail

I carry an N2 bottle with most of my larger tools that I leave in camp if I have trail buddies..

I only carry the bare necessities onboard and catch a ride or send someone from our party back for anything larger..

this is similar how race teams work by relaying resources between multiple groups..

for groups that are overlanding point to point, they usually distribute the load between them and share resources when needed..

if you're out alone (which is never a good idea if can be avoided) you may need more resources onboard..

[sonofeugene]

Originally Posted by luckylogger6

How about a full size spare and good tires? I put 10-15k miles a year on dirt roads and yet to need a second spare. If I'm going really remote by my self I pack a second spare.

I do keep a plug kit and co2 inflator on the 4-wheeler

I think it's wise to carry a means for making your own repairs.

[luckylogger6]

Originally Posted by sonofeugene

I think it's wise to carry a means for making your own repairs.

I don't disagree but I think the most effective way to deal with a flat is a good spare. The vast majority of my flats in 20 years of working in the woods have been sidewall cuts no plug kit is going to fix.

[sonofeugene]

Originally Posted by luckylogger6

I don't disagree but I think the most effective way to deal with a flat is a good spare. The vast majority of my flats in 20 years of working in the woods have been sidewall cuts no plug kit is going to fix.

Oh, I know that for sure. I was once on a drive with two other friends out on the lost coast. We were going along at a good clip when we came across a shadowed area that hid a big pothole. It blew out the sidewalks of both my right side tires.

[Killer Bee]

speaking of potholes in the shadows, we hit the bottom like a lawn dart LoL

[Creeping Incrementalism]

Originally Posted by WartHog

Thanks for the info on the ARB kit - ordered two for my Brother and I. I have a Warn 8000 that I bought from a fellow CG'er - need to get my front receiver mount installed so I can use it front or rear. Truck is a 96 Chevy Ext Cab LB with 6.5 Diesel - kind of a pig so I try not to take it places my common sense says not to go.

I have the ARB kit and it worked fine the one time I used it. But it cost more and I wonder if the price was worth it... I wonder if ARB just buys the same stuff every other kit maker does, and then puts a higher price on it for the brand name.

I sometimes wonder if the more spare tires someone has, the harder they drive. A fact of life is it is just hard to coordinate trips with other people so I often go out alone, and drive cautiously... though I don't go out all that often. Anyway the rest of the stuff I have is the same as the original poster except no wheel jack and no electric winch. I do bring a good shovel, pickaxe, a small axe (for saplings and smaller branches and wood for campfires), a hand saw, and big pair of loppers for removing annoying small branches. I do have a Hi-Lift jack and a kit for winching but I've never used it except for practice. I also carry traction boards (MaxTrax) but have never needed them.

[d33pt]

I have onboard Viair compressor and use a Stop N Go kit. It can be really hard to push that mushroom through a tough tire carcass though. Also have a regular licorice plug as a backup too. If the sidewall isn't damaged, I can often plug a tire quicker than I can swap out a spare.

[emtmark]

Smittybuilt kit is baller as hell I have one in each car


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[newbutold]

Couple flat tires, bad ending.....

a note left on the vehicle said, “Two flat tires, headed to Mormon Point, have three days’ worth of water.”

https://www.vvdailypress.com/story/n...ue/7177525002/

[VictorFranko]

Not all flat tires are caused by punctures or knocking the valve stem off.
Had a club member break a bead last year, second flat of the run.
We reseat the bead with a ratchet strap, oil and compressed air (and a three pound mini sledgehammer I think).

Never had to use one but here's a second nod for the aforementioned Colby Emergency Valve Stem.