Kitfox Aircraft Stick and Rudder Stein Air Grove Aircraft TCW Technologies Dynon Avionics AeroLED MGL Avionics Leading Edge Airfoils Desser EarthX Batteries Garmin G3X Touch
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 13

Thread: Flat tyres

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    Young NSW Australia
    Posts
    3

    Default Flat tyres

    We have a Kitfox 7 SS with Airstreak 26" tyres. The tyres have slow leaks due to Catheads (Three Cornered Jacks to some). I have tried to get some No Flat tyre liquid in to the tyres through the valve stem (valve out) with no luck. Using a thin stick there seems to be a "safety flap" or something just in behind the vale stem preventing the liquid from going in even under moderate pressure with an air compressor. Can anyone suggest what I am doing wrong please?

  2. #2
    Senior Member Dave S's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    St Paul, MN
    Posts
    1,833

    Default Re: Flat tyres

    While this doesn't solver your problem, not everyone on line is a botanist, and plants in Australia may not be familiar to those of us in the US or elsewhere. For what it is worth, 3 cornered jacks or cathead is an arid area plant which forms a nasty three cornered spiny dry seed which is sort of like a really robust sandbur (for people familiar with sandbur in the US).

    The only reference I am aware of on the list is a person from the US south west who carried a pressurized fix-a-flat canister with sealer in it which got him our of the desert backcountry after encountering some spiny plants of a different species that punctured the tires.

    Nasty problem if the burrs are everywhere.

    As we say in Minnesota....OFFDA!
    Dave S
    Kitfox 7 Trigear (Flying since 2009)
    912ULS Warp Drive

    St Paul, MN

  3. #3
    Senior Member t j's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Ellensburg, WA
    Posts
    861

    Default Re: Flat tyres

    In Eastern Washington we call them Goathead. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goat%27s_head
    I haven't put any sealer in airplane tires but put "Slime" in my snowmobile trailer tires. It squirted in real easy.

    In the early kitfox days there must have been a lot of goathead around the Kitfox factory in Nampa. The factory sold slime.
    Last edited by t j; 04-01-2020 at 06:27 AM.
    Tom Jones
    Classic 4 builder

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Chisholm Mn
    Posts
    1,562

    Default Re: Flat tyres

    Interesting story about using slime in the tires. I have a set of Kingfox tires, remember them? They look just like the nanco 22/12/8 tires. I was running them at about 8 lbs of pressure, so they tended to leak a bit. I put slime in them to try to keep them from leaking. Finally I gave up, and put tubes in them. No more leaks for a while, then one day, one of the tires was low. I had landed on pavement the day before, which is something I usually didn't do. When I tried to pump up the tire, it wouldn't take any air. I took the valve stem valve out and no air would come out. Finally ran a sharpened wire up the valve stem, and poked it through the obstruction. That let the air out, and when I pulled the tire off the wheel, I found that the tire had spun on the rim, which tore the valve stem out of the tube. The slime that was left in the tire had mostly sealed it from leaking till the next day. Funny but true. Not sure this helps the question on this thread, but it's my story, and I'm sticking to it! JImChuk

    PS, if you don't know about the Kingfox tires, a powered parachute dealer in Michigan had a bunch of them made up about 12 years ago. Something happened where he had to get rid of them, and his price was something like $25 for two with shipping included. I got a set, and still use them

  5. #5
    Senior Member t j's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Ellensburg, WA
    Posts
    861

    Default Re: Flat tyres

    I bought a set of those king fox tires for $25 too. I smile every time I hear what people pay for "Tundra" tires.
    Tom Jones
    Classic 4 builder

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Chisholm Mn
    Posts
    1,562

    Default Re: Flat tyres

    I did buy a pair of the Nancos a year or so back for $100 on ebay with shipping included. They are waiting on a shelf incase they are needed. Ya, $25 was a great buy. JImChuk

  7. #7
    Administrator DesertFox4's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    3,563

    Default Re: Flat tyres

    In his first post I think he’s asking how to get flat tire fluid into his Airstreak tires. He’s not having luck getting fluid past the tire valve system. Anyone with those tires have advice on getting “slime” into these tires?


    DesertFox4
    Admin.
    7 Super Sport
    912 ULS Tri-gear


  8. #8
    Senior Member efwd's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Yorba Linda, CA
    Posts
    2,817

    Default Re: Flat tyres

    Slime is thick if Im not mistaken. That could prove difficult to push through that small hole. Try getting some Stans No tube. It is like milk. They even have a nice syring set up to get it in.
    Worked well on my mountain bikes tubeless tires. If your tires are tubeless, be advised, its kinda messy inside the tire if you use it. Every now and then I had to remove the tires from my bike and then had to clean out this stuff. It becomes something of a rubbery goo after awhile.
    https://www.notubes.com/shop/tubeles...xoCSfEQAvD_BwE
    Eddie Forward
    Flying
    SS7, 912iS, Garmin G3X

  9. #9
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Chisholm Mn
    Posts
    1,562

    Default Re: Flat tyres

    Quote Originally Posted by DesertFox4 View Post
    In his first post I think he’s asking how to get flat tire fluid into his Airstreak tires. He’s not having luck getting fluid past the tire valve system. Anyone with those tires have advice on getting “slime” into these tires?
    Sorry for running the tread off track... Wish I could offer some constructive advice. JImChuk

  10. #10
    Super Moderator Av8r3400's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Merrill, WI
    Posts
    3,044

    Default Re: Flat tyres

    I got "green slime" into my 26s. The slime does seem to "seal" the valve stems requiring them to be chased with a drill bit every time I need to add or release air pressure.



    85014ce0-8a96-47fb-b5e9-2c321dd6b19c_1.2b68751680ce4afee098b6190f14ac8d.jpeg
    Av8r3400
    Kitfox Model IV
    The Mangy Fox
    912UL 105hp Zipper
    YouTube Videos

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •