Need your advice on a good inside automotive tire patch

[Danny D.]

clare wrote, on Mon, 07 Dec 2015 21:11:02 -0500:

I fully and completely understand. But, at least in my ONE (single!) test of 5 tires on 5 rims, it didn't happen.

[Danny D.]

clare wrote, on Mon, 07 Dec 2015 21:50:48 -0500:

This is a very clever idea, and, it fits the idea, which is to "set" the car at the stipulated "normal ride height" (which we all agree is nothing close to "normal") *before* you start the alignment.

Strapping the car down until the distance between the wheel well center and the center of the wheel is the defined distance will work.

I have never seen anyone *do* that; but I can't disagree. It will work.

So will about 500 pounds (in addition to 18 gallons of fuel).

But, most alignment shops don't do either (from my experience calling around). And, most bimmer owners don't even know what I'm talking about.

You know. But most don't.

[Danny D.]

clare wrote, on Mon, 07 Dec 2015 21:52:49 -0500:

Big difference. Anyone saying the wrong word is an idiot poser.

A beemer is the bike. A bimmer is not the bike; it's the car.

The name has a *long* history. Anyone who says it wrong is an idiot because it means they don't know the absolute least about the thing that they ride or drive.

It's just like if a guy says he "drives" a beemer. Nobody "drives" a beemer.

You ride a beemer; you drive a bimmer. You just sound stupid if you don't know the basic difference.

There is a long history on all of this. Let me dig it up... click ... click ... google ... google ...

Here is a decent description:

BTW, it doesn't matter what *you* (or I) think; it matters that anyone who knows anything about bimmers or beemers know this, and anyone who knows absolutely nothing about bimmers or beemers doesn't know this.

[Danny D.]

Ed Pawlowski wrote, on Mon, 07 Dec 2015 22:54:59 -0500:

Not really true. You were snowed.

Like any statistic, you have to look at the full picture.

California ostensibly *lowered* the gas tax recently; but they *raised* the sales tax.

To count one and not the other isn't telling the true story.

For example, this is from 2014, but look at the numbers:

"California consumers currently pay 71 cents per gallon in taxes every time they fill up their tanks. That?s the highest gas tax rate in the country. The average American pays less?about 50 cents per gallon."

It's sort of like your phone bill. You have to look at *all* the taxes and so-called "fees", which, on purpose, they break into a billion little pieces, just so they can fool people like you and me.

:)

[Danny D.]

clare wrote, on Mon, 07 Dec 2015 21:56:43 -0500:

I wasn't saying that the BBS part was better but I easily see how you may have construed that.

I was assuming (just guessing, really) that an expensive allow rim would likely run truer than a cheap steel wheel.

BTW, I also tested rim runout, which is *easy* once you have a tire changing machine and a static balancer because you can spin the rim on the tools with a dial gauge mounted on the wall or even with a flat wall nearby and a feeler gauge.

[Danny D.]

clare wrote, on Mon, 07 Dec 2015 22:04:14 -0500:

Nice. I need to find a set of me! (My bimmer doesn't have air suspension.)

It's hard to find a picture based on your description. Is this what yours look like?

[Danny D.]

clare wrote, on Mon, 07 Dec 2015 22:11:22 -0500:

I've done it, for fun, with almost anything flammable (I think I used carb cleaner or MAF cleaner as I recall). It blows up fast. Really really really fast. And it's loud!

Luckily, once I got the HF tire-changing tool, seating the bead is no problem. Just a bit of Dawn or Palmalive and the 4 foot long red tire iron that comes with the tool is all you need.

My medium-profile thinwall tires are a breeze. A SUV is much harder.

All depends on the tire sidewall thickness (thinner is easier).

[Danny D.]

Ashton Crusher wrote, on Mon, 07 Dec 2015 18:58:06 -0700:

To be fair, the very first response gave the right answer: WWS TEXAS wrote, on Mon, 07 Dec 2015 08:57:48 -0800

The rest is conversation. :)

I'm was gonna take the wheel and tire assembly to Wheel Works today simply because they said it would be free (I asked multiple times because I couldn't believe it) and that it would be a mushroom patchplug style repair from the inside.

They even do the unmounting, remounting, and balancing for that "free" amount (I'm incredulous).

I was fully prepared to do it myself, but, free is too good to pass up (but, I will be wary about them damaging my wheel or not mounting the tire EXACTLY where I match mounted it previously).

So, I "may" unmount the tire myself, and then remount it and rebalance it myself. Dunno yet if I'm gonna go that far, 'cuz free (totally free) is really hard to beat.

I'll let you know tomorrow. I was gonna go today but when I had to put the key in the ignition to straighten the wheels to jack the rear up to remove the tire, I accidentally left the key in the ignition.

Normally a bimmer goes to sleep in 16 minutes, but, apparently it doesn't do that when the key is in the ignition. So it's trickle charging overnight.

[Micky]

Okay. I forgot about cords.

[Micky]

They used to sell those for just this purpose. Probably at JCWhitney. Havent' seen one for sale for 20 or 30 years.

I had an occasion where the hole was showing and it was just as easy to patch it on the car as off. The car was here, not on the road.

Another occasion when I couldn't get the tire off, but in that case the hole wasn't showing or I didn't have any strings with me. I forget.

[Vic Smith]

I carried a 12 v compressor for years when flat tires were more common. Never had to use it for a flat as I recall, but it came in handy for pumping up slow leaks, and after plugging a couple tires. I cut off the cig lighter plug and simply extended the cord with an old 20' extension cord, and added alligator clips. Always hooked it up directly to my battery. Small package, but slow to pump. Prefer a foot operated pump. Carried canned air for a while, and used it one time for a nail puncture until I could get home and plug it. I swear it's been 20 years since I've had a flat.

[rbowman]

You save bimmer I say beemer.... All I know about the subject is the Hells Angels came here on their summer run. Despite the massive police overreaction, they minded their own business and it was an uneventful weekend. When the BMW riders came to town, not so much.

[Tony Hwang]

And you druve Bimmer!

[Ed Pawlowski]

Truth is, most of us don't give a damn. 90% of the owners are snobs no matter what you call a BMW.

[Danny D.]

Ed Pawlowski wrote, on Tue, 08 Dec 2015 14:11:17 -0500:

That you don't give a damn is perfectly acceptable. That you think BMW owners are all snobs, is just as acceptable.

I was just answering the question because someone asked what the difference was between a bimmer and a beemer (and, anyone who knows the least bit about them, already knows the difference).

Once I answered the question, we should have been done with this discussion.

If, after being told the simple answer, they *still* want to call it the wrong thing, then that's up to them. Not me.

If they want to call a tire a wheel, who am I to argue with them? If they want to call a nail a screw, who am I to argue with them? If they want to call a wheelcover a hubcap, who am I to argue with them? etc.

I was simply answering the question.

[Danny D.]

Oren wrote, on Tue, 08 Dec 2015 10:36:10 -0800:

Hi Oren,

The number of posts don't matter (that just means I'm responsive). What matters is what *we* learn. Together. And, how we help each other.

And I *always* appreciate your help and that from the others! And, well, I learned far too much today!

Bad news! The tire is ruined.

Why? I'm soooooooo stupid. So very stupid. It's all my fault.

However, the good news is that I *learned* a lot! And, there's much (much) more to learn about patching tires properly!

I have to run to pick up my sister's kids (they're staying with us "temporarily" for the past year - which is ok with me - as long as my sister's latest loser boyfriend doesn't get on our nerves!), so I haven't uploaded the pictures yet, but, I'm gonna *experiment* with the tire, since I ruined it already.

It turns out that a proper patch requires some special tools and materials, such as explained in this quickie procedure.

1. Mark the hole outside and inside (circle 1/2" outside patch area)
2. Inspect for damage (no visible treads on the inside)
3. Probe the angle & thickness of the hole with a tapered awl
4. Optionally put down a solvent to remove the inside coat
5. Optionally use a half-moon scraper to scrape to vulcanized rubber
6. Buff with a semicircular tire-buffing wheel (2500to5000rpm only!)
7. CRITICAL! Three passes both ways with a carbide cutter!

[clare]

AWD has 3 differentials. Different diameter tires cause the differentials to "work" all the time. If they have limited slip or traction control, the different sized wheels turn at different speeds and confuse the heck out of everything.

Not yet - but next year. And ALL cars with dynamic stability control tell you you need to have all tires matching.

But what the heck - it's your car. Drive with 4 different sized tires and pay your repair bills.

[clare]

You didn't need 1.5 oz to static and 4 to dynamic balance - so you got lucky. (and you haven't had all 5 on the front yet either - you might still get a surpeise!!

[clare]

You were never in MY shop!!!

[clare]

That may be location specific. Around here they can both be bimmers, or beemers - And they are often called a lot worse!!!

Same company - so same name.