Let’s take a break for a quick Kit Chat…
Since some sort of tire damage is the most common type of damage on the trails. It’s just a matter of time before you get a tire puncture, or damage a valve. It could be as simple and easy as replacing a lost or damaged valve core, or something more serious like replacing a whole valve, or repairing a punctured, or even a slashed sidewall.
There are a kits that I would consider essential for any serious off-roader.
1. Valve repair/replacement kit
2. Valve tool
3. Tire repair kit
4. Sidewall repair kit
5. Assorted other tools like needle nose pliers (some kits have them), side cutters, box cutter knife, etc. and whatever you need to change a tire since sometimes, you may need to remove the whole tire from the vehicle. Carrying a full sized spare tire is already starting to sound pretty good right now.
All of these kits can be found online, and the first three are easily found at your local auto supply store. As for the sidewall repair kit, I’ll come back to that.
The easiest scenario is replacing the valve core. With the use of a core tool found in the kits, you can install a new one in just a few seconds, and once you air up again…you’re back on the trail.
The hardest repair is the replacement of the entire valve. Now there are simple tools on the market that allow you to do this without needing to remove the tire from the vehicle, but it won’t work if the tire has a TPMS sensor installed, which most modern vehicles do because they are required by law in many countries. This complicates things quite a lot.
There are two ways to address this…the easy way or the hard way.
The hard way is to remove the tire, break the bead (you may need to be creative with a tire jack), cut the old valve out, and install a new valve, re-seat the bead, and finally re-inflate the tire. You’ll need the Valve Repair/Replacement kit for this, and a stem puller.
I would strongly suggest that you look this up on YouTube so that you can learn all the various steps, and the tools that are involved. This is a tough, time consuming job, and you may not be able to do it alone. Do you even have a jack tall enough to raise your modified 4×4 off the ground? Are you sure?
The easy way is the Colby Valve Replacement kits, which is worth serious consideration. If you damage your valve stem, you can simply cut it off, shove the remaining bits (with the TPMS sensor still attached) back into the wheel, screw in the Colby valve, and re-inflate the tire. It’s a five minute job vs 30 minutes.
These are emergency repairs though. You still have to take it to a tire shop to put in a normal valve and install a new TPMS sensor. The old one will now be rattling around loose in the wheel.
Considering how involved the first option is, I’m far more likely to just change the whole tire, and bring the damaged one to a repair shop later, which you’ll need to do this anyway. This is assuming you even have a spare tire though. Some people are opting to leave it at home, and take their chances. Personally, I’ll always keep a spare with me. Having said that though, sometimes changing a tire is simply not safe due to dangerous, uneven terrain.
A tire puncture is another common type of damage, and although not nearly as difficult as changing a whole valve, it’s still time consuming, can be a bit messy, and takes some effort. At least this doesn’t require taking the tire off, or breaking the bead, and if done properly, it should last a very long time. You’ll need a proper Tire Repair Kit for this, and it should include all the tools, glues, plugs (aka bacon strips), etc. to do the job. I would suggest the MORRFLate Tire Repair kits. They contain everything you need for several punctures.
Again…look this up on YouTube so that you are familiar with how to use this stuff before you get stranded on the trail without a phone signal.
Lastly we’ll discuss sidewall damage. Until recently, a gashed or punctured sidewall was terminal. Without a spare tire, you just committed yourself to a lot more damage because now you have to drive out on a flat tire, and this will destroy your wheel. You may also cause damage to your drivetrain, suspension, or transfer case, and you’ll certainly need a flatbed tow truck to get home once you get off the trail. You’ll need one anyway but we’ll come back to that.
We’re talking some serious money here in repairs. Obviously this something we want to avoid but if it happens, and if you don’t have a spare…you now have an option called GlueTread. It’s a somewhat new product having only been around since about 2018, but they’ve finally figured out a solution to the dreaded sidewall problem. With the use of their special patch kits, you can now safely repair the tire without even taking it off the vehicle, and in about 10-15min, you’re up and running again. If applied properly, the patch will hold indefinitely, and it can take some serious abuse.
It’s important to note though, that once you repair a sidewall, the tire is no longer suitable for use on public roads, and it’s no longer considered street legal. This is only to get you off the trails (perhaps days later if you’re overlanding) to where a tow truck can reach you. If you live in Ontario, Canada, I would reach out to Afraid Knot Ropes as a GlueTread supplier. If you live outside Canada, you can reach out to GlueTread directly but Krave Automotive, and MORRFLate also supply them.
Now if you want the ultimate tire repair kit, MORRFlate has one that contains almost all of the above. The MORRFlate Xtreme 4×4 Kit is the dream kit. If you live in Canada, you can get it from Krave Automotive. If you live in the USA, you can get it directly from MORRFlate. The nice thing about this kit is that you can add some of your own stuff to it, like air gauges, or other tools.
Regardless of what you choose to buy, please ensure that you’re equipped with everything you need to deal with various types of tire damage. Please also take the time to watch various YouTube videos on how to do these repairs. Having all this great stuff is awesome, but it’s all useless if you don’t know how to use it.
Like I said earlier though, some people are choosing to leave the spare tire at home (less weight, more space), and if you carry a GlueTread kit, Colby Valves, a good tire repair kit, and some spare valve cores and caps, you can probably get away with leaving the spare tire at home. It’s a personal choice, and our choices have consequences, but if you are properly prepare, and equipped, a damaged tire is just an inconvenience to slow you down…not ruin you day.
One more thing…if you have wheel locks on your wheels. Get rid of them. These things can ruin your day. Do you even have the key in your vehicle? Are you sure?
Those locks constantly get fouled up with sand, mud, tiny pebbles, or other debris, and once that happens, getting those locks off is a whole other challenge, and even if you’re prepared for that specific problem, it’s not one you really don’t want to deal with. Even with the right tools, and knowledge…success isn’t guaranteed, and additional damage is possible. We don’t want to create new problems, when we have enough to deal with already.
And lets face it, thieves don’t steel wheels anymore…they steel the whole vehicle. Steeling the whole vehicle can be done by one person with an iPad in less than one minute. It’s faster, quieter, cheaper, and easier. So get rid of those lock nuts please. You’ll regret having them on the trails.
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