Okay guys, dumb question again. I found a small "scratch" which was a very small hole about midway between the tread and the wheel rim edge on my Goodyear Tracker factory rubber. Jumped on it one day to find a flat, pumped it up to find the air leak. Is there any way to fix the rubber on the inside, like a patch or something? I know I'll probably end up putting a tube inside, but if I can fix this pin-hole without a tube, I'd rather do it that way. What has someone else done?

 

I have never done this before, but I think it will work fine... go to your local bike shop and find an innertube patch kit, take the tire off the rim, and follow the directions for the patch kit, the glue is an epoxo, which "burns" the patch to the tire, this shoudl work if its a small hole, "needle" hole I tink you said, it shoudl be fine!

Chris

 

Go to a hobby shop get some ca glue used in model air plains that will glue anything it works great used to attach the lugs back on the p traker tires on my 98 sportsman it will plug a small hole and it works super fast and costs about four bucks for about 200 fixes

 

I agree with clindst, they fix side wall punctures all the time on tubeless tires on cars trucks etc.
Yoy may be able to get the kit at your local Walmart,K-mart,or any auto parts store.
Good Luck

 

I hit a rock the wrong way about a year ago and it tore a one inch gash in my front tire sidewall.

I brought it to a local tire shop and they "vulcanized" it for me. Essentially its a rubber patch that is applied with heat. It cost about $20 (canadin - probably cheaper in the US) with zero problems after.

This would be my route . . . just to be safe.

 

SWAC,

Lots of good ideas here. Forget the tube for what you describe. No sense adding extra weight to one wheel.

From experience, vulcanizing is the superior repair but likely not required for the hole size you describe. The bike patch (from inside) will work just fine. Taking the tire off by yourself is a bitch.

One of the 98s I ride with punched a piece of steel wire (1/8" +) through the sidewall of a front tire. I simply used a self sealing tire plug. It is installed from the outside in seconds. The ones I use are made by Bowes but Canadian Tire sells something similar (made for car tires - see automootive section). It looks like a gooey piece of rope about 4 inches in length. You insert it in the tire with a screwdriver type tool and cut off the excess. Cost of tool and plugs - about $10. The ATV and cars don't leave the house without these in the toolbox.

DJ