You need to go to the Slime site ( www.slime.com ) and do the FAQ thing. It won't seal a hole bigger than 1/4" in diameter and a slice or cuts will not seal either. The stuff is water soluble. Otherwise wash it out with water and then the patch will work. Don't wiper, wash. It helps if you gain some knowledge of how the product works and how to deal with it before you use it.

 

Bear 4570 hit the nail on the head. You need to know what the slime is to do not what you think it can. Reminds me of the saying we had for comeputersDam thing keep doing what I tell it to do; not what I want it to do When you are riding centriffical force will carry the slime to the outside of the tire not the side wall. Slime will repair a 1/4" hole not 1/2 " A # 16 nail is less than 3/16" and that is a big nail. Bigger than a catus thorn and that is my worst problem.

I have had a 3/8 bolt in a truck tire and rode home over 40 miles with it in the tire. When I first found the bolt I did not remove the bolt but rode home with it in the tire. With the bolt still in the tire the hole was not 3/8 . Not until removed. When I got home the bolt was removed; several strands of plug were installed and the tire was placed with the plug on the bottom so that the slime would repair the remaining hole. The tire never gave me any problem after that.

Had a nail in an ATV tire and rather that take a chance and remove it keep riding on the nail. I forgot about the nail for several trip before removing it. Ran on the nail for about 400 miles. Actualy ware the top of the nail off before removing it.

A friend riding with us got a stick in the center of the side wall on a tire. The tire went flat right then even though he had slime in the tire. Slime will not repair a side wall since it only stays on the tread area of the tire. It was about lunch time so we removed the rim from the ATVand stuck plug in the side wall hole. Then layed the tire down so the hole was on the bottom. This left the slime go to the hole an complate the repair with selent. After lunch the rim was remounted riding for the remainder of the day. he not only rode that day but 4 more days; and never had to add air. Was it luck or smarts who knows. Yes he did replace the tire when geting home after the trip rather than push his luck.

Slime is cheep when you compair it to the cost of my wench. and I still fine it quicker to use a tow strap than pull out the cable and than have to roll it back up.

In fact one time two of us got stuck in 10' of mud and his 3000# winch would not get us out and we had to get a truck. Does this mean that a winch is useless?

 

Bear, like I, you are probably old enough to remember when we used to "boot" a flat tire. It's still a cheaper way to fix sidewall damage (and significant tread face damage) than a new tire.

A very large patch piece, reenforced and big enough to fit over the damaged area inside the tire is stuck on after the area is cleaned. It is stuck, not to seal like a vulcanized patch, but so that it will remain in place. A tube is used in the tire and you are set to go. For good. The repair is permanent. The boot can be large. I've seen them over 12" across. They would work fine for an ATV tire. Might be noticable at higher speeds because of balance issues, but if you don't want to buy a tire, it's a good fix, and cheap.

My grandfather sold tires retail. He died before most reading this were born. He told me that's how we got through the depression - and WWII. During the depression no one could afford tires and during WWII they were not available due to rationing. Six inch cut in the sidewall. No problem, stick a boot in it.

They probably still sell boots, but you'd have to go to one of those tire supply trucks or some such. They don't sell them in the places you'd go to get a patch kit.