John D. S.

I was looking at some youtube videos about tire sealants like tire slime etc., and it appears they do actually work. I was a skeptic, only because I have never used them. I have plugged a few tires in my time.

I have been thinking about this because my new Cayman is the first car I have ever had that didn't have a spare tire except for a C6 corvette with run flats.

My question is, since we don't have a spare doesn't it make sense to add a good quality tire sealant in our tires before we get a flat? The down side would be that it could make future tire changes messier for the tire shop, and you would have to pay for 4 treatments. On the upside, you don't have to risk your life beside a busy road trying to fill a tire with that stuff, and then air it up.

Tmc981

I've never used the stuff, but my understanding is that the sealant is a "Get Me Home" solution that seals small punctures (but not cuts) because it's in a semi-liquid state that flows to the puncture. Once it cures, it can be punctured (or cut) just like an untreated tire. Also, I would think that squirting a semi-liquid substance into tires would carry a significant risk of precipitating wheel balance and handing problems because getting it to spread evenly in all four tires would be nigh on impossible.

colnagoG60

I'm sticking with plugs, just to get me home.

John D. S.

This proves my point, when you use a sealant before the flat occurs, you don't have to stop by the road.

And the comment about sealant throwing the tires out of balance is false, Loose items on the inside of a tire move to the location where they balance the tire. Look up tire balance beads.

Bxstr

I would just have a quality credit card roadside assistance coverage. Yes, you may have to wait for a little bit but it is also safer than doing it yourself on the side of the road. If you are going on a long trip, get a spare tire kit for your car.

John Ferguson

Have used sealant on lawn equipment tires with good results but probably not a good mix with Porsche TPMS. My insurance company's roadside assist covers flats.

colnagoG60

I don't think tire sealant works like that. If/when it dries before a puncture, how will it seal?

Marine Blue

I would question how well a sealant would hold up to the high temperatures we see in performance tires. Our cars also come with a sealant and a pump to seal smaller punctures so there’s that but reality is that if a blowout occurs your stuck waiting for a tow no matter what.

xsbank

The tire will be shot but the spooge will get you home or to a tire shop. I believe Porsche says punctured tires cannot be fixed...

Tmc981

Well, I did some reading and have to admit that I was partially mistaken about sealants. Some are semi-liquid that "cure" but some remain in a liquid state, never curing to a solid state. Some are sold for repair only, others for prevention of flats. The ones sold for prevention of flats seem to be for tires with tubes in them (I'm thinking farm implements) not tubeless tires.

Looking at a couple of repair sealant websites, there were clear statements that the sealant should be used for repair only and that long term use of the sealant could damage rims. For example, the Slime Emergency Tire Sealant website states, "If pre-existing damage is present (on rims), we do not recommend using Slime. Do not leave Slime inside your tires for more than 2 years. After that time, we cannot guarantee the integrity of your rims. Slime’s Emergency Tire Sealant formula is intended to be used as a temporary emergency repair in passenger vehicles." (Italics mine)

I do know that the stuff is universally hated by tire technicians because it is so messy, gets all over their equipment and is very difficult to clean off the tire and rim to prep for a permanent repair. Most tire shops around here charge an additional fee for patching tires that have sealant in them and one absolutely refuses to patch tires that have sealant in them. Again from the Slime website, "Inform the shop technician that Slime is in the tire."

Finally I have a couple of (rhetorical) questions:

1. If putting sealant in tires to prevent flats is a good idea, why aren't car manufacturers doing it at the factory and saving everyone a lot of trouble?
2. Is it a good idea to be riding around on a compromised tire and not be aware of it?

Okay, that's all I've got.

John D. S.

This is what got me thinking about this
The idea that people can go around driving to the end of their tire life with multiple nails in them sealed with slime is pretty silly.

Maybe not, I did an internet search and found these

• Selfseal® by Michelin: Seals punctures up to 1/4"
• ContiSeal™ by Continental: Seals punctures up to 3/16"
• DuraSeal by Goodyear: Seals punctures up to 1/4"
• Seal Inside by Pirelli: Seals punctures up to 1/8"
• Sealguard® by Hankook: Seals punctures up to 3/16

KBell

The Slime got me home.
I was very impressed.