Two questions: using a tire inflator with sealant, and landing with a flat tire

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MountainDude

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MountainDude
I have two related questions (I have a '76 C182 without wheel pants, stock wheels):

1. Has anyone used a tire inflator with sealant for a plane tire? Since I plan to land at airports that have no maintenance available, this seems like the best option to get the tire sealed, so I can fly to another airport with maintenance. Here is one example (please let me know if you know of better products):
https://www.amazon.com/STP-Car-Tire-Inflator-Sealant/dp/B085H9XF5H?th=1

2. Let's say I have a flat tire at a remote airport, seal it with the sealant and can take off. If the tire deflates in flight, what would be the safest landing method to avoid veering off the runway?
 
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MountainDude said:
2. Let's say I have a flat tire at a remote airport, seal it with the sealant and can take off. If the tire deflates in flight, what would be the safest landing method to avoid veering off the runway?
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Soft field technique on a wide space... and carry a spare innertube and the tools and small stuff like cotter pins to do a change. This is one reason it's always good to help with annuals. Learn how to do what you can legally do as preventative maintenance.
 
RyanShort1 said:
Soft field technique on a wide space... and carry a spare innertube and the tools and small stuff like cotter pins to do a change. This is one reason it's always good to help with annuals. Learn how to do what you can legally do as preventative maintenance.
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How would one change the inner tube without lifting the plane?
 
A small jack would be one of the tools you carry.
 
Aircraft tires use tubes. So it would depend on how the tube failed if sealant will work.

The sealant with work with small punctures, but if the failure it larger, it will not work.
 
Pinecone said:
Aircraft tires use tubes. So it would depend on how the tube failed if sealant will work.
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That. Many flats I’ve seen have related to the valve getting torn off, ostensibly from the tube being under-inflated and allowing the tube and tire to instantly spin at different rates when touching down. The sealant won’t fix that. That’s why I carry spare tubes, which the manufacturer says have an indefinite shelf life (I called and asked).
 
I carry a tube, but not jacks and cotter pins and such. Only because I figure there's a jack and cotter pins handy at pretty much every airport, but a spare tube of the proper size might be more difficult to find.
 
Sounds like a really dumb idea and a good way to be landing with a flat tire at the next airport, notwithstanding taking off with an unairworthy airplane with an improper repair.
 
I would be cautious with using a sealant. Most of the common sealants are alkaline and corrosive to aluminum wheels. I have seen major damage on the inside of high dollar ATV wheels that have had punctured tires inflated and sealed with the common inflator/sealant in a can. Talk about see a redneck weep! If one were to effect a proper repair in very short time the corrosion damage would be prevented but expect extra charges from the mechanic doing the repair and cleanup.
 
Taxiing, it will distribute, and takeoff will be OK. In flight, the sealant will flow to the low part of the tire, producing a large imbalance. At landing, you are likely to have severe wheel hop until the plane slows. This fact came from a friend with a motorcycle, he was limited to about15 miles an hour until the gummy liquid distributed more evenly.

A better approach is to carry a spare tube, or 2 if you have two sizes, and find a local car mechanic to "Help you do owner maintenance", with his tools. Simple enough with most small town mechanics, who are accustomed to a providing a wide range of services.
 
As for jacking, I certainly can’t speak to all small GA planes but my Warrior is really easy to jack up with a $20 Walmart scissor jack under the axle “knuckle”. The nosewheel has been fixed by an A&P in the past by putting weight on the stabilator. I’ve even heard of people having several friends squat under the wing and do a leg press with their backs under the spar and hold it up for the change; just set the plane down gently on the axle padded with wood, etc.

Having a tube is the best bang for the buck. Other stuff - except a replacement tire that was ruined on rollout - is usually easy to round up.
 
Sealants are intended to be preventive, not repairs. I have sealants in my airplane tires. No imbalance. No problems at all. Most guys with Alaskan Bushwheels do the same.
 
Check online for how to jack up your plane as simply as possible. A small scissor jack will work in most cases. There are plenty of Youtube videos on this. Figure out the exact sockets and other small tools you will need and carry them with you. Then watch Youtube videos on how to change your particular tire. Download the video to your phone so it will be available if your out of cell service range.

Also carry a battery powered mini tire inflator.

Changing a tube is not difficult, you just need to have the right tools and know the techniques. Even in my own hangar I still use the scissor jack. In my case it fits right under the base of the gear. It takes me about an hour to change one.

On some gear guys carry small blocks of wood and clamps to have a place for a scissor jack to lift from.

Landing with a flat tire from a bad repair can have serious consequences. Check out the Rebuild Rescue Youtube channel where the guy recently landed his aircraft with a flat tire. New prop, engine tear down, and more. Came close to seriously hurting himself.
 
geezer said:
A better approach is to carry a spare tube, or 2 if you have two sizes, and find a local car mechanic to "Help you do owner maintenance", with his tools. Simple enough with most small town mechanics, who are accustomed to a providing a wide range of services.
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I like that!!! Great suggestion.

I have had two flat tires on two separate occasions. Once the nose, once a main. Both times it only became obvious during taxi after a successful landing. Both times an on-field mechanic was available to tow the aircraft as well as to make the repair.

I was never sure if the two flat tires had proper air pressure prior to the flats or not so I am now more diligent about checking and maintaining proper tire air pressure.
 
Stewartb said:
Sealants are intended to be preventive, not repairs. I have sealants in my airplane tires. No imbalance. No problems at all. Most guys with Alaskan Bushwheels do the same.
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For the OP - Alaskan Bushwheels are tubeless tires. Yours are most like to have tubes.

Apparently Slime does make a tube sealant. You may want to check that out.
 
ABW are essentially built around a tube, so no loose tube. Not tubeless in the conventional sense. There is no seated bead to a wheel.

I also use sealant in my 850s for skis and my tubed tailwheel tire. And in conventional tubeless tires on my wheelers. I prefer Stan’s NoTubes and Orange Seal but have used Slime in the past with good results. I have all three on a shelf in the hangar. I have no reason to speak of what I don’t know.
 
Not airplanes, but be aware that emergency sealant on your car tires will destroy TPS sensors. So now you'll be in for a new tire AND a new sensor too. I wonder if it's planned that way because when they started putting in TPS sensors, they also started not supplying a spare tire. Create your own market?
 
RussR said:
Depending on the airplane model and which tire it is, lots of creative ways to accomplish this.

Or, bring a jack.
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Do you have a link to a jack that will work for a Cessna 182?
 
bflynn said:
Not airplanes, but be aware that emergency sealant on your car tires will destroy TPS sensors. So now you'll be in for a new tire AND a new sensor too. I wonder if it's planned that way because when they started putting in TPS sensors, they also started not supplying a spare tire. Create your own market?
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I believe you might have cause and effect reversed. As I recall manufacturers started using run-flat tires, which eliminated the need for a spare and tools, but necessitated TPMS so you'd know you had a flat.
 
Lindberg said:
I believe you might have cause and effect reversed. As I recall manufacturers started using run-flat tires, which eliminated the need for a spare and tools, but necessitated TPMS so you'd know you had a flat.
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I wasn't assigning causality at all. I was observing correlation.

Additionally, neither mine nor my wife's new cars have run flat tires, but neither of us have spares yet. I recently had a sidewall punctured and discovered I don't have a spare.
 
Llewtrah381 said:
... I carry spare tubes, which the manufacturer says have an indefinite shelf life (I called and asked).
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I hear that, but having years of engineering involvement with resins, rubber, and plastic manufacturing I don't really believe it.

The "indefinite shelf life" comments are pretty well plastered with fine print disclaimers, on condition that tubes don't get stored at temps less than 32 degrees, greater than 85 degrees, nor in any environment where solvents, vapors, UV light, hydrocarbons, ozone, etc. may be present.

Great for their conditioned warehouses, not so much in a typical hangar environment. But as an emergency backup, OK.

_______________________________________________

Ideally, both new and retreaded tires and tubes should be stored in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. Temperatures should be between 32°F (0°C) and 85°F (30°C). Particular care should be taken to store tires away from fluorescent lights, electric motors, battery chargers, electric welding equipment, electric generators and similar equipment. These items create ozone, which has a deteriorating effect on rubber.

Local aviation authority regulations may address limits to tire and tube storage humidity limits.
​
Goodyear recommends following all local authority requirements. Care should be taken that tires do not come in contact with oil, gasoline, jet fuel, hydraulic fluids or similar hydrocarbons. Rubber is attacked by these.​


_______________________________________________

Michelin aircraft tires or tubes may be placed in service, regardless of the calendar age, provided all inspection criteria for service/storage/mounting and individual customer imposed restrictions are met.

Note : Certain regulatory agencies recommend further restricting the age of rubber products used in the aircraft industry. The decision to adopt these recommendations must be made by the individual user. ​
_______________________________________________
 
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Lindberg said:
I believe you might have cause and effect reversed. As I recall manufacturers started using run-flat tires, which eliminated the need for a spare and tools, but necessitated TPMS so you'd know you had a flat.
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TPMS were mandated after the Bridgestone/Firestone/Ford Explorer issues. Most of the problems were traced to low tire pressure combined with some tire issues.

Run flats came later.

Low tire pressure is more destructive than too high pressure.
 
ElPaso Pilot said:
I hear that, but having years of engineering involvement with resins, rubber, and plastic manufacturing I don't really believe it.
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I agree and my statement was incomplete/misleading.

I learned this when it came time to change out my tubes and wondered about using the ones I had been carrying in the back for the prior few years, so I talked with Desser, who said that. I ultimately bought new ones and used them on the plane, but my unsaid point is the spares should last a long time as spares in the back, especially for a hangared plane and if they're inspected for rot every now and then.

Along those lines, carrying serviceable ones that are swapped out for new ones is another cost-effective approach; I really just want something to get me home, where I can order new ones and put them in (assuming I'm someplace that doesn't have a shop with new ones on the shelf). Swapping tubes isn't really all that tough, so doing it twice for one flat isn't a huge deal, IMHO, if needed.
 
As a preventative measure you could select a quality tire and with an 8 ply rating on a 182.
 
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