If you can imagine someone who seeks something and will not rest or give up until he gets hold of it, then you have a good idea of how effective slime sealants are in tackling holes in the tire. The sealant actively seeks out the hole and upon arrival at the puncture site, immediately puts an end to the hole.
To achieve optimal results when using the slime sealants, care must be taken to ensure the right type is used for the tire in question as they are of varying types for the different types of tires. So, can I use tube sealant in a tubeless tire?
The most appropriate answer to this would be no you cannot. This does not mean some persons out there are not pulling this stunt and getting away with it.
The right thing to do however is to ensure the sealant used for a tire is specified for that tire, else, you risk causing more damage to the tire rather than repairing it.
The purpose served by slime sealant in a tube tire is slightly different from that in the tubeless tire. In the tubeless tire, for example, the sealant is required to protect against corrosion and rust as the tubeless tire is more susceptible to these.
So, why can you not make use of a slime tube seal but in a tubeless tire? This is because the sealant designated for tube tires capacity to prevent corrosion and rust, a much-needed feature for tubeless tires.
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What is the slime sealant for tube tires?
Colors, particularly the primary colors are generally easy to identify even by children. Slime sealant manufacturers have therefore implored this in their product to be able their buyers easily identify the tire for which the product is to be used.
For tires with tubes, the label on the slime sealant packaging is colored red. It does not contain anti-corrosives or anti-rust agents. The sealant is solely for use in a tube tire which is for non-highway use such as tires of wheelbarrows and other similar equipment in the house.
Can slime sealant be applied to tubeless tires?
You may have seen the slime sealant with the blue label once or twice when you visit the auto shop. Most highway tires are tubeless and the popularity of the blue label like sealant is designated for these types of tires.
Aside from the blue-labeled slime sealant, the sealant with a black label on its packaging is equally suitable for use in tubeless tires. It can however serve tube tires as well.
When it comes to tires driven on the highway such as car and truck tires, the emergency slime sealant should be your go-to choice. The company gave this a yellow labeling.
How do you apply slime sealant to tires?
The whole idea of applying the sealant is to get this liquid into the tire from where it can move to the site of the puncture.
Similar to platelet plug formatting in the blood clotting process in the human body, the fibers, parties, and other sealing agents in the sealant come together to form a mesh network that constitutes a plug that effectively shuts off the leak in the tire.
To apply, identify the valve core and remove it. This creates an entry point through which the sealant can be poured into the tire. The valve core is afterward placed back and the tire is re-inflated.
No matter how lazy you may feel, a tire in which sealant has to be used should not be repaired without the old dried sealant being cleared off first. With scraping away the old sealant, the residue may constituent a problem for the TPMS.(Read Also: Does Tire Size Affect Gear Ratio?)
Advantages of using slime sealant
For an instant result, slime sealant is a much more dependable method of fixing a flat tire than any other method out there.
Your money’s worth of value is guaranteed with slime sealant except for punctures that go beyond 6 mm diameter in which case the slime sealant may no longer offer much help.
However, even in this condition, that is when the diameter of the puncture is beyond 6 mm, slime sealants are not completely helpless against such a puncture.
Here, the sealant will form a plug through its fibro technology over the puncture hole, allowing for the tire to be driven a bit further out of the traffic where it could be bashed by incoming vehicles.
It is difficult to have a rest of mind while driving and not be concerned about developing a flat tire, especially while driving through road networks in a rural setting where the chances of running over goat horns and other possible sharp objects on the road are considerably high.
However, if you were to pre-install the slime sealant in your tires, for the next two years, you can stay unbothered about a flat tire possibility as the sealant will keep off agents such as broken glasses from ruining your day.
Similar to heroes, the activity of the slime sealant is rarely noticed. As long as the sealant does its job well, most of the punctures that happen to your tire will go unnoticed.
This allows you to keep on without needing to stop for every minor puncture the tire experiences. This protection is guaranteed for 2 straight years.
Toxicity is a worrisome factor to consider with chemical agents such as tire sealant. As the sealant is being poured into the tire’s valve, it puts the user at risk of getting exposed to its toxic side effects. However, slime sealant is safe for both the user and the environment and contains only none toxic components.
Sometimes, after applying a tire sealant to your tire, the mechanic would declare the tire irreparable and demand it replaced. However, this decision is stemming from an anticipated difficulty in scrapping the sealant off the tire.
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They are also concerned about exposing themselves to the hazardous chemicals in the sealant and rightly so. Fortunately, slime sealants are water-soluble, which means the dried sealant can be easily washed off without fear of exposure to hazardous chemical compounds as it is certified safe.
Corrosive sealants are implicated in corroding tires and wheels especially when the sealant leaks out. This setback does not apply to slime sealant.
The sealant is also formulated with none flammable constituents, adding a cap on the many advantages slime sealant has over many other sealants out there. It is, therefore, safer than most sealants.
Is slime sealant worth the buy?
Tire puncture sealants are one of the methods of fixing a flat tire but not the only available option there is. Your choice of the preferred fixing method for your can’t tire is influenced by the effectiveness of such a method, its cost, and the situation you found yourself in.
For example, in the presence of a spare tire, many wheels go for a more permanent solution to their flat tire problem even if this entails getting soiled with dirt rather than applying a sealant which only buys enough time to have the tire fixed.
In all, slime sealant is a good buy, and worth its money. However, without proper application, it could become your worst nightmare. Yes, you heard me right, the application of slime sealant requires certain guidelines and precautionary measures without which the sealant damages rather than repair the tire.
For example, the sealant should never be pre-installed in a highway tire. For highway tires, slime sealants should only be used for repair purposes and nothing more. When the sealing is over-applied beyond the recommended volume, it could cause the wheels to lose their balance.
Similarly, when applied to the front tires, slime sealant could become responsible for the vibration felt at the steering wheel and make driving bumpy. This is also possible when the sealant is applied to all four tires at the same time.
Each time you experience a flat tire, whether or not your first response was to have a tire seal applied to the tire, always ensure to visit a tire professional later on that same day.
One of the aspects in which the slime sealant will be of no help to you is when the flat tire is a result of a puncture on the sidewall of the tire which is outside the tire’s repairable zone ( the area with tread).
Similarly, if the implicated cause of the flat tire is a result of a problem with the valve or a bent rim, or any other cause outside the tire itself, then the sealant is also equally unhelpful in these instances.
While applying the sealing into the valve, you must remember that it is a chemical compound after all. This demands that you protect your eyes, hands, and other parts of your body from coming into contact with it. Ensure to put on gloves and wear safety goggles when undertaking this process.
Conclusion – Can I Use Slim Tube Sealant In A tubeless Tire?
It is simply not the right thing to do, not when the company has carefully designated appropriate slime sealants for different types of tires. Avoid applying slime tube sealant on a tubeless tire.
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I am passionate about all things automotive and have a deep understanding of the topic. As a mechanic, I use my free time to share knowledge of everyday challenges that any car owner can experience – helping you make informed decisions about tires.