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Hello All,
So in the course of two months I've gotten 2 flat tires; one waiting in the restaurant parking lot when we'd finished dinner. The other one appeared when I opened the garage door July 3rd. That one a mystery because I found no FOD in the tire.... So, I put on the old-old spare so I could display the truck on July 4th.

Saturday morning offered the opportunity to take them to the fleet shop that fixed my spare 3 years ago, along with a new tube. One rim is now losing rivets so they scrapped that one per my request (after returning the nearly new tire, tube and flap that I will inspect later). I rolled that into the basement. They also dismounted/mounted the other nearly new tire with the existing flap and new tube.

Prices have certainly gone up: my tire repair 3 years ago was less than $20; Saturday's work totaled just under $75-all of the ready cash I had. I can't complain too much-at least there are still shops willing to take on the work, and they also blasted the rust out of my remaining rim before mounting the tube/flap/tire.

Saturday evening I got out the roller jack and rotated all the tires so I'd have fronts to the opposite-side rear (they were "cupping" a bit) and vice-versa, and again have nearly new rubber on all 4 corners. My Rubicon tires do the same thing (cupping)....

So I now have an old decrepit tire (original to the truck when I bought it) as a spare until the time comes to mount the one chilling in the basement-aka when I have more cash. I could also consider picking up another rim, as having 2 spares saved me a lot of pain because I was never stranded.

Thanks for letting me exercise my fingers a bit,
Gary

With no evidence of external damage, perhaps that second flat was due to a pinched tube? Or maybe some debris was left in the tire/flap/tube/rim when it was mounted, and eventually worked it's way through the tube?

Could be, John, I always see signs of red oxide whenever I have tires dismounted.
More to follow,
Gary

Red oxide was good back in the day but there are MUCH better primers nowaday's. Epoxy primers will adhere much better and cover much better. Self-etching primers are great for getting into those area that you just can't seem to get to. Red Oxide had it's run but I use stuff that will actually stay on the vehicle now.

Good to know Rick, thanks!
Gary

Cal_Gary wrote:One rim is now losing rivets so they scrapped that one per my request

I've been there recently, in a weirder way.

I bought a 'good' used spare wheel years ago that had been sand blasted and primed with red oxide. I painted it and mounted one of my old tires, a 1964 dated NDT, to make a spare. Anyways, my spare came up two rivets short upon last inspection, despite the fact I have never used it... That wheel went in my bone pile and I grabbed a better 'good' one out of said bone pile, treated it with acid (more than once) to neutralize the rust between the center and the rim, gave it two coats of black epoxy primer followed by OD and mounted a new tire on it. I'm sure glad I never needed that old spare.

Collin

When you are treating these to acid are being sure to neutralize the acid with a baking soda wash afterwards? This could explain some of the metal pieces being lost. If you do not neutralize the acid it will continue to work until it wears out which could be quite a while.

Rick,

I should clarify, the wheel that failed was not treated with acid, just sandblasting by the previous owner. Only the replacement wheel got the acid treatment. I use a phosphoric acid product that converts iron oxide into iron phosphate, it is a no rinse air dry process that leaves a benign black coating that is paint-able.

Gary,

Just out of curiosity, was the wheel with the broken rivets one of the tires that was cupping?

Collin

Could have been a speck of dirt inside the tire. When I had my recent flat, the industrial tire shop dismounted and inspected everything. They found no sign of external tire damage or pinched tube..found a small wear hole on the side of the tube that they believe d was caused by debris that was rubbing every time the tire rotated/flexed under weight.

Collin,
Indeed that was the case-the missing rivet rim had the cupping tire; however, my other front tire was the same way, and that one has a good rim. Rotating them should even them back out since they're now on the opposite-rear sides. My alignment has always been great too.
Gary

Any off road type tire and especially military tires will cup on the front wheels. Nature of the beast, you just have to be religious about rotation. I hate to tell you but once cupped they never "even out".

Well thanks Rick,
Mine aren't severe, just noticeable. I'll report back if they straighten out (maybe after a few line-lock burn-outs)?. Yeah right...
Gary

Cal_Gary wrote:Well thanks Rick,
I'll report back if they straighten out (maybe after a few line-lock burn-outs)?. Yeah right...
Gary