# Puncture Grrrr



## gromett (May 9, 2005)

After answering the recent puncture survey I have got my first puncture.
Being a tag axle it didn't stop me straight away. It was on the rear drivers side wheel.

Can anyone give me an indication of how much a tyre will cost for this please? Don't need a accurate quote just an indication.

Secondly it was a nail that caused it. I have heard that tyres can be repaired is this safe or am I better of with a new tyre?

Thanks in advance 

Karl


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Hi Karl.
Tread can be repaired but sidewalls can't.

Cost of another tyre can vary from supplyer to supplyer. But beware as it's possible to comply with MOT regs now you might just have to buy the same make and size as all the others.

Ray.


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## machilly (Feb 10, 2007)

Last one I bought for my Hymer was around £80, it was a Hanook, once you have the new one on can I recommend Ultraseal, have it in my Hymer and My Toad, never had a puncture, and I full time so am travelling lots of miles.

regards


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

All our motorhome punctures have come within a short distance of the ferry in France.

We have a theory that the ferry company are in cahoots with the tyre repair firms and scatter nails and rivets on the ramp.

Either that or there are ferries crossing the channel even now with bits missing....

G


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## gromett (May 9, 2005)

After two failed attempts to change the wheel today I am leaving it till next week. It is a nail about 1 inch from the sidewalls into the tread area.

The jack that came with the van was pathetic. It is rated at 1750KG but it gave so many creaks and groans and started to sag sideways.

A friend brought a 2T hydraulic Trolley jack. This lifted the van to the point where all the weight was off the wheels but not quite high enough to break contact with the floor :? 

I am ordering a new 3T high lift hydraulic one next week. In the mean time I am going to order a new tyre at a local garage. Unfortunately means I am stuck here for another week 

Thanks for the info guys.

Karl


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

gromett said:


> . Unfortunately means I am stuck here for another week
> l


Karl..one of our punctures made itself known the morning after our arrival at Verdun ( Camping le Breuil). Saga, our insurers, sent a garage and the tyre was changed and the spare put on. We then went up the road to have it repaired and put back in place of the spare. It is still holding pressure and looking fine today.

Call your insurers - ?

G


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Karl.
Is it possible to blow the tyre up and drive to the garage for the new tyre. Would save a great deal of trouble. 
Of course thats assuming you haven't pulled the nail out.. :roll: 

Also and not wishing to put you into a precarious situation but I again assume yours is a tag axle. Therefore you can drive the remaining good tyre up onto a lump of wood which will lift the flat high enough to remove from the van.

Ray.


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## ShinyFiat (Jun 2, 2009)

karl.if i was you i would get the punctured tyre plugged and use this as the spare. ( assuming your mh has a spare )

regards

john


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## Dick1234 (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi there

A two ton bottle jack will do it. Thats what I use and it is small enough to store in the van. Also make sure you have pucker wheel brace, the one supplied is not long enough to tighten up the wheel nuts correctly. They should be torqued up but I do not know how much. If you change the wheel yourself make sure you take the van to the tyre shop and get them all torqued up. 

The jack supplied nearly killed me last year trying to change the rear tyre, get rid ASAP or risk being crippled with the effort of winding the dam thing up.


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## hymerowner (Sep 10, 2006)

Depends on damage whether it can be repaired or not.

If you have insurance/recovery use it - would never change my own tyre on the road uness absolutely no other choice.

U need a big jack to do it - supplied ones rather weedy!


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## tinkering (Dec 8, 2007)

*punture*

Karl I use a 12volt impact wrench to remove wheel nuts makes the job a piece a cake.

ebay no 200358058986 or Google 12volt inpact wrench

you will also have to buy a 24mm socket to fit your wheel nuts (check size first)

Take care Les


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## gromett (May 9, 2005)

raynipper said:


> Therefore you can drive the remaining good tyre up onto a lump of wood which will lift the flat high enough to remove from the van.


What a great idea. Is that safe?

Karl


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## RichardnGill (Aug 31, 2006)

Karl as you van is a Tag and you are only lifting one side of one axel you will not be lifting very much weight, maybe only 800kgs. Most jacks will lift it with ease. Just make sure the jack is on firm level ground. 

You would have difficulty lifting the axel by driving the other wheel onto a block of wood, we use to do it all the time with large truck's with air suspension as they self level. But I guess with an Alco you would need one axel to be a lot higher than the other to lift it of the ground. 

Your tyre should be reparable if the nail is not to close to the tyre side wall and you have not driven on it very soft or flat. 


Richard...


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## gromett (May 9, 2005)

RichardnGill said:


> Karl as you van is a Tag and you are only lifting one side of one axel you will not be lifting very much weight,


I don't think that is the case. The two jack points are on the solid bar that runs the length of the chassis so you are lifting the weight off both axles.
As this is the side with my battery banks that adds at least 400Kg to the standard weight. Working on the basis that 2/3rds of the weight of the vehicle is at the back then half that i would guess the actual weight that is being jacked is closer to 1500Kg's. Which seems to be born out by the breakage of another jack yesterday >.<

Thanks for the suggestions guys. going to try the block of wood idea today. If that fails I will be driving the van to a tyre place and will have to accept the fact that this tyre will be knackered after.

Cheers
Karl


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## kennyo (Mar 22, 2006)

had a nail in mine the other week on mull totally flat. blow it up and drove to the garage plugged it for £13 good as new


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## gromett (May 9, 2005)

Ramp idea didn't work, other wheel just dropped down too far.
Will have to make a steeper ramp for that to work.

Karl


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## Dick1234 (Jun 15, 2008)

The bottle jack works fine. Place it between the two rear wheels on the chassis, I have a jacking point there on my Alko chassis, a few pumps and both wheels are off the ground. You are only lifting one corner of the van and even taking into account you bat packs a two ton bottle jack will do it.

If you are still worrying I think Halfords do a 4 ton one for peanuts. Whilst I would subscribe to the 'It's covered in my breakdown Insurance' theory I would not be happy if I couldn't change the wheel myself if I needed too.


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