Slashed sidewall
A slashed sidewall used to be unfixable.
GlueTread sidewall repair kit, $50 on Amazon
Up until a few years ago, a slash to your sidewall spelled doom for your tire. Changing out to a spare was the only option. Sometimes, people were able to “stitch” a short slash by using multiple plugs, but it didn’t always hold up.
However, there is a more effective solution. GlueTread (and a couple other products that claim to be similar) is a sidewall patching system. You can find GlueTread on Amazon; look for the 4x4 kit. Price is under $50, but if you ever need it — it is worth the expense. One kit includes enough patches and adhesive tubes for several repairs.
Again, search YouTube for “gluetread” to find several good videos. But let me describe how it works.
Locate the slash (which is easy). You can use the soapy water, but that slash is usually obvious.
Clean it with some water to remove dirt particles. Apply a thin line of glue along the seam of the cut and press the edges together, as if closing a wound.
Select a suitably sized patch (or trim one to size) to fully cover the slash with at least a half inch of border. Place the patch over the area, and trace around it with a marker or scratch it with the edge of a knife.
Using the supplied sand paper, abrade the surface of the sidewall to improve adhesion. If there is raised printing, you will need to sand it flat.
Follow the printed instructions and apply an arranged pattern of glue droplets within the borders that you marked. I have seen some people arrange the droplets on the patch, instead of the sidewall – but GlueTread depicts using the sidewall surface. Apply the patch, and press firmly for a minute.
Verify the seal with soapy water. Reinflate your tire.
For legal reasons, GlueTread does not advise driving with a patched tire on the highway. A blown sidewall is not that dangerous at 10mph on a dirt trail; but out on the highway at high speed, things can get fatal.
We know of several hardcore “rock crawlers” who drive their dedicated (trailered) offroad rigs with previously patched tires, so these patches certainly hold up. But it does depend on the nature of the slash.
Personally, I would call AAA once we got off the trail and have them change out the patched tire with the good spare, and then visit a professional tire repair shop during the week.
