As you may already know, patching can be an option for fixing a flat car tire or motorcycle tire. But does it work on ATV tires? After all, ATV tires are typically used in much rougher conditions when going off-road. Like with so many other problems you can stumble on as an ATV owner, no one answer fits all.
ATV tires can be patched, depending on the size, shape, and location of the puncture. Minor to medium holes in the threaded area of the tire can be patched using a traditional patch or preferably a plug patch. More extensive tears or sidewall damage cannot be permanently fixed, but temporary solutions are available for emergency repairs.
So how do you know whether your specific puncture can be patched? And when should you choose to patch over other alternatives such as a string plug, tire slime, and others? Here are some guidelines to follow.
Not all tire leaks and punctures are the same. This is important because the type of leak you face dictates the best method for fixing the leak.
Just as there are different types of tire leaks, there are various ways of fixing them. Not all holes can be patched; other methods may be better suitable.
There is also a difference between repairing a car tire and a slow-speed, such as an ATV tire. For car tires, you are only allowed to repair a tire if:
ATV tires for off-road use are not subject to the same regulations, but they still make for good guidelines, especially if you do a lot of high-speed trail riding or racing.
The sidewalls are the weakest part of any tire. Because the sidewalls of a low-pressure tire need to be flexible, they have less rubber and lack some of the steel or nylon enforcement used in the threaded area for puncture resistance.
The flexible nature of the low-pressure tire sidewalls makes them more prone to tears and harder to repair. While you might be able to patch a tear in the sidewall, it may not last too long, especially if you run the tire at low pressure. As soon as you go over a rock, the sidewall will flex, making the patch the weakest link.
There is no proper way of permanently repairing a sidewall tear or puncture. However, there are a few aftermarket options to consider that will get you by if you’re in a pinch.
Note that products such as sidewall repair kits or sidewall slugs are not meant as permanent repairs but simply emergency repairs until you can replace the tire. They are only for slow-speed, off-road use and should never be used on high-speed or on-road tires.
There is no safe or legal way of repairing the sidewall of an on-road tire. Your only option is to replace the tire with a new one. If your other tires are worn, you may need to replace them as well to prevent driveline wear or damage, especially if you ride a lot on paved roads.
Your typical minor puncture happens from running over a nail, a piece of wire, or any other small and sharp metal object. The air may leak out over a few hours or a few days if the protruding object is still stuck in the tire.
These punctures are typically easy to fix, both temporarily out on the trail or permanently when you get back home to your garage or a tire shop.
Most small punctures up to ¼ inch in diameter in the threaded area of a tire can be permanently repaired from the inside using a plug patch. However, the angle of the puncture should be at least 45 degrees or more to the tire.
Patching from the inside is the recommended method for fixing smaller punctures, and it’s the only one that is considered by the industry as a permanent repair if done correctly. An inside patch plug will more than likely outlast the remaining lifetime of your ATV tire.
Related: How to patch an ATV tire – Illustrated Guide
If you’re out on the trail or just looking for a quick fix, you can fix most small punctures using what is commonly referred to as a string plug kit or rope plug kit—more on the pros and cons of string plugs vs.
patches further down in this post.
Other alternatives include Tire Slime, which injects the tire with a slimy substance that covers and seals small leaks. While this method is effective on most small leaks, it leaves a mess inside the tire and may bring it out of balance if not installed correctly.
Next, you have the slightly more severe punctures from hitting a dry branch, a piece of rebar, or something in that category. The hole is typically between ¼ of an inch to ½ inch in diameter.
This type of puncture will cause your tire to deflate in seconds and may or may not be so easy to repair.
As long as the puncture has a round shape and is not larger than the diameter of your thumb, you will likely have a good chance of fixing it using a tire patch. However, it is not recommended to patch a hole bigger than ¼ inch in diameter for on-road or high-speed use.
Any puncture larger than a small screw or nail should be patched for a proper seal.
While a sting plug may be able to seal the leak enough to bring you home, it needs to be replaced with an appropriate patch plug as soon as possible.
With large punctures, we refer to holes bigger than the diameter of your thumb. This type of damage typically happens from tearing or slicing rather than a clean poke-through.
Tears or slices typically occur when spinning the tire on a sharp rock, dry branch, or a pointy or sharp metal object.
Most tire manufacturers don’t recommend patching larger punctures or tears because of the permanent damage to the tire’s inner structure that cannot be repaired with a patch.
Before discarding your torn or severely punctured ATV tire, consider looking into products such as Glue Tread External patch kit (link to Amazon).
Leaks around the rim’s bead are commonly caused by corrosion, debris, or a damaged rim.
This type of leak typically drains the tire slowly over several hours or even days.
Products such as tire slime or similar work in many cases but will leave a mess when it’s time to replace the tire.
Check this post to learn more about properly fixing this type of leak.
String plugs or any other style of tire plug where the plug is installed from the outside are only recommended as emergency repairs to get your ATV back home or to the nearest tire shop.
While string plugs are not intended as a permanent repair, a properly placed plug will likely last the tire’s lifetime. This type of repair can be sufficient for off-road or at slower speeds.
For on-road or high-speed use, it’s always recommended to replace the string plug with a permanent patch as soon as you get the chance.
As speed increases, the rubber in the tire expands, increasing the chance of the plug coming out of the tire.
Traditional patching is when a rubber patch is glued to the inside of a tire using rubber cement.
While traditional patches are more reliable than a tire plug, they are not considered safe for on-road or high-speed use. They may, however, work well with slow-speed off-road tires, such as most ATV tires.
When used at a higher speed, the problem with traditional patches is that the glue that keeps the patch in place will lose some of its bonding power as the tire heats up, and the patch may come off.
Plug patches combine the benefits of traditional patches and tire plugs in one product. The glued-down patch keeps the plug from detaching from the tire, and the plug helps the patch stay secure to the tire.
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CVT transmission is a good compromise between automatic and mechanical. It is not as expensive and difficult to repair as an automatic, and does not require as much driver attention as a mechanic. Therefore, all CFMOTO ATVs are equipped with CVTs from the Canadian company CVTech. This is a world-famous manufacturer that develops CVT systems specifically for ATVs.
In this article, we'll take a look at the variator mechanism and tell you what to pay attention to in maintenance and care to reduce wear on parts.
The device of the variator on the example of CFMOTO X4: 1 - drive pulley, 2 - bolt, 3 - driven th pulley, 4 - belt, 5 - washer, 6 - weight block, 7 - weight, 8 - slider.
The CVT adjusts the ATV's speed based on the engine RPM. It consists of two parallel pulleys with movable conical disks or jaws.
The crankshaft rotates the drive pulley, and from it the torque is transmitted to the driven pulley using a toothed belt. The higher the number of revolutions, the stronger the effect of centrifugal force. The discs of the drive pulley come together, pushing the belt to a larger radius. At the driven shaft, the disks converge, compress the spring, and the belt goes to the center between them, thereby smoothly changing the gear ratio. The spring is responsible for ensuring that the belt is always tensioned. As the RPMs increase, the belt tightens proportionately to keep it from slipping.
The variator has a drawback: it is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the mechanisms and the condition of the belt. If the ATV often has to ride through deep and muddy puddles, do not be lazy to periodically open the variator cover and inspect the mechanism.
Sand and clay trapped inside interfere with the operation of the variator and accelerate the wear of its elements.
Most often, the situation can be corrected - just rinse the mechanism with water from a hose after a trip. If the clay is dry, you need to completely disassemble the mechanism, remove the pulleys and clean it.
https://youtu.be/k0_c191KfBY?t=240
The wear of a toothed V-belt is an irreversible process: it is the same consumable item as pads or an oil filter. With careful operation, the ATV belt is able to run from 4 to 8 thousand kilometers.
The belt must be replaced if:
Changing the belt is easy. In some versions of the design, you need to remove the pulleys, others just screw a long bolt into the driven pulley - its sides will disperse and release the belt.
To make the variator last longer, CFMOTO experts recommend using original belts from Mitsuboshi belting ltd.
This Japanese manufacturer produces high quality drive belts with an extended service life - such belts will not tear into rags after 1000 km of run.
The variator should be checked before every long trip. This is a simple procedure, and it is easier to carry out in the garage than during a trip.
You can buy original consumables, undergo maintenance or repair an ATV in the showroom of an official CFMOTO dealer in your city.
Addresses of official dealers CFMOTO
ATVs are renowned for their stability and reliability, yet even the highest quality models, including Stels ATVs, can fail. Of course, only a master can deal with serious breakdowns, but you can do something with your own hands, and some breakdowns will have to be repaired on your own, including punctured tires. This is one of the most common problems that ATV riders face, and it's not surprising, especially given that ATVs move on such surfaces, where there is no need to talk about safety.
That is why you need to be ready in case of trouble to solve the problem. The main thing, as in many ways, is not to panic, so if you hear a suspicious hiss, don't be scared, but take out the first aid kit of your ATV.
I must say right away that it is better to replace a damaged tire, but this is not always possible and can be done on the spot, and minor repairs will allow you to finish the trip and return home on your fours. In fact, there is nothing complicated about this, and it is quite possible to repair holes up to 5 centimeters in diameter, the rest are usually associated with damage to the device itself, so there is no need to talk about the end of the trip.
In order for the test not to take you by surprise, you need to prepare in advance and always have a few basic things with you. Designate storage space on your ATV ahead of time and remember to refill as you use it. Often in repairs, the main problem is precisely the need to get out of the ground what you forgot to take with you from home.
So, here is a list of what will make you feel confident on any road - a repair kit, it includes a reamer - an expander and a special tool for installing patches.
Patches, this is exactly what ends quickly and that you need to constantly buy more, the rest of the materials are not consumables or you can do without them. Patches come in different shapes, for example, I prefer long patches, the main thing is their good stickiness.
Pump. After the “treatment”, the tire will have to be pumped up and you cannot do without a pump. Here the choice is yours, manual or electric, as for me, the simpler the better, folding pumps are still good, they take up less space in the trunk, although it's more about your personal preferences and the possibilities of your wallet.
Rubber adhesive. In principle, there is usually enough sticky layer on the patches, but just in case I carry it in the trunk too, the whole gluing process is greatly simplified. A pressure gauge is a device for measuring tire pressure, if you bought an ATV in a store, it usually comes with an ATV.
If you notice an air leak, start by looking for a hole in the tire, if the tire is already deflated and the air is coming out weakly, inflate the tire and find where the air comes out. It is usually quite easy to find a hole if it is caused by a foreign object - a nail or a branch. If you don't see the hole, spin the tire on the wheel and listen for exactly where the hiss of the escaping air is heard. In the most extreme case, put the tire in water - a puddle or lake - and you will be able to see the air bubbles escaping. Remember that air can escape not only through a hole in the tire, but also through the junctions of the tire parts or the tire and the valve.
Once you find the hole, work the edges of the hole with a reamer, making the surface rough, after that the patch will better adhere to the rubber. Take a patch tool and thread the patch into it, if there is glue, smear it with a little glue and insert it into the tire halfway. The next moment is very important - you need to quickly pull the tool out of the hole, but do not pull the patch with you.
