Lynn Blamires, Special to the Standard-Examiner

When you go into the backcountry, you don’t have to go very far to be facing a long walk back when a problem occurs. That is why it is important to have your machine working well before you go. However, a flat is something you just have to be prepared to deal with.

I have been riding ATVs for 30 years and I have had to deal with a lot of flat tires. One way others deal with flats is growing in popularity. They carry a spare tire and wheel — one that will work on any of the four corners of the machine. I am still not sold on the extra weight a spare tire creates.

I have dealt with flats by carrying a mini compressor, a supply of plugs, a reaming tool and tool to push plugs into the tire to seal the leak. The idea is that I will be able to finish the ride and make it back to a place that I can either make a better fix or replace the tire.

That plan has worked in the past, but lately it has let me down (literally). I was riding my Polaris Ace out on the Arizona desert when I noticed that I was hitting rocks that I should have had enough ground clearance to clear. When I was loading the machine on the trailer, I noticed that my front left tire was low.

At the motel, I took the wheel off, took it to my room, ran some water in the tub, put the tire in and found the leak. I plugged it, but I didn’t have the needed rubber cement to seal the plug properly. Consequently, the tire continued to leak and, once again, it let me down. Later in the year, I had to leave a ride at a jamboree in Beaver because that tire was still not holding air properly.

Lynn Blamires, Special to the Standard-Examiner

While rubber cement is important, sometimes the need to repair a tire doesn’t happen for a long time and when you need the cement, it is dried up. It is just another one of those things that you need to check before you go.

I didn’t know there was a better way to plug a tire until I attended the Salt Lake Off-Road Expo last February. It was there that I met Tracy, who introduced me to an old product that was new to me — Screw-A-Flat-Easy. This product is now being reintroduced to the market.

Instead of using a plug, this product is a screw. I know, it doesn’t make sense to use a screw in a tire to replace a screw that caused the problem in the first place, but it works.

The screw has a conical shape with course threads 1 1/4 inches long. It comes in three head sizes: 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch, and 1/2 inch.

The screw is made of a proprietary nonferrous composite material. The adhesive used together with the insertion of the screw combined with the heat generated with running of the tire is where the magic happens. The heat activates the combination of the adhesive and the composite element of the screw, causing it to meld with the tire and form a dependable seal. It is important to insert the screw into the tire to the point that it is flush with the surface of the tire so the magic can happen.

Photo supplied

I wanted to put this product to the test, but all my tires are in good shape. I didn’t want to drill holes in good tires for this test. However, I did have a problem with a wad of plugs in a tire on my riding lawnmower that could make a good test.

So I took the biggest screw and inserted it in the middle of the plugs. Not much heat is generated in the action of mowing the lawn, but it did a good job. Now I just need to go for a high-speed ride around the neighborhood to generate some heat. Well, high speed for a lawnmower.

YouTube has videos of the application of Screw-A-Flat-Easy on a variety of tires including truck tires. Screw-A-Flat-Easy is only available by ordering on the internet at https://screwaflateasy.com. It comes with four screws — one small, two medium and one large, plus a small bottle of the adhesive for $12.

When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down and take Screw-A-Flat-Easy kit with you — it won’t let you down.

Contact Lynn R. Blamires at quadmanone@gmail.com.

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