There is a place I like to go camping/shooting in BLM land down some very remote gravel roads. This is really the only gravel road I've traveled a long distance on. (30-40 miles) In the last two years I've gotten a total of NINE flat tires driving this road, in different vehicles, with newer tires. Walking 30 miles to somewhere my cell phone works is rather annoying.
So my question is, is it common to get flat tires on gravel roads or is there something nasty hiding in the gravel? What do you think about those tire sealing products - the goop you put in your tire to seal holes...does it work? I always carry a compressor or two or three, but they've been known to break...and sometimes the tires leak too fast to fill up!
I love this area and don't want to stop going...but [censored], I'm tired of changing tires!
Flat tires and gravel roads?
- Thread starter SecondMonkey
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Only time that I've ever had a puncture in genuine gravel was doing circle work at Trallee speedway carpark.
I picked up a drill bit from sign maintenance I think.
I had a set of Michelins on a ute ages ago where I got three flats in my front yard.
Get some tire plugs, and a good compressor.
Sharp rocks can slice thru a tire. Had a broken brick cut both tires on a dully at a brick place. Talk about being p/o, both sidewalls slashed. They liked to spred the smaller broken bricks in the parking lot.
Modern radial tires are pure wonders,,,,,BUT excellent mileage,fuel economy, allweather traction and such have played havoc on their off blacktop puncture resistance!
Have quite a lot of gravel secondary roads in this area and flats are pretty common.
What are you driving at present, and what tires are on it? The sealant products probably won't give very satisfactory results, as they are pretty much limited to small punctures such as nails, screws,etc. Larger punctures like what sharp rock often make simply allow all the sealant to leak out, then you have a messy flat. As mentioned above, plug kits are easily used and will get you back to civilization without the need to install spare. THEN get tire fixed properly!
Not knowing your financial situation, this may not be doable, but I'd suggest getting an old beater pickup that you can dedicate to play, then install load range C (6 ply) or heavier tires. Then carry a couple spares and a better hydraulic jack.
Bob
I drive gravel roads extensively, and I have never gotten a flat. I also run A/T tires so that may explain it, but I see many rural residents with small cars like Echos which would not have heavy duty tires available.
Bill in Utah
Staff member
I run on gravel roads here all the time with passenger car tires and never had a flat.
This is in Trucks, cars and SUVs.
What type of hole are you getting in the tire?
When the Goodyears wear out in my Moms Silverado we are going to go for light truck tires mainly for tread in the snow. This year we got it stuck pretty well while going shooting and a more aggressive tread would have been nice to have.
Bill
Kestas
Staff member
Kinda late now, but I would have inspected the flat tire each time to determine the puncture pattern and find out what's going on.
With a record of nine flats and the possibility of being 30 miles from help I'd seriously consider carrying two spares.
The next thought is to use the most puncture-resistant tires available, if such a product exists. Try contacting [email protected] for advice.
I grew up driving on gravel roads and have never had a flat tire in my life that wasn't from a nail or screw and neither of those were on gravel roads. I've often driven on roads that are barely considered roads as well. I've never owned a truck except for 2 years in college. I think there must be something in the road that is specific to that area that keeps causing the flat. Is it rocky around there and maybe the gravel is pretty thin and you're really driving on rock part of the time? Was there an old dump in the area and there is junk in the gravel?
I have lived on gravel/dirt roads all my life. If you catch a rock with the sidewall of a passenger car tire it will destroy the tire immediatly.
You learn how to spot rocks that are sticking up that could damage the tire. It becomes 2nd nature. I don't even realize I'm doing it now.
The LT truck tires hold up much better than "P" tires do.
Q: Why do you walk 30 miles to get cell signal instead of changing the flat?
Q: Why do you walk 30 miles to get cell signal instead of changing the flat? [/quote] Chris , Some questions are best left unanswered. [It must take all day to walk 30 miles]
Nine flats seems quite extraordinary. I've been amazed how well even regular tires hold up: I couldn't possibly count the number of times I've been bumping along on rough gravel roads and hit a big sharp rock or a pothole and just about knocked my fillings out, but I don't remember ever getting a flat even on passenger-car tires. Couple of times I've thought: geez, that HAD to have just put a hole in the tire - but it never did. Knock on wood.
I would recommend redundancy in your approach to dealing with it: a can of sealant, a decent compressor that won't let you down, AND an extra spare. Costco in my area is selling what seems to be a very good robust little metal-cased compressor for under $50 that seems to be a good deal.
brother-in-law appeared with a flat with this amazing arrowhead thing sticking out. Gravel from his driveway. Front tire probably kicked it up, like a nail, then the rear caught it.
Somewhere with lots of schist (?) type rock that shatters in wafer shaped layers will have a sharper gravel than river bottom rocks. A geologist can explain better.
Wonder if a better off road inflation pressure will handle pokey things better. I'd think lower would be better, but there can be contradictory conditions.
I usually go down to 20-25psi if I'm going to be spending a whole day or more on gravel. It probably does help.
I just checked with my geologist wife and she confirms that sharp rocks are more likely to puncture tires than smooth rocks. 
The vehicles are always SUVs with LT/AT tires. Some Goodyear, some Wildcountry. (brand from local tire store) On my last set of Wildcountry tires I had literally 10 nails in one tire and it still held air. But rocks seem like bullets. The holes range from too large to fill with a compressor to slow leaks that take overnight to find, never in the sidewall. The roads generally have larger peices of gravel than you might find on more traveled road, is this part of the problem? The roads however are maintained pretty well for the logging trucks...never seen one of them with a flat, and they haul donkey down these roads with heavy loads.
3 flats and a blown up compressor. At first we were swapping flat tires with tires that weren't quite as flat. 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Q: Why do you walk 30 miles to get cell signal instead of changing the flat?
"I just checked with my geologist wife and she confirms that sharp rocks are more likely to puncture tires than smooth rocks."
:^)
I seem to reacll that they may have used ignorant rocks. I knew rocks were dumb to begin with, but it seems some rocks are dumb and ignorant too. I guess a guy just has to be glad that he's not that bad off too.
Originally Posted By: glennc
I usually go down to 20-25psi if I'm going to be spending a whole day or more on gravel. It probably does help.
I just checked with my geologist wife and she confirms that sharp rocks are more likely to puncture tires than smooth rocks.
Try Goodyear Wrangler Silentarmor tires. Had them on my truck for over 40,000 miles and never got a flat.
Todd
Originally Posted By: SecondMonkey
The vehicles are always SUVs with LT/AT tires. Some Goodyear, some Wildcountry. (brand from local tire store) On my last set of Wildcountry tires I had literally 10 nails in one tire and it still held air. But rocks seem like bullets. The holes range from too large to fill with a compressor to slow leaks that take overnight to find, never in the sidewall. The roads generally have larger peices of gravel than you might find on more traveled road, is this part of the problem? The roads however are maintained pretty well for the logging trucks...never seen one of them with a flat, and they haul donkey down these roads with heavy loads.
3 flats and a blown up compressor. At first we were swapping flat tires with tires that weren't quite as flat.
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Q: Why do you walk 30 miles to get cell signal instead of changing the flat?
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