Getting a Puncture when driving the Nullarbor

Leo · Senior Member

RE: Getting a Puncture when driving the Nullarbor

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

All good . Remember the days when you could buy what they called a boot that went inside tyre to preven tube from blowing out ! When there was damage to tyre Lol . Back in the days when 60 kph was fast .

Tony Bev · Guru

2558 wrote:
Hello we are planning a trip across the Nullarbor from Adelaide to Perth. I am worried if we get a puncture will I be able to get it repaired fairly easily after i have replaced the tyre? I would rather not carry two spare tyres for car and caravan. We will not venture off the beaten track. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you.......Terry

-- Edited by 2558 on Saturday 7th of April 2018 11:02:28 AM

Hello Terry

The Nullarbor from Ceduna SA, to Norseman WA, is just like any other bitumen road

From the Adelaide end, you will be able to get a puncture repaired ay Ceduna, probably at Penong, and possibly at Nundroo, as there is an engeneering workshop near the servo

The rest of the Nullarbor until you get to Norseman, has very little to none, facilities for puncture, or any other vehicle repairs

The secret (for me), is to ensure good tyres and a good maintained vehicle, before going on any long distance road trips

I carry a tubeless tyre repair kit, which allows you to put a plug in, where a nail has gone through the tread of the tyre, plus a compressor

If you do happen to get a puncture, or vehicle breakdown on the Nullarbor, and require assistance, then wave someone down

I (and some others), no longer stop unless waved down, because we have found that 99% of the the time, people stop without requieing assistance

Ge · Senior Member

Yes i agree with Tony Bev and others, this Nullarbor thing you would think we where back in the pre early 70s before the black stuff was put down.
Hundreds of trucks each week let alone cars/caravans ect you dont see them with extra spares tyres or extra fuel filters and two months worth of food.
Get over it it's just a normal highway no different than going Perth - Darwin ect.
About time the central rd and a few others where cvered with concrete.

Ge smile

Ge · Senior Member

Aus-Kiwi wrote:
Some times it pays to leave screw or nail in tyre ?? Lol just be aware if your pulling it out . The tyre MAY deflat !! Plenty of old warnout tyres have nails etc through them.

yes AK i agree sometimes you can have a nail/screw in the tyre and only have a slow puncture or none at all and not know it's there at all untill you stop hundreds of ks down the road. How many times have cars/trucks have a nail/screw in the tyre and go's unnoticed for weeks. Now as you said before in the side wall that's different.

Ge smile

PS: i'm surprised we have not had an over top answer yet. " Stop strait away remove wheel from vehicle ( remember not to misplace your nuts ), remove tyre from rim and

raw plug hole in tyre also clean wheel rim with wire brush until all dirt removed. Wash rim and tyre with a cleaning solution until clean also polish rim and inside of tyre until

shining bright, replace tyre to rim and replace rim on to vehicle. I think you get the drift smile smile

Leo · Senior Member

Ge,

What action would you take where you were regularly checking your tyres on a journey (at a stretch you might do that, check your rig and tyres?) and you noticed a nail in the tyre or a slow leak was apparent? You seem to be advising other posters to drive on regardless. But they might value their life, and the lives of the others, passengers and road users, more than you do.

There is a reason why the law puts so much emphasis on the driver's responsibility and his duty to passengers and other road users. Apart from that, have you ever heard of negligence?

Would those who carry tyre repair and perhaps a compressor too, also be 'over the top' as far as you are concerned? It is their decision. A $100 well spent some would say. Like insurance, they don't buy it to be obliged to use it. As a side comment, such drivers are probably more likely to maintain their vehicles anyhow and to keep a watchful eye for problems before they become big.

-- Edited by Leo on Wednesday 11th of April 2018 10:51:18 AM

Ge · Senior Member

You access each situation at the time and do the what you feel is the best course of action.
As i said the Nullarbor is just another high way but you seem to be making it an over the top post.
I will now leave this post not to return and leave you to your own.

landy · Guru

Just something I think is worth mentioning here as there has been a number of references to Tyre plugs but I have not noticed any mention that they that they are only regarded as a emergency repair to get you to a proper repairer. The research I have just done suggests that they are not a legal way to repair a Tyre in Australia which can only be done by removing the Tyre inspecting the damage and patching from the inside, although I have used them a number of times and never had one fail.
Landy

Leo · Senior Member

Landy,

It was mentioned as a temporary repair, the repaired tyre has to be attended to later for a proper repair.

Memem · Veteran Member

We blew a tyre on our van on the Nullabor - totally destroyed. We were doing 95km/hr and no problems with the road. We were approx west of Penong (from memory) so stayed there the night and got up early to get to Ceduna to get a new tyre (it was a Saturday). We had hours of driving to get there then found out there was no tyre place open on a Saturday so had to keep going to Streaky Bay to get a tyre (we got there just before they closed at 12). We felt very vulnerable driving all that way with no spare. We're just about to do another big trip and are carrying an extra spare for both car and van.
We also got a slow leak in the car tyre north of Port Hedland and had to get another tyre as we had a screw through the sidewall of the tyre- irrepairable. We paid $$$$ for the tyre and it didn't match the others - another good reason to have a spare spare.

landy · Guru

Leo wrote:

Landy,

It was mentioned as a temporary repair, the repaired tyre has to be attended to later for a proper repair.

Thanks Leo I missed that. Still if I missed it others could as well so no harm in emphasizing it.
Landy

Leo · Senior Member

landy wrote:
Leo wrote:
Landy,

It was mentioned as a temporary repair, the repaired tyre has to be attended to later for a proper repair.

Thanks Leo I missed that. Still if I missed it others could as well so no harm in emphasizing it.
Landy

Hi Landy,

No probs smile

Like you, I have had 'temporary' fixes last forever, where 'forever' means the life of the tyre. I think it was a Vicroads brochure that advised the tyre manufacturers' recommended internal examination and mushroom type repair.

But they don't admit that removal and replacement is also likely to cause a slow leak from the bead, which is a sensitive area for a tubeless.

I guess it comes down to a judgement call.

However, if 'gubbermint' really wants to do something practical that WILL save lives, it could instead encourage oil companies to bring back full driveway service. Few drivers regularly check tyre pressures (or fluid levels). Again, any 'gubbermint' that would like to live up to its hype of treating seniors and women half-decently WOULD have already done that. It would save mothers having to leave children alone in the car where fuel is being pumped.

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

Things have changed since the so called "Good old days" (early 70s to early 80s) when the PMG/Telecom/Telstra mechanics at Ceduna would get "Please explains" from Adelaide wanting to know why we technicians were lucky to get 4,000 miles out of a set of Michelin tyres, when they in Adelaide were getting 32,000! I think Lyall told them to come out & see!
And our two way HF radios didn't work too well either as the rough road would bounce the valves out!

I recall having a tyre just go flat in a station wagon - changed it & found by the time we got back to Ceduna, it was stuffed! The top of the fuel tank cracked & petrol softened the wall of the tyre!

2558, providing you have good tyres on both units there shouldn't be any problems. The police do a run from Ceduna to Eucla (one day out, return the next). Have a kit to fix one in case of bad luck - if you can't use it, someone else may help. Ensure your belts are good too.
The Eyre Highway is just like any other mainstream highway these days. Beware of wombats & roos west of Nullarbor in early mornings, evenings.

In WA they use planes to catch speedsters (just in case you want to let your hair down & plant pedal to the metal). Occasionally you'll see parallel lines going across the road - that's their measuring method.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Also area for emergency planes ( flying doctors) to land .. l