Shoutout to the mechanic at KPDX who fixed a tire with a zip tie

I was at Portland International last Tuesday and saw this guy working on a baggage cart tire that was completely shredded. He pulled out a HEAVY duty zip tie and actually used it to hold a patch in place until they could get a replacement. I asked him about it and he just laughed and said "if it flies, it flies." Has anyone else seen wild field fixes that actually worked?

3 comments

3 Comments

claire_young761mo ago

Had a truck tire blow on a rural highway years ago. Drove through a ranch gate and used baling wire to suture the sidewall. Got me 30 miles to the nearest shop. Sometimes a bandaid is all you need.

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dixon.james1mo ago

Well @claire_young76, baling wire patches work better than sutures for sidewall holes, but I get your drift on making do.

allen.iris1mo ago

Quote "sometimes a bandaid is all you need" but that's the thing, was it really a bandaid or were you just desperate? I mean 30 miles on a sutured sidewall sounds like a straight up gamble. I get making do in a pinch, but let's not pretend that's a real solution for most people. Most folks would be better off calling a tow truck than trying to wire their tire back together. You got lucky that time, but that doesn't mean it's a good tip for everyone else. Maybe save the baling wire for fences, not tires.