HomeFeatured VehiclesSlime, it’s not just for kids

Slime, it’s not just for kids

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In case you hadn’t noticed, concocting home-made “slime” is all the rage these days, at least among the pre-teen set. It’s one reason Elmer’s Glue sales have skyrocketed, the white paste being one of the primary ingredients in the do-it-yourself recipe.

But slime, actually it’s Slime in this case with a capital S, has been keeping people rolling down the roads and trails since 1989. It was in the late 1980s that a resident of California’s Central Coast used a power drill and drywall blade to blend together proprietary components that resulted in a slimy green substance that could seal punctures in mountain-bike tires so they’d stay inflated despite the hazards of the area’s rocky trails.

The stuff had a real name, and was promoted at some bicycle shows, but when bicycle shops kept calling and asking for more of that “green slimy stuff,” the inventor was wise enough to start calling the product simply Slime.

Slime, it's not just for kids | ClassicCars.com Journal
Slime’s flat-tire repair kit

He also was fortunate to discover that the stuff also could keep off-road vehicle tires from going flat when used in the four-wheel vehicles that drove across the area’s sand dunes.

Today, Slime produces not only tire sealants but tire inflators and other products that are used by everyone from original-equipment automakers to people who simply don’t want to bother with flat tires on their lawn tractors.

And Joe Bowman, of the company’s marketing team, notes that not only is the Slime itself a non-toxic product, but even the bottles it comes in are made from recycled materials.

Slime’s newest product, a Cordless Inflator for tires, won the best new product award in the tool and equipment category at the recent AAPEX show in Las Vegas. The inflator retails for $69.99 and includes a digital display, automatic shut-off when the set pressure is achieved, has a rechargeable lithium ion battery, quick-connect hose and even a USB port for charging portable computers or phones.

The company also offers a Next Generation Flat Tire Repair Kit that inject Slime sealants into a punctured tire. The kits are offered in standard or digital versions, do not require the use of a jack or other tools, are tire-sensor safe. Prices are $39.99 and $49.99, with refill cartridges of the Slime sealant available for $12.99.

Another Slime product is a 2-in-1 digital air pressure gauge that not only can be used to check the air pressure in each of your tires, but that remembers those respective pressures so you can read them after you stand back up.

The company also has repair kits designed for bicycles, motorcycles, regular passenger vehicles, huge trucks and lawn equipment. Several automakers include Slime-produced kits in their vehicles which do not come with spare tires.

For details, visit the Slime website.

Larry Edsall
Larry Edsall
A former daily newspaper sports editor, Larry Edsall spent a dozen years as an editor at AutoWeek magazine before making the transition to writing for the web and becoming the author of more than 15 automotive books. In addition to being founding editor at ClassicCars.com, Larry has written for The New York Times and The Detroit News and was an adjunct honors professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

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