Tips For Repairing A Puncture In Vehicle Tire

Have a tire on your vehicle that's not holding air? This can be a stressful experience, especially when you start thinking about replacing the tire with a new one. Thankfully, you may be able to repair that tire instead and get it to hold air once again. Here are some tips for repairing a tire with a puncture in it.

Find The Damage

You'll need to find out how the tire is damaged since not all punctures can be repaired. If you simply ran over something sharp and it punctured the tread, you can likely repair it on your own with a tire repair kit. However, punctures in the sidewall of the tire are too difficult to repair and ensure that the tire stays inflated, and you will likely need to get a new tire.

Take The Tire Off The Wheel

The tire must be removed from the wheel in order to perform the repair. If the tire is deflated due to a puncture, then it shouldn't be too difficult. Start by putting the vehicle on a jack so that the tire is completely off the ground, then use a socket wrench to remove the lug nuts that hold the tire on the vehicle. The tire can be safely removed from the wheel by using a tire iron.

Find The Puncture

Sometimes the puncture is incredibly obvious, such as when a nail is stuck in the tire tread. Other times it is quite difficult to find the puncture if there is no object in the tire. An easy way to find a puncture is to look at the inside of the tire with a flashlight and find a part of the surface that is not smooth. This is the location of the puncture. 

Plug The Tire

Your tire plug repair kit will have all the tools you need to plug the tire. Make sure to follow the directions because each kit is different. In general, you'll be expected to clean out the puncture with a special reamer tool, then insert the plug through the hole. The excess rubber is then trimmed off and the hole is sealed.

Inflate The Tire

You'll next want to inflate the tire to see if it holds air. Read the recommended PSI on the sidewall of the tire to ensure there is enough air, and check the air pressure levels. Let the tire sit for a while then check it again. If the tire has the same amount of air, you know that the plug is good.

Now all that's left to do is reinstall the tire and get back on the road.

To learn more, visit a professional tire repair shop in your area.