So you’ve got a tire puncture. Bummer. We feel your pain. Well, here’s what you need to know to get up to speed on the basics of tire puncture repair.
IS YOUR TIRE REPAIRABLE?
To ensure your safety, the T.I.A. (Tire Industry Association) sets forth guidelines on whether any road going passenger tire can be repaired or not. Here’s the breakdown:
- max puncture diameter of 1/4″
- tire tread depth must not be less than 2/32″ (roughly 2mm)
- puncture must not be near tire sidewall
- the tire must not be driven flat for long distance (this causes damage to the structure of the tire)
- no other damage (weather cracking, tears, exposed steel belt)
- If your tire is a run-flat tire – some manufacturers do not recommend repair
QUICK DIY REPAIR KITS – HMM……
In order to guarantee your safety and peace of mind, we don’t recommend using DIY puncture repair kits such as the inflation goo, puncture string stick (looks like beef jerky), or any other temporary solutions. Over time these methods have been shown to create wheel imbalance issues, and leak air causing low pressure conditions that could lead to a tire blowout. Blowouts are not fun, and can lead to serious injury or death – so we’d recommend avoiding these temporary repair methods if at all possible and doing it right the first time.
THE RIGHT WAY TO REPAIR A PUNCTURE (PRO METHOD- BRIEFLY EXPLAINED):
- Inspect the outside of the tire and remove the penetrating object (marking the spot)
- Deflate the tire and remove from the wheel
- Clean the inner tire area around the puncture area to be repaired
- scrape away contaminants
- apply pre-cleaner solution
- drill the injury channel to clean out steel cords
- buff the surface to prep
- Fill the Injury channel with a Combination Patch/Plug kit while using special tire sealant/rubber cement
- Trim the Combination Patch Plug stem from the outside tread of the tire
If you’re more visual, take a look at this quick step by step pictorial on how a professional tire repair should be done.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Well, that’s 3 Things To Know About Tire Puncture Repair. For more info on specific recommendations for your puncture, hop over to our Puncture Repair service page and book an appointment.
Avoid interruptions to your day. Get a guaranteed repair at a time and place of YOUR convenience, with getTREAD!
