Fix tire hole


Tire Patch or Tire Plug: Fix Your Flat

By Admin

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Flat tires can happen at any time and can make you feel helpless. But if you are armed with some information and quick fixes, you should be back on the road quickly.

If you notice that your tire is flat but still has some air in it, you might be able to fix it with a tire patch as long as the hole is not in the sidewall. You should never drive on a tire that is more than ten pounds low on air. If the leak allows the rest of the air out, you could end up driving on the rim, which will cause damage. So what should you do when it seems like your tire is low?

Find the Leak

Jack the vehicle up using the jack points closest to the tire. Slowly rotate the tire to find the problem. If you don’t see an object sticking out of the tire or a hole, there’s a trick to discovering the leak. Make a mixture of liquid soap and water. As you brush the water on the tire, the mixture will create bubbles where the hole is located. If you mark the hole with chalk or white shoe polish you can easily find it again.

Plug the Hole

If the hole was caused by a nail or screw and is small, you can plug the tire, but larger holes will need to be patched. A tire plug kit contains two T handles: One has a point and a rough shaft and the other has an “eye” at the end of it.

Air the tire up to about five pounds over the recommended pressure. Next, thread a plug through the eye on the smooth-shafted T handle. Insert the T handle without the eye into the hole in the tire. Push it in and pull it out three or four times. Remove the T handle and then push the plug-loaded T handle into the hole in the tire so that the plug is all the way inside the tire. Pull the T handle out. The plug will stay in the tire and will be visible.

Patch the Tire

While you can patch a tire yourself, it may be better to bring your car to a tire shop. You must first remove the tire to install the tire patch and then remove the tire from the rim. While it’s possible to do this yourself, it can get pretty complicated.

If the hole is too big to plug, you shouldn’t try to drive. A hole that’s big enough for a patch will leak quickly. The easiest and best thing to do to avoid damaging your rim is bring the tire to a tire repair center.

If you must drive the vehicle, remove the damaged tire and wheel, and install the spare. If you have another mode of transportation, remove the tire and wheel, and bring it to a tire repair center so it can be repaired safely.

Driving on a Patch or Plug

You can drive for many miles on a plug or patch, however, if you notice another leak it may be time to head to a service center. If you need a second tire patch, the tire is ready to be replaced.

Safety is always the number one priority. A tire patch can help with a small leak, but if more than one is needed, it’s time for a replacement.

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How to Repair a Flat Tire with a Safe, Permanent Fix

So, you have a flat tire or one that’s leaking air. It’s not the end of the world. Luckily there are safe and cost-effective ways to properly repair most tire punctures. The purpose of this article is to show you the difference between a safe, permanent repair and a temporary string, plug or patch repair.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) and the Tire Industry Association (TIA), the only method to properly repair a tire puncture is to fill the injury with a repair stem and back the stem with a repair patch. This is commonly known as a combination repair or a patch/plug repair.

Patch/plug repairs are most often performed using a one-piece repair unit that combines the repair stem and cap (or patch) into one unit. However, special circumstances may require the use of a two-piece combination repair (ex. If the angle of the puncture exceeds 35 degrees). The repair is then permanently bonded to the inside of tire and through the injury channel using a cold, chemical vulcanizing process. The repair essentially becomes part of the tire, creating an air-tight seal that keeps air in and moisture and contaminants out (more on this procedure below).

Tire Plugs and String Repairs are Temporary Repairs

Emergency roadside plug repairs are NOT intended to be a permanent tire repair. Plugs and string repairs are designed to get you back up and rolling long enough to get home or to the nearest service center to perform a proper tire repair.

The common misconception with plug and string repairs is that because they hold air, they are safe to use. While it is true that many plug repairs do a great job of keeping air in the tire, that’s only part of the equation. Because they’re not completely sealing the injury, plug repairs may allow air and moisture to penetrate the body of the tire. Over time, this could lead to a dangerous (or even deadly) blowout.

A Patch-Only Tire Repair Leaves Your Tire Susceptible to Damage

A tire repair that uses only a patch is also NOT considered proper or safe. A properly installed patch will do a great job of allowing the tire to hold air. However, similarly to the plug-only repair, the patch does not fill the injury channel. Therefore, air and moisture could seep into the tire from the tread surface and eventually damage the tire.

The Proper Tire Repair Process According to Industry Guidelines

Only a proper patch/plug repair completely seals the puncture from inside the tire and through the entire injury channel. There are a few extra steps necessary to perform a proper tire repair in accordance with industry guidelines. We’ve developed a simple acronym to help organize and remember the steps: R.E.P.A.I.R.

  • Remove: To begin, the tire must be removed from the wheel assembly. This allows for a thorough inspection of both the inside and outside of the tire.
  • Evaluate: With the tire removed from the rim, the puncture can be thoroughly evaluated to determine the size and angle of the injury. It can also be determined if the puncture did any significant damage to the cords or belts.
  • Prepare: Once the tire has been determined to be in good enough condition to repair, it is time to prep the rubber surfaces to remove any damage and contamination to allow for maximum repair unit adhesion. First, the injury is drilled out using a carbide cutter to strip away and damaged cords or belts. Next, the inner liner is cleaned and buffed to a slightly rough texture. This also helps maximize adhesion of the patch/plug repair.
  • Apply: The next step is to apply vulcanizing fluid through the injury and to the buffed area of the inner liner. It is then allowed to air dry for 5-10 minutes.
  • Install: The one- or two-piece repair is installed through the injury channel and the patch portion is thoroughly stitched to the inner liner using a tire stitcher to completely push out any air that may have gotten trapped under the repair. The over-buffed area of the inner liner is treated with a thin layer of rubber sealant, and the excess repair is trimmed to approximately ¼” above the tread surface.
  • Return to Service: The tire is now ready to be remounted to the rim, inflated, balanced and mounted back on the vehicle.

When is it Safe to Repair Your Tire?

There are a number of factors that may determine whether or not your tire is safe to repair. These factors fall into three main categories:

  • Placement of the Injury: For passenger tires, puncture repairs must be within the crown area of the tire. Damage to the shoulder or sidewall cannot be repaired.
  • Size of the Puncture: For fabric-ply passenger and light truck tires, the maximum repairable injury size is ¼” (6mm). For steel belted light truck, medium and heavy-duty truck tires, the maximum injury size is 3/8” (10mm).
  • Overall Condition of the Tire: The condition of your tire may determine whether it is safe to repair. Excessive wear, casing separation, impact damage and other conditions may make it unsafe to properly repair your tire. For a more comprehensive list of repairable vs. non-repairable conditions visit our blog Can Your Tire Be Repaired?

Conclusion:

The occasional flat or leaky tire is an unavoidable part of life. But, taking shortcuts to repair it can be dangerous to you and your passengers. Take the time and do the research to do the job right and/or find a reputable tire repair shop trained in proper tire repair procedure.

How to fix a flat tire? Ways to eliminate tire punctures for a car

02/22/2018

Despite the objective importance of the spare tire, not all drivers always have it with them. Some do not carry a spare tire out of hope or belief that their tires are invulnerable. Others deliberately take this step, as they stocked up with a special tool in advance, which, if necessary, can eliminate a tire puncture along the way. What else can be used and how to do it right? Let's figure it out. nine0003

Contents of :

  1. Tire puncture repair
  2. Popular products that can effectively eliminate tire punctures

Tire puncture repair

Conventionally, all methods for express tire repair can be divided into two categories:

  • long-term repair, which implies the full operation of the retread;
  • a short-term solution that allows you to drive to the nearest tire shop. nine0012

Consider ways to restore a damaged tire on the road. The first three methods are temporary. The latter, with the right approach, allows you to completely restore the tire.

  1. Preventive measures (i.e. preventive). A special sealing compound is pumped into all four undamaged tires. While driving, it is inside the wheel in liquid form. If the tire suddenly loses its tightness, then this composition, leaving together with the air, clogs the slot in a few seconds. This method is relevant if you have a long trip under time constraints. nine0012
  2. Foam repair is an easy and popular way to repair tire punctures. First, the damaged area is localized, if necessary, a foreign object is removed. Sealants are supplied in containers with a nozzle that is screwed onto the tire valve. The contents of the balloon are completely blown into the tire. As a rule, this procedure takes 1-2 minutes. By the time the canister "expirs", the damaged area has time to seal. In addition, small diameter wheels (up to R14) are almost completely inflated due to the contents of the cylinder. Immediately after use, it is recommended to drive 300-500 m so that the sealant is evenly distributed over the entire surface of the tire and does not cause imbalance. nine0012

  1. Short-term repair with self-tapping screw. The old grandfather method is applicable if the puncture has a small diameter, and there is no foreign object left in the tire body. A simple screw or self-tapping screw (preferably larger in diameter than the size of the puncture) is taken and screwed into a hole on the surface of the tire. The self-tapping screw can be borrowed from the fender liner or plastic interior elements. This method will not eliminate the air leak, but will allow the car owner (perhaps with several swaps) to get to the nearest tire service. nine0012
  2. Using a special tire repair kit. Today, the so-called first-aid kits for tires are especially popular. They include the following components:
    • awl with abrasive edges;
    • special eyelet awl with split tip;
    • raw rubber;
    • raw rubber activator.

After removing the foreign object, the hole is processed with an awl with abrasive edges: this tool must be inserted into the puncture and cleaned and developed with intensive reciprocating movements several times. Then the raw rubber tow is removed from the package and inserted into the eye of the second awl so that both ends are the same length. The hole in the tire and the raw rubber is treated with an activator. Next, the awl is inserted into the puncture in such a way that small ends of the tourniquet, about a centimeter long, remain outside. After 5 minutes, the excess remaining on the surface is cut off. This method can also successfully eliminate small side cuts. nine0003

There is a technique that allows using wire and several bundles of raw rubber to get rid of even extensive side damage to tires. However, it is quite difficult to implement and not every driver will be able to implement it.

Popular products that can effectively repair tire punctures

Consider a few well-known tools that are most widely used to repair punctures:

  1. Hi-Gear Gold Tire Doctor Emergency Sealant. Supplied in a convenient bottle with a hose and a tip for connecting to a tire valve. It works in the same way as most sealants: the container is thoroughly shaken, after that a hose is attached, and the contents from the container are completely pumped into the tire. The maximum diameter of the repaired hole is 4.5 mm. This is almost always enough to repair punctures caused by nails and screws. nine0012

  1. Hi-Gear Tire Doctor. Belongs to the category of preventive means. Sold in various containers. The volume is selected depending on the diameter of the wheel. The composition is poured into an undamaged flat tire, after which the wheel is inflated to working pressure and is operated without any reservations. Hi-Gear Tire Doctor is able to successfully close 8-10 punctures up to 6 mm in diameter.
  2. Tubeless Tire Repair Kit Done Deal. Includes a standard set of two awls, several strips of raw rubber and an activator. The effectiveness of this tool has been repeatedly confirmed in practice. It requires more time and effort to implement than liquid formulations, but when used correctly, it gives a reliable and long-term result. nine0012

Our online store offers a wide range of tire repair products. You can order them through the TopDetal.ru website or by calling 8 800 444-75-16.

Also read on our website about the best liquid rubbers.


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In the process of using a tire, a variety of damages can occur, most of which are the fault of the driver. As a result, rubber is wasted, and since the law prohibits the use of different tire models on the same axle, you have to spend money on replacing the second tire. nine0003

The most common damage is puncture . This is the most harmless type of damage, but only if you notice it in time and repair it right away. It is absolutely impossible to drive on a flat tire, even a couple of meters! The damage caused by running on a flat tire or with low pressure is catastrophic. This causes the sidewalls to deform more than they should, which causes the tire to overheat, delaminate, and the carcass becomes unusable due to broken cords. As a result, the tire will have to be thrown away. In addition, the edge of the rim can also be damaged. nine0003

Punctures are of two types: with and without cord damage. To determine this, it is necessary to remove what pierced it. If the edges of the puncture tightly converge, then the cord is not damaged and it will be possible to repair the tire without removing it from the disk. Otherwise, if the edges do not converge, you will have to disassemble the wheel and make repairs with strengthening the frame from the inside. Alternatively, in the field and in the absence of a spare wheel, such a puncture can be repaired without removing the tire from the rim, after which you can carefully drive to a tire fitting or garage and make a full repair. nine0003

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When repairing, the puncture site should be cleaned and marked. Further, it all depends on what kind of repair kit you have - as a rule, instructions are attached to them. There are sealants that are poured into the tire through the nipple, after which the wheel turns with the puncture down and the substance seals the hole. Repair using a tourniquet or insert is somewhat more complicated, but also more durable: the edges of the hole are polished with a special tool, after which the tourniquet treated with a special compound must be inserted into the tire through a puncture with a special awl, pulled out (not completely) out and cut flush with the surface. nine0003

In case of cord damage due to a puncture, the tire must be removed from the rim in order to install a reinforced patch with additional cord on its inner surface. One of the sides of such patches has an adhesive layer that promotes cold vulcanization. After such a repair, wheel balancing will be required. To seal punctures from the inside, patches in the form of a mushroom are also used, with a leg that goes into the puncture. Such patches are also covered with a special adhesive for cold vulcanization. nine0003

Cuts or holes , unlike punctures, are not repairable, as they violate the integrity of the frame, which can no longer be strengthened. In addition, breakdowns are always sudden and occur on the go: the tire abruptly loses pressure and before the car comes to a complete stop it has time to make several revolutions “on the rims”, which breaks the cord and destroys the layers. It is not recommended to use such a weakened tire, even if it was possible to repair and strengthen the place of the rupture or cut, in the future.

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Incorrect storage of tires can cause cracks . The danger of such damage is that moisture enters the cord through cracks, which renders the frame unusable. In addition, air can escape through cracks. Unfortunately, cracks are not repairable, and tires with them will not last long: sooner or later they will deform, become covered with swellings due to rusted and torn cord or because of driving with pressure below the recommended one. nine0003

Blisters or bulges can appear on a tire for a variety of reasons - it always happens due to a broken cord or delamination in the carcass. In the first case, an obstacle was hit and the impact broke the cord or the cord was cut through with a sharp object. In the second case, there is no damage on or near the hernia, which means that it appeared either due to a factory defect, or due to frequent driving with pressure below the recommended one. The danger of hernias is that they can explode at any moment and provoke a skid, which will lead to an accident. If there is nothing to replace a tire with a hernia, then it is better to rearrange it to the rear axle and drive very carefully. Like cracks, a hernia cannot be repaired. Sometimes small blisters resulting from impacts or cuts are reinforced with reinforced patches, but there is no guarantee that the tire will not explode. Therefore, tires with hernias are recommended to be replaced immediately. nine0003

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Tire sidewalls can be damaged by rubbing against curbs or the asphalt edge when pulling over. If you are prone to such a driving style, then it is recommended to inspect the inner and outer sidewalls from time to time and, if abrasion is found, swap the wheels in order to prevent the cord from being exposed - the rubber thickness on the sidewalls is small (1.5–3 mm), and it can be rubbed to the frame very quickly. nine0003

Often the cause of tire damage can be poor-quality tire fitting , during which the bead ring was damaged. In this case, the tire loses its geometry and “sits” crookedly on the disk - it writes out “eights” during rotation, and lateral vibration appears during the ride. It is impossible to repair such a tire - you need to replace it with a serviceable one as soon as possible before it damages the suspension: rods, hubs and bearings.

You can find out whether you are using tires correctly and what invisible damage they have received by the characteristic wear of the tread, the varieties of which are collected in the table for convenience:

Double side shoulder wear

Driving with less than recommended tire pressure.

Inflate the tires to the pressure recommended by the automaker (a plate with recommendations is attached in the driver's door opening) and find the cause of the fall: puncture, cracks, hernia, nipple, rust on the rim of the disc in the place where the tire fits, etc.

Center wear

Tire pressure too high.

Reduce the pressure to the recommended (indicated on the tablet in the driver's doorway)

In the form of rings and furrows

can be found on trailers or rear wheels of pickups and vibrations due bouncing at high speeds.


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