How to Fix Auto Tires
All it takes is a nail in the road or a sharp branch at the perfect angle to puncture a hole in a tire. If the tire is still has decent tread remaining and the puncture is not on the sidewall, it is inexpensive and easy to plug or patch most holes. With patch plugs, most punctured tires can be returned to a safe and usable condition.
Fixing an automotive tire may require the tire to be balanced again, after completion. Patches should only be applied to punctures in the tread of the tire. Punctures in the sidewall are unsafe to patch and may result in tire blowouts. After completing the repair, be sure to check the results and the condition of the tire to ensure safety.
Things You Will Need:
- Tire reamer
- Spray bottle with soapy water
- Needle-nosed pliers
- Valve core remover
- Vise grip pliers
- Pre-buff tire cleaner
- Tire buffer
- Patch plug
- Tire vulcanizing solution
- Tire patch roller
- Tire crayon or marker
- Tire mounting machine
- Bench vise or clamp
- Put on your safety glasses.
- Inspect the tire for the object or objects that punctured the tire. If you cannot locate the offending object, slightly inflate the tire and spray the surface with soapy water using the spray bottle. Inspect the tire again. You should notice bubbles forming where any leaks exist.
- Mark the location of any leaks on the tire with your tire crayon or tire marker.
- Remove the valve core and allow the tire to deflate completely.
- Remove the tire from the rim using the tire machine.
- Secure the tire to a stable work surface with a vise or clamp with the repair site accessible.
- Remove the object from the tire, if still present, with your needle-nosed pliers. Note the angle the object pierced the tire.
- Move the tire reamer in and out of the remaining hole, following the angle of the original puncture. This will roughen the surface of the rubber, allowing the plug to adhere properly. This should be done until moving the reamer provides little resistance.
- Buff the inner liner, around the site of the puncture, using the tire buffer. You should buff a total area slightly larger than the area the patch is expected to cover.
- Apply a thin coat of tire vulcanizing solution to the patch site.
- Wait for the vulcanizing solution to become sticky.
- Peel the top and bottom protective liners from the plug patch. Be careful not to touch the bottom surface of the patch, as this may diminish the strength of the patch.
- Feed the metal tip of the plug patch through the hole from the inside of the tire.
- Clamp your vise grip pliers to the metal tip on the outside of the tire.
- Pull the plug patch through the hole. Once the patch is firmly in place, the tip will pull off.
- Discard the metal tip.
- Pull the plug from the outside of the tire. When finished, the patch should be slightly marked where the puncture occurred.
- Roll the tire patch roller over the patch from different directions, applying firm pressure. This will ensure the seal is strong on the patch.
- Apply a generous layer of vulcanizing solution to the exposed surface of the patch.
- Wait for the vulcanizing solution to dry.
- Mount the tire back on the rim.
- Inflate the tire to its recommended air pressure.
- Spray the patch site with soapy water. If there is no noticeable bubbling, the patch is secure.