If it is a nail, try to use a claw hammer, vice grips, of a pair of pliers to get the nail out of the tire. Getting a quote is free and easy. • If you have already had 3 repairs on the tire, or if the puncture overlaps on … Then he responded, “It’s better I plug the tire as it’s not good to drive with a nail in it. Place the bead breaker bar snugly under the lip of the rim on top of the tire and pound on it with a heavy hammer, wearing eye protection and work gloves. There have been eight figure litigation verdicts against improper repairs after victims were seriously injured or killed. A nail/screw puncture in the center of the tread area can usually be repaired. I limped home just fine, but it made me wonder if there’s a better way. The rubber stem is trimmed to be even with the surrounding tread. Lay the tire and rim flat on the ground. Each kit offers its own steps and supplies for fixing a … Looking for affordable car insurance? I bought a set of four tires about two years / 16,000 miles ago, and they were all fine until today, when my left front tire picked up a nail that someone generously left on a public street. It may seem like this isn’t a really big problem. You’ll feel great knowing that you have new tires that provide maximum traction and safety. The nail often will just stay in the tire, causing the tire to slowly lose air until it goes flat. When in doubt, replace your tires. Therefore, everybody needs to do their best to boost their savings and their income, especially if you have a family to take care of. If you’ve got a tire that’s been punctured by a nail or another object, the tire can be fixed, but only as long as the puncture is in the tread area and doesn’t measure more than 1/4 of an inch in diameter. A combination repair consists of a repair patch with a rubber plug/stem attached to its center and a plug. The area around the puncture on the inside of the tire is then prepared to bond with the patch. I was disappointed with what I heard, but I told them to go ahead and order two new tires anyway because safety first. If the nail is deep and reluctant to come out, use the pliers or a screwdriver to dig around the nail to loosen it for removal. However, it will highly depend on the extent of the damage and the location of the hole. If pulling is not working, then twist it. Part 1 of 4: Find the tire puncture. Safety first! It’s not worth risking your life or your loved ones lives to save several hundred dollars. With every revolution, a tire runs the risk of being punctured by a foreign object and since the average tire will experience millions of revolutions throughout its lifespan, it is usually a matter of when you get a flat, not if. Repeat the procedure with a fresh tire patch if you hear air escaping or see air bubbles in the soapy water. The repair will involve getting the tire patched. Locate the nail in your tire and pull it straight out with pliers. The closer the puncture is to the sidewall, the riskier it is to plug only or plug and patch the tire. Is Nail in Tire Repair Still Possible? TIA Tire Repair Basics. Feel around the tire for air. Remove the nuts while holding the tire in place. The puncture happened during the rainy winter season. As I got to thinking about this plug or replace tire dilemma, I came to realize this decision is all based upon one’s financial well-being. Some shops may use only a plug while others may use just a patch. Allstate lets you save up to 10% when you sign your policy 7 days before it becomes effective and when you pay your policy in full. Your only real recourse to a nail in the tread is a plug, which I do not recommend at all. Below is a picture from @Cosimo_Medici1 on Twitter of what may happen if you drive with a nail in your tire. Over time, this corrosion weakens the steel belts and the bonds between the rubber-to-rubber layers and rubber-to-the-wire layers of the tire, greatly increasing the risk of a tread separation. If you run over a nail or other road debris and it punctures your tire, there is a specific area of the tire where a repair is possible. I limped home just fine , but it made me wonder if there’s a better way. The integrity of the tire is most important in the sidewalls. So when I got a nail in one of my tires, I was perplexed. So when I got a nail in one of my tires, I was perplexed. Take the vehicle to another tire shop. A nail/screw puncture in the center of the tread area can usually be repaired. Unless the nail hole is unusually large, pushing the patch through the tire requires a significant amount of force. We recommend getting new tires.“. He’d replace all four tires every single time! In general, you can plug the tire if the nail or puncture in the tire is in the 60% MIDDLE of the tire. Spray the area with soapy water if the patch appears sound. When was the last time you compared rates? But I really only deliberated for 10 minutes until I decided to spend the money on two new rear tires after everything was explained to me. Not to mention, the tire patch cost is significantly lower than other tire repair options. Similar low profile tires have a tread life of around 20,000 – 25,000. On average, tire puncture repair will cost you between $10 and $20. Remove the nuts while holding the tire in place. Not all tires qualify to be repaired. Again, as a reminder, tire patching from inside is not a long-term solution to a punctured tire. Knowing the difference between a proper tire repair and an improper tire repair could be critical to your safety. About 4 months later, I got a nail in the same area on the new tire (which cost $150). After the nail is out, follow the instructions on your plug and patch kit. Industry experts consider this a temporary fix, but many drivers try to make plugging a permanent position until they have to replace the tire when the wear is at 3/32 or less. Nails lurking in the grass after a construction project can leave your tires deflated and your garden tractor stranded. I brought the car to Discount tire shop and asked whether it could be patched. Tires can get very expensive. Drivers who switch to Allstate can save over $700 on average. It is the cheapest option. Tire patch kits use tubes of flexible, tacky material that you shove through the hole in the tire to patch it. If you don't repair the tire, you will end up having to get a new one. If you have a bubble, a tear, or a big … As a result, I took it to my local auto repair shop to see if I could get it plugged for $20. In these cases, a tire patch may work, but there are restrictions. (CarCare.org) If the puncture is in the sidewall or shoulder of the tire, you’ve got to ditch the tire and get a new one. Use a plier to grab onto the nail of the tire and try to pull it. In most cases you can patch a front tire without removing it, but holes in rear tires are difficult to reach while the tire is mounted. If you run your hands over the tire carefully you may feel the leak even if … With the average tire size closer to 16-inches, there’s a lot more manufacturer options. Have the nail removed and the tire fixed. I drive a Range Rover Sport with 22-inch, low-profile tires that cost ~$450 after-tax to replace. The cost for an auto technician to plug is about $15 – $20. The friction and heat of the tire cures the gunk. They are the only automotive part that touches the road. Not replacing your tire is simply delaying the inevitable if you plan to own the car for many more years and many more miles. I have a nail in the tire and can't find anyone willing to properly fix it without replacing the whole tire." Service station, tire store or truck stop garage kits will have an air buffer with hardened steel reaming tips and a buffing wheel to remove all semblance of the original hole and roughen the inner patch surface. An often overlooked aspect of tire repair has to do with the steel belts inside the tire’s layers. A tire patch from inside would last longer and is cheaper than a new tire. But still, $150 – $250 a tire is costly, especially since you usually need to replace at least two tires if one tire gets badly damaged so that both sides match. A plug by itself or a patch by itself is an unacceptable repair. However, if you don’t take the steps necessary to fix it quickly, it will cost you a lot more than getting your damaged tire serviced. The cost of a plug and patch costs around $40 – $50, but it’s a safer solution. They can patch the tire from the inside; first cutting away a section of foam from around the puncture. Don't worry if the tire goes flat or makes a hissing sound, that’s just the air coming out (we're going to refill it … Check out Allstate. (CarCare.org) If the puncture is in the sidewall or shoulder of the tire, you’ve got to ditch the tire and get a new one. If you view your tire and you see that the hole or puncture is less than ¼ in diameter, then using a tire patch is the best way to go. Turns out there are three fixes for a tire: 1) plug only, 2) plug and patch, and 3) replace tire. The tires have 19,000 miles on them. It is NHTSA’s position that a combination repair is the only way to properly repair a tire puncture. Was I getting scammed? There are many instances wherein you can still have a nail-punctured tire repaired. If the air pressure is only slightly low, top it up and bring your vehicle to a tire repair shop to have it fixed properly. Then, put the plug in the center of the hole so that there will be the same amount of rubber or plastic on either side. The greatest potential danger caused by a plug repair is that this type of repair allows air and moisture to penetrate the body of the tire. How Plugs Work . © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Make sure you have the best auto insurance possible to protect you and your family. They are the best people to conduct tire repair as a long-term solution for your vehicle. After the nail is out, follow the instructions on your plug and patch kit. The amount of time you have driven on the damaged tire because the nail could make the damage worse over time. If you have all the money in the world, then you would ALWAYS just replace the tire and the one on the other side at the very least. You’ll feel better once you do, especially if you’re driving around a family. Reinflate the tire with the air pump and listen for the hissing sound of escaping air around the patch. This area is on the tread face of the tire, between the outermost circumferential grooves (grooves that wrap all the way around the tire). Knowing the difference between a proper tire repair and an improper tire repair could be critical to your safety. I’m not going to then cheap out by plugging 19,000 mile old tires instead of getting new ones. He has written informative guides for a hardware store and was published at an academic conference as part of a collaborative project. Jeff Bezos isn’t wondering whether he should plug or plug and patch the punctured tire. The tire industry maintains that air and moisture slowly seep in between the layers of the tire allowing the steel belts to degrade and causing the tire to deteriorate and corrode from within. The patch bonds to the inside of the tire, preventing air from escaping with the plug seals the puncture hole preventing air form escaping while the plug seals the puncture hole preventing air and moisture from invading the tire. With every revolution, a tire runs the risk of being punctured by a foreign object and since the average tire will experience millions of revolutions throughout its lifespan, it is usually a matter of when you get a flat, not if. When forced into a nail hole, the plug fills the hole and the rubber goo vulcanizes under the heat of driving to fully seal the repair. The smooth lip of the tire seals tightly to the rim and needs to be separated from the rim. If the nail is stuck on your tire’s shoulder or sidewall, the tire will not hold up for a long while in motion. Knowing the tire shop would not repair it, I went to Autozone and bought a plug kit then went home and plugged it. If the nail is deep and reluctant to come out, use the pliers or a screwdriver to dig around the nail to loosen it for removal. Below is what a plugged tire looks like. Once the repair is made, the tire is … Vulcanizing cement is applied to that area and to the patch/plug combination. Because the tires would take a couple days to arrive, I asked the technician to inflate my tire with the nail to hold me over. Some might say that new tires are some of the cheapest life insurance you can buy! When the tire is punctured, water, snow, and moisture can eat away at the steel belts and cause corrosion. Don’t do it! If the nail has gone into the sidewall, it cannot be repaired and the tire will need to be replaced. Some tires have special tire repair limits and others may have suffered damage too extensive to repair. I’ll do it for free.“. I bought a luxury vehicle mainly for safety first. Materials Needed. If you’re living paycheck to paycheck without a nice cash buffer like we discovered some 80% of Americans do during the government shutdown, then you’re probably going to plug the tire for $20, even if the puncture is very close to the sidewall and risk a potential blowout. Daniel Thompson began writing about analytical literature in 2004. Loosen the lug nuts securing the tire with your socket wrench, but do not remove them from the tire.