Fixing Punctures, Holes, and Tears

A flat isn’t the end of the road for your tires. Learn how you can use a convenient tire repair kit to patch a small puncture in a tire, inflate it and continue to use it until you can make your way to an auto repair shop. While it won’t work for every puncture, here are the necessary steps to temporarily restoring your damaged tire.

Find the Tear

Remove your wheel and inspect the tire for a sign of any debris that may have damaged your tire. The piece may have been left on the road or completely entered your tire. Most tears are caused by a nail or piece of metal in the road. Deflate the rubber and remove it from the tire.

Clean the Surface

Find the interior spot that has a hole. Your patch will go on the inside of the surface, so it’s important to prepare this side of the tear. You’ll need a buffer machine, buffering solution, and a patch kit. Follow the instructions for your specific buffering tool and patch kit to buff away imperfections and prepare to sear the inner wall of your tire.

Use a Tire Patch

Most patch kits use a radial patch with a sticky pad. Place this completely covering the hole and use the included chemical care seal to create a firm seal. Use a tire retread and repair tool to roll the path on the inside of the tire for a firm seal.

If the tear is too large, your patch won’t reliably seal it. Because of this limitation, you’ll still want to take your patched tire to an auto shop to be sure it’s reliable enough to continue to use.

Replace Your Tire in Medfield

A tire repair kit isn’t designed to last forever. This temporary solution can fix an air leak and allow you to safely drive to your nearest trusted automotive shop, but it’s still time to shop around for new tires. At Randy’s Automotive in Medfield, Massachusetts, we offer affordable tires, alignment services and emergency repairs you need. Schedule a service today to swap out your tire and enjoy reliable transportation. Our facility received the ASE Blue Shield of Excellence, so you can be confident in reliable repairs and quality service suggestions.