2 Ways to Fix a Punctured Tire

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An easy-to-follow guide to finding and patching a punctured tire

Co-authored by Howard Fleischmann

Last Updated: May 13, 2023 References

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• Patch a Punctured Tire
|
• Temporary Fix
|
• Video
|
• Tips
|
• Warnings

|Show more |Show less

Did you know that you can repair your punctured tire, and not have to spend all that cash buying a brand new tire? If you're prepared to get a little greasy and do the legwork yourself, you can find yourself back on the road and enjoying the drive-in on time.

Things You Should Know

• Take your tire off the rim and remove the nail or other object from the puncture hole. Then, pour buffering solution over it.
• Use the sanding pad surface on a buffer machine to smooth out the puncture. Then, stick the aluminum side of a Radial Patch halfway through the hole.
• Apply Tire Chemical Care around the patch. Pull the rest of the patch through the tire, cut off the bit poking out, then roll over the patch inside the tire.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Patch a Punctured Tire

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1. 
   1
   Locate the tire that is losing air. Remove your valve caps first. You can either find the hole by looking for the nail that is pierced through the tire, or you can put the tire in a tub of water and roll it around in driving rotation. There should be air bubbles where the hole is.
2. 
   2
   Take the tire off from the rim.  This allows the puncture to be easily accessed.
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3. 
   3
   Remove anything that's in the tire. If you have found the hole, and there is a nail punctured through it, use your pliers. Grab from the threading of the nail and lift out the nail. Mark the hole with tire chalk for easy access.
4. 
   4
   Once the hole is clear, squirt some buffering solution over the puncture. This allows the buffer to work effectively and leave you with a smooth surface.
5. 
   5
   Grab your buffer machine. Make sure that you have a sanding pad surface on your buffer to get a smooth surface. Buff all around the punctured area in a circular motion to make sure you get everywhere you need.
6. 
   6
   Use a Tire Radial Patch. You can start by first removing the sticky pads of the inner side of the Radial Patch. Then from the inside of the tire, you can stick the Radial Patch through the hole about halfway with the aluminum side first.
7. 
   7
   Spread the Tire Chemical Care (Seal Fast B-133). Using the brush at the end of the cap, spread the liquid material all around the Radial Patch string as shown in the picture.
8. 
   8
   Pull the rest of the Radial Patch through the tire. You must pull all the way through until the patch completely sits on the inner side of the tire, and the aluminum piece comes out of the rubber.
9. 
   9
   Cut the long leftover end of the patch using your cutting pliers. Scissors will work too. As shown in the picture, you want to cut as low as you can.
10. 
    10
    Roll over the patch. Using your Tire Retread and Repair Tool, run over the Radial Patch from the inside of the tire. You can roll it in any direction, as long as you make sure to get every spot of the patch. Once the steps have been completed, your tire is ready to hit me back on the rims and filled to the pressure needed to be back on the road.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Temporary Fix on a Punctured Tire

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• This fix is just temporary so that you can get to a mechanic for a permanent solution.

1. 
   1
   Locate the tire that is losing air. Remove your valve caps first. You can either find the hole by looking for the nail that is pierced through the tire, or you can put the tire in a tub of water and roll it around in driving rotation. There should be air bubbles where the hole is.
2. 
   2
   Keep the tire on the rim and expand the hole. Using the Pistol Grip Rasp Tool, you can insert it through the puncture moving it up and down. It will expand the hole if needed to fit the Tire Repair Refills in.
3. 
   3
   Spray Heavy Duty Silicone Lubricant over the punctured area.
4. 
   4
   Grab the Pistol Grip Inserting Needle and take a piece of the Tire Repair Refills. Put the Tire Repair Refills piece through the Needle as shown in the picture.
5. 
   5
   When the refill piece is placed in between the needle, you can hold from the pistol grip and pierce the needle through the hole and pull the needle back out. The Tire Repair Refill piece should be left inside the hole.
6. 
   6
   Cut off the refill piece that is sticking out of the tire using the cutting pliers or even scissors. (If you have a lighter, you can even set the extra piece of the refill on fire).
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Video

Tips

• The tools can be purchased in many manufacturers ex. –Canadian Tire, Walmart, etc.
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• Beware of harmful chemicals in the Buffering Solution, and the Tire Chemical Care (Seal Fast B-133)
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Warnings

• Be careful when handling the lighter.
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• Do not attempt to repair the tire if it's punctured or damaged on the sidewall
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• Repair tire as soon as possible before driving, could lead to an accident
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