Tire patch DIY

[jumbosrule]

Noticed I was losing air in my left rear tire a couple days ago. Filled it up and watched it closely over the next couple days - definitely a leak.

Bought a tire repair kit for $12 at an auto parts store and thought I'd document it for the scene. On a scale from 1-10, this fix is a 2. Anybody can do this with the repair kit, jack and tools to remove the wheel. This kit is meant to repair punctures/holes in the tread only. Not good for sidewall punctures.

Step 1 is jacking up the car and removing the wheel.


Step 2 is finding the hole. This could be easy if there is an obvious nail or in my case, a threaded bolt! It was sitting right on top of the wheel and was staring me in the face when the wheel came off.



Gotta remove the offending object, so I locked onto it with some vice grips.



No idea when I ran over this thing. As soon as I pulled it out, the air began escaping from the tire. It hissed for a couple minutes.



Next you have to clean up the hole using a rasp tool provided in the repair kit. The purpose of this is to clean the hole, make it more uniform, and to make sure it's the right size for the repair "strip". Just insert the tool and saw it back and forth till it moves smoothly through the hole.

Edit: Doing this while the tire is under pressure will push the particles out of the tire, rather than allowing them to fall inside.



Now it's time for the repair strip from the kit. I removed a strip from the package and threaded it into the insertion tool like a giant needle and thread. Then I coated the strip with rubber cement. All this stuff was provided in the kit.



Next, just push the giant needle into the hole. The strip will fold over and the rubber cement surrounds the hole. Only push in the strip about 1/2 or 2/3 of the way into the hole - you want the end of the strip still sticking out. Then with a quick jerking motion, pull the "needle" out. There is a slot at the eye that allows the repair strip to stay in the hole while the needle is removed.



Next, I trimmed off the excess with scissors.



Finished repair:



After letting the glue cure for about an hour, I hooked up a compressor to the wheel and filled it to the correct pressure to check for leaks. I dropped a few drops of soapy water on the area to check for bubbles. None, so I was good to go.



I always clean up the wheel well when I'm working in there so I can see any damage or corrosion that might be hiding under the brake dust and dirt. Eibachs look good - no cracking or corrosion I can see. Same with the Stillen exhaust.



All that's left is to do is put the wheel back on. Don't forget to use a torque wrench. To me this is just as important as the repair!!! I have snapped bolts in the past and replacing them is a major pain. Do yourself a favor and buy a torque wrench if you plan on rotating, changing or repairing anything in the wheel well. Specification says 83ft-lbs. I use 90ft-lbs due to the spacers I have.



Watch the tire for the next few days. The repair kit says this is a temporary fix, but I have used these patches till the tire wears out and needs to be replaced during it's normal course of life. I carry the kit with me, in case I'm ever on a road trip and need to do this on the fly.

 

[dopie]

nice right up jumbo

 

[HumbertoCALI]

Wow.... I hope that stays in...

You should give us an update after 500 to 1,000 miles

Great find and thanks for your post

 

[jumbosrule]

Like I said, I'll be watching it and will definitely report back any new developments. I've used these patch kits before on previous cars and never had a problem after the repair. Wish the tire wasn't so new though. I'd rather not rely on the patch for another 20,000 miles, but I will!

 

[Dr.2K]

Nice write up Jumbo. That is exactly what a tire shop does when they do a patch job and charge anywhere between $10-$20 for it.

 

[turbocad6]

really don't mean to sound like a know it all, but I've got way more than a few flat fixes under my belt. first of all this is not a patch, this is a plug. a patch is done from inside the tire with the tire removed from the rim & is vulcanized in place. a plug is OK but a patch is more permanent but of course more costly because of the dismount, remount & then re balance. a plug is not very inferior to a patch though & should last the life of the tire too really depending on where it is & how it's installed.

the only criticism I would give on your write up is that you are much better off reaming the hole while the tire is still pressurized so the rubber dust is expelled instead of allowing it to go into the tire & the tire is stretched making reaming & plug insertion easier, again, not like it's really detrimental but the rubber residue is better outside than inside the tire from reaming. also, I would insert it a bit deeper & try to get it deep enough that you don't need to cut the top off... really sorry if I sound like a nitpicker & don't mean to, you should be commended for taking the time to write this & share here & I hope my input is not taken the wrong way, just trying to help

 

[jumbosrule]

Good additional info for those that want to DIY a hole in the tire. I edited the original post to keep the nomenclature correct (patch/plug).

Everything I did was per the instructions on the repair kit and I've used other kits in the past with slightly different directions (no rubber cement, no need for trimming, etc). This kit specified the insertion depths and trimming, so I followed them to the letter. There's always more than one way to do something, "right". I had to trust that the manufacturer of the repair kit gave instructions specifically for the tools and materials provided in the kit.

 

[theMerchant]

hopefully your wheel is still balance after this. I had my tires patch from a shop before also and they would remove the tire to do it. they used a patch and not a plug as turbocad has indicated.

good DIY thought

 

[jumbosrule]

Balance should not be impacted since the tire was not removed from the wheel. Had I done the vulcanized patch as Turbo described, where the tire is removed from the wheel, patched and then re-mounted, I would have needed a balance done. Since I only did a plug and the tire stayed in place this shouldn't be an issue.

 

[jumbosrule]

Update - Checked tire pressure at my oil change last week - no loss on the plugged tire. Holding like a champ.

 

[GJBenn85]

Most tire places plug nail/screw/bolt holes and charge up to $30 to do it.

I was really pissed when a local tire shop told me they had patched the tire, only for me to later notice they had simply plugged it. Rip offs.

 

[N2FX]

Great DIY thread JRule!

Last week I rotated my tires and checked for nails and screws. This morning I noticed a screw in one of my truck's tire.

I'm gonna be buying tires in a few month. In the meantime, should I keep the screw there? Can it be fixed with this DIY?

Please advise.

 

[jumbosrule]

Yes - this can absolutely be plugged like the DIY, or you can take it to a shop and have them patch it from the inside. Either one should be a permanent fix and last the life of your tire.

 

[Rubare]

Nice.. I being using plugs for a bit now and they always work well.. Haven't had any issue.

Good write up jumbo

 

[N2FX]

America's Tire Company patched up mine for free (and a tip for the guy who patched it up)

I tried the DIY but the plug kept sliding off when I yanked the needle.

 

[TomBlue]

I have always used plugs for repairing flats on my day to day vehicles. But if you're going to be using your FX for any speed, you may want to replace the tire. I wouldn't use a plugged tire for anything over 65 mph.

 

[ryancooch]

Great thread!

 

[Ran2tho]

Overtime it will leak again, go to the tire place for an inside patch :good:

 

[Viperi]

i had mine patched for like 20,000 km. still good. the shop usually takes a lighter to it . not sure the point but kinda cool.

 

[shadow191]

I've had tire patches like that last the life of the tire. Patching the inside is "better" but on the center like that it won't even make a difference. Plus if you take it to a shop, you had better trust them because they have to pull the tire and if you have nice rims, that's another area they can mess up. I've seen a shop literally shave metal off the inner lip of my rim trying to mount a tire because of it's size and profile.