At some point in your life, you will probably get a punctured tire, it’s just one of those things. But did you know that if the puncture is too close to the sidewall that it cannot be patched? We will go over why that is the case in a moment, but first, how close to the sidewall can a patch be installed?
The rule is that any puncture less than half an inch from the start of the internal steel belt on the shoulder or sidewall cannot be patched. According to Neo Tires, if the puncture is less than half an inch from the internal steel belt, then you must dispose of the tire for safety reasons.
What Kind of Damage to a Tire Can and Cannot Be Repaired?
Puncture repair kits are designed to fix small punctures that occur within one inch of the inner steel belt’s outermost edges. If the puncture occurs beyond one inch from the inner steel belt‘s outermost edges, then the entire side wall and shoulder of the tires are considered structural components and any repairs made to these areas render the tires unusable.
A puncture can occur anywhere within the tread area of a tyre. However, the depth of the hole must not exceed one-fourth of an inches. Any deeper holes require the replacement of the entire tyre. In addition, any cut or tear extending beyond one-fourth of an inset requires the replacement of the whole tyre.
If you cut a piece of metal out of a belt, you need to replace it because the structural integrity has been damaged. Also, if you just use a patch, it won’t count as a proper fix. You must also remove the entire section of the belt where the damage occurred.
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To repair a damaged tire, first fill the hole completely with a suitable vulcanization material or solid rubber stem; then, once the punctures are plugged, apply a patch to the inner lining of the tire. Other damage types include cracks, cuts, and bulges.
How Do You Properly Patch a Tire?
After locating the punctured section of the tire, the next step in repairing the tire is to remove the tire from the wheel rim. Plugging the punctures is not a proper repair method and will not last. If the punctures are severe enough, they may need to be replaced entirely. Once the tire has come off the wheel rim, the punctures can be better inspected to determine if the damage is minor or major.
If the puncture is repairable, then it needs to be filed smooth so that it doesn’t spread out any further. Also, clean the surface around the puncture on both sides of the tire so that the patch adheres well.
After preparing the puncture hole, you can fill it with either a suitable vulcanizing cement or a solid stem made from natural materials. I’ve had better results using vulcanizing cement than using a solid stem. Once the hole is filled, you’re ready to put the patch on.
Applying the patch is fairly straightforward but there may be differences between brands so check the included instruction manual before applying the patch. After the patching is complete, you’re ready to go for another ride.
Don’t forget that your tires aren’t perfect after they’ve had a puncture. After a repair, the tire won’t be able to handle the same pressure and speed as before. However, it will still provide the same level of traction and handling.
When the tire gets hot from driving fast for long periods of time or when the tire has been driven hard for many hours, the rubber may stretch out and rip away from the rim. This occurs because the tire and the rim expand and shrink at different rates, essentially tearing the rubber away from the rim.
How Do You Avoid Getting a Puncture?
There are basically five ways to avoid getting a puncture: checking your tire pressure, rotating your tires, staying away from potholes, not driving too fast, and looking out for recalls.
Remember that there is no sure-fire way to avoid a punctured tire, but there are some simple steps you can take to minimize the risk of getting one.
Checking Your Tire Pressures
It’s important to maintain the correct tire pressures for both safety reasons and because they affect fuel efficiency. Too high of a tire air volume (TAC) can lead to a blowout, which could be dangerous if not fixed quickly. Too low of a TAC can result in decreased gas mileage.
Too much tyre inflation is more likely to cause a punctured tyre than too little tyre inflation. A punctured tyre is worse because it cannot be repaired. Also, a punctured tyre is more vulnerable because it has no steel belt.
Moreover, incorrect tyre pressure can cause blowouts because tyres cannot shed excess heat. It is therefore important to check your tyre pressure at least once a month so that you know whether they are correct for your car. Remember the correct pressure isn’t the number printed on the tyre itself but rather it is the number printed on the door jamb stickers or in the owner’s handbook.
Rotate Your Tires
You might be wondering why we would rotate our tires if they were already flat? Well, it all depends on how much air pressure you put into them. When you inflate your tires, you’re putting air inside them. That means that the rubber around the outside of the wheel is actually touching the ground. But the inside of the wheel is not touching the ground because there is no air between the two surfaces. So, if you take one side of the wheel off, then the other side can touch the ground. And that’s why we call it “rotating”.
If you don’t rotate your tires, the rubber will wear unevenly and get worn out faster in some parts than others. As a result, there is less rubber protecting the tire from puncturing, so you’re likely to experience more puncture damage than if you did rotate them.
Avoid Road Hazards
This is a fairly simple rule to follow. You just need to make sure that you do not drive through any large objects on the roadway. Of course, you should avoid driving through any sort of object that could cause damage to your vehicle, but if you happen to hit something that you cannot see, then you may end up damaging your car.
If you want to minimize the risk of a punctured tire, steer clear of any shoulder or gutter and never drive over anything that might be lying on the ground. Even if it seems like a flat surface, there may be something underneath it that could cause damage to your car.
Don’t Overload Your Tires
Like increasing the pressure in your car’s tire, over-inflating them increases the chances of a puncture. Over-inflation also runs the risk of a blow out, which isn’t a good idea.
Watch For Recalls
Because sometimes things just don’t turn out right from the manufacturer’s side of things, I like to check for recall notices for both my car and tires. Sometimes a car doesn’t perform as well as it was advertised which could lead to more puncture issues.
If you want to be notified whenever there are recalls for your vehicle, you can sign up for alerts from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). You may not need to worry about tire recalls, but it never hurts to know. Plus, you could save some money by replacing your old ones at no cost.
Conclusion
If you want to fix a flat tire, you need to check whether the punctured area is within the repairable area. You may then decide whether to remove the tire and inspect it or replace the tire.
If the puncture hole is smaller than half an inche or is on the sidewall or the shoulders, the tires cannot be repaired. Sidewalls and shoulders are structural components of the tires. Thus, it is unsafe for them to be punctured.
If the puncture is deeper than one quarter of an inch, the tube cannot be replaced. Also, if the puncture is large enough to go through the inner liner, the tube cannot be fixed. Finally, the best way to prevent flat tires is to maintain proper air pressure.
