Tire Repair...NOW??? North Raleigh (Greensboro: home, purchase, shops)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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Try an auto parts store or Walmart/Target for a plug kit. I used one on a puncture and it has worked great. The kits come with bores to get the plug in. Very easy to do yourself.
VickiR - If you are unable to find a place to help out (I do believe there are a few gas station/garages that may still be open now????) and you are certain it is only a nail hole - this is actually a pretty straightforward fix. There's a tire plug/patch kit you can purchase at Wal Mart for $10. It comes with this specially designed tool and a bunch of very sticky rubber strips. Pick one of these up. Also, pick up a can of Fix a Flat. Both of these items will be in the automotive section.
When you get home, have your daughter slowly move her car forward until you can gain easy access to the nail stuck in the tread. Shut the car off - apply the parking brake. Next, grab a pair of pliers and pull that nail out. This is going to take a bit of elbow grease - you really gotta get in there and yank that sucker out. When you pull it out - it will most likely flatten the tire.
Grab that tire patch kit. The instructions are fairly straightforward - but what you want to do is to grab the special tool - take one of the rubber strips and insert it into the tool. Then, you have to jam that tool into the hole in the tire. The sticky rubber strip will act like a plug. Once the tire is plugged up, you can use the Fix a Flat to fill up the tire. Once the tire is sufficiently/safely filled - you can go to a gas station with one of those air hoses to fill up the tire to the specified pressure level.
I've used this patch kit many many times. Done properly - and again, if you are sure it is only a nail hole that caused the flat - it will be very safe and effective. Of course, being the conscientious parent that you are - you probably want her to go and get that tire looked at by a pro.
Thanks C_Lan! Hubby had the same idea and got one from K Mart. I'm concerned that she'll be driving to Greensboro on that tire. How long does it last?
Most tire repair places use the same kit to repair nail holes. Done properly - and as long as the tire is good shape otherwise - it'll be like the nail hole never happened.
Most tire repair places use the same kit to repair nail holes. Done properly - and as long as the tire is good shape otherwise - it'll be like the nail hole never happened.
Not anymore, almost all shops will use patches inside of the tire, not plug kits.
Most tire repair places use the same kit to repair nail holes. Done properly - and as long as the tire is good shape otherwise - it'll be like the nail hole never happened.
Correct...I've run autocross on plugged tires without issue. These tires see much more abuse than passenger tires and the plug has held up.
If the nail is in the side wall then it can not be safely repaired and you will need a new tire. It is also true that most tire shops now repair the tire from the inside for a more safe and reliable repair. I would suggest just putting on the spare tire until tomorrow when tire repair shops are open. However I would not let your daughter drive to Greensboro on a small donut spare due to the 55 MPH max speed and short distance rating.
If you use the tire repair kit, the plug repair could leak or fail if not done properly and a lot depends on the size and location of the hole in the tire.
Thanks for all the helpful suggestions. Hubby bought a kit to plug the tire and although it looked good, he is a worry wart and decided daughter should drive HIS car to Greensboro so that he can have her tire checked out tomorrow. I would not have allowed her to drive on the donut tire, at all.
It is really helpful to have such a good source for answers like the folks on city data!
Vicki
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