A Complete Guide for Fixing Flat Tires

12 Important Steps to Fix Flat Tires

You’re driving home from work. You’re on the highway listening to the latest podcast. Suddenly, you hear a loud popping sound, and the vehicle starts to veer to one side. There’s only one conclusion: you’ve got a flat tire.

Learning to repair a flat tire is simple, but many still don’t know the process. Don’t worry. We can help!

Let’s look at the 12 steps to take to fix flat tires.

1. Step Out of the Vehicle and Check the Tire

The first step in the process is to pull over safely to the side of the road and then check the tire for leaks. Start by running your hand over the outside of the tire to locate any potential foreign objects. If you’re at home, you can mix soap and water and run it over the tire. Once the tire is covered, the areas that bubble are the source of the leak.

2. Gather Your Tools

Next, it’s time to gather the tools you’ll need to fix the tire. For a complete fix, you’ll require the following:

• Car jack
• Pliers
• Tire iron
• Tire plug kit
• Chalk

 3. Loosen the Lug Nuts on the Damaged Tire

Now, you’ll use the tire iron to loosen the lug nuts on the damaged tire. Make sure you begin this part of the process before you lift the vehicle using your car jack. Don’t remove the lug nuts. But loosen them about a quarter of the way. In doing this now, you make it easier to remove the tire when you lift the vehicle.

4. Lift the Vehicle

It’s now time to lift the vehicle using your car jack so that you can remove the damaged tire. Remember that safety is the priority in this stage of the process, so take great care as you use the car jack and consider your surroundings first and foremost.

Make sure you position the car on a flat surface. Then place bricks behind and in front of the other wheels to prevent the vehicle from rolling. You can then consult your vehicle manual to find the optimal points on the surface to lift the car onto the jack. Once you lift the vehicle, remove the remaining lug nuts with the tire iron and take the damaged tire off.

5. Remove the Object from the Tire

When you’ve located the source of the leak, remove the protruding object from the tire. You can use pliers to remove it. Be careful touching the area with your hands and, if possible, wear safety gloves as you remove the object from your tire.

Take a piece of chalk and then mark the area from which you’ve taken the foreign object. Using chalk will help you identify where to plug the damage using your plug kit.

6. Clean the Damaged Area

Next, use the rasp tool within your tire plug kit to clean the damaged area of the tire. The process involves inserting the rasp tool into the tire quickly and then taking it out quickly as well. This technique ensures that the affected area is in ideal condition for the plug to remain in place.

7. Thread the Plug into the Insertion Tool

Now thread the plug material through your insertion tool, ready for the material to be placed into the tire. You may have difficulty using the material, so make sure you consult your tire plug kit guidelines carefully. It may take a few tries before you complete the thread.

8. Force the Plug into the Damaged Tire

Now you’re ready to use the insertion tool to force the plug into the hole within the damaged tire. This process will require you to use a significant amount of strength and force.

Before you begin, use the liquid adhesive included in your plug kit on the sides of the plug. Then use the insertion tool to force the plug inside. There will be about half an inch of plug material protruding from each side of the plugged hole once you complete this step.

9. Remove Excess Plug Material

You can now remove any excess plug material from the newly repaired tire. Removing the access material will help ensure a smoother driving experience once you complete the repair process. You can add extra adhesive to the outside of the repaired area to further seal the plug.

10. Fill Your New Tire with Air

Next, you’ll fill your new tire with air after giving the adhesive a few minutes to dry. Check the owner’s manual (or inside front door) for the factory-recommended pressure per-square-inch (PSI) for the make and model of the vehicle.  Use your air compressor to ensure the tire is at the right level. You’ll usually find the recommended PSI level on the door jamb of the drivers’ door.

11. Check for Additional Leaks

Now you’ve repaired the leak, it’s time to check for any additional leaks in the tire. Again, if you’re at home, you can use soap and water to detect bubbles coming from the air released by the tire.

12. Attach the Tire

Once you confirm no further air leaks are coming from the tire, you can attach it to the car for your upcoming drive. Slide the wheel back into the wheelbase. And then reattach the lug nuts to your vehicle.

Remember: don’t tighten the lug nuts while your car is in the lifted position. Once you’ve attached the wheel, lower your vehicle from the jack and remove the jack. After the wheel is weight-bearing again, use the lug wrench to tighten the nuts.

Call Fred’s Auto Repair to Fix Flat Tires

We have decades of experience in auto repair and can test and replace your flat tires for you. With affordable pricing on all flat tire repair and replacement services, Fred’s Auto Repair is your leading local service provider.

Got a tire problem? Call us now for expert guidance.