what to do if you get a nail in your tire

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If you lot have a smash in your tire, yous'll need to take your vehicle to a tire service technician to become it professionally fixed. Driving on a tire that hasn't been properly repaired past a professional can impairment your vehicle and even cause an blow. The good news is that y'all can temporarily plug the hole in your tire and so yous don't have to pay for an expensive tow truck to take you to a tire service technician. If y'all exercise plug your tire, make sure you go straight to a professional to go your tire permanently fixed.

1. one

   Visit a tire service technician for a permanent fix. They'll take your tire off the rim and patch and plug it then it's prophylactic to drive on over again. If you desire to go on your tire, you lot'll need to visit a professional. Plugging a nail hole on your own is only a temporary solution.^[1]

2. 2

   Drive your car to the technician if your tire isn't losing air. Take a expect at your tire. If it looks flat, don't drive on it. If it doesn't, concur your mitt to a higher place the smash to see if you can feel whatever air coming out. You can as well spray the nail with soapy water and check to see if air bubbles form. If they do form, your tire is losing air. If your tire doesn't appear to be losing air, you lot should be able to drive it to a nearby technician to get the pigsty fixed.

   • If your tire is losing air but it hasn't lost a lot even so, you lot tin can temporarily plug it with a tire repair kit so you're able to bulldoze to a nearby technician.

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3. 3

   Put on a spare or telephone call a tow truck if your tire is losing air. Don't drive on your tire if it's losing air or yous could damage your vehicle. If you take a spare tire with you, change it out with your punctured tire. Otherwise, call a tow truck and have them take your car to the nearest tire service shop.

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1. i

   Measure the size of the hole in your tire to see if it's fixable. Pull the nail out with needle nose pliers so it's easier to measure the hole. If information technology'due south more than ¹⁄_iv inch (0.64 cm) beyond, you won't exist able to fix it and you'll demand to have your tire replaced.^[2]

2. ii

   Expect to come across if the nail punctured your tire within the tread. If it did, and the hole is smaller than ^one⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) across, a tire service technician should be able to repair your tire. If the nail is outside of the tread or on the side of your tires, it'south not fixable.^[three]

   • If you're non certain, visit a tire service technician and go their stance. Having your tire repaired will be cheaper than replacing information technology, so it's a skilful idea to find out if there'southward any mode your tire can be fixed earlier moving forrad.

3. three

   Visit a tire technician to have your tire replaced if it'southward not fixable. If your punctured tire has lost a lot of air, put on a spare or take your automobile towed. If it still has air in information technology, you can temporarily plug it with a tire plug kit and then you can drive your machine to a store.

4. 4

   Refer to the tire replacement recommendations in your owner's manual. Depending on your vehicle, yous may need to replace half or even all of your tires if one tire is damaged. Make sure you follow the recommendations in your owner'southward manual or you lot could finish upwardly damaging your vehicle.^[four]

   • Vehicles with all-wheel drive and 4-bicycle bulldoze usually require all 4 tires to be replaced at the same fourth dimension.
   • If you're on a budget, ask your tire service technician if there's whatever mode you can just supercede the 1 punctured tire.

5. v

   Choose a new tire that's the same size and model as the rest. If y'all're merely replacing the punctured tire, make sure the new tire matches the other iii tires on your vehicle. Otherwise, the tires volition wear and operate differently, and y'all could cause damage to your vehicle.^[5]

   • Ask your tire service technician for help picking out the right tire.

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1. ane

   Buy a tire plug kit to temporarily plug the pigsty in your tire in an emergency. A tire plug kit will come with all the tools you lot'll need to plug your tire, including tire plugs, an insertion needle, and a rasp tool.^[6] Keep in heed that plugging your tire is merely a temporary solution and does carry some risk. Using a plug from the outside of the tire tin can even damage the tire to the bespeak that it's not usable. The simply way to safely repair your tire is to take a professional tire service technician remove the tire from the rim and repair the tire from the within.^[7]

   • Yous tin buy a tire plug kit online or at your local department store.
   • If your tire is flat, you'll need a portable tire inflator and a tire approximate so you tin pump your tire after you plug it.

2. 2

   Remove your tire if you can't hands access the blast. If yous can't locate the nail or you're unable to achieve it, you'll need to have your tire off to plug the hole. Use a car jack to lift your motorcar half dozen inches (15 cm) off the footing. So, utilize a lug wrench to unscrew the lug nuts then you can pull your tire off. Once your tire is off, locate the nail.

3. iii

   Determine if it's safe for your tire to be temporarily plugged. Depending on where the boom is in your tire and how big the pigsty is, you may not be able to use a temporary plug. If the boom is in the side of your tire or in the shoulder (the edges of the tire outside of the tread), you lot won't be able to use a temporary plug.^[eight] If the hole the boom made is more than ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) across, it's too big to safely plug. You'll need to put on a spare tire or have your machine towed to a repair shop.

   • Never apply a tire plug in a pigsty that'southward also big or a pigsty that'southward located on the side or shoulders of the tire. The plug could come out while you lot're driving and crusade an blow.
   • If the nail is pocket-sized and located in the tread of your tire, yous should be able to apply a tire plug kit to temporarily plug the pigsty in your tire.

4. 4

   Run a tire plug through the hole at the end of the insertion needle. The insertion needle is the tool with a t-shaped handle and metal needle with a hole at the end. Center the plug in the hole and so there's an equal amount of rubber on each side of the needle pigsty. Once the plug is centered in the insertion needle, set the tool aside.^[ix]

5. 5

   Remove the boom from your tire with needle nose pliers. Have the tools in the tire plug kit nearby so you can plug the hole speedily before a lot of air gets out. After you pull out the nail, set it somewhere safe and so y'all can dispose of information technology later.^[ten]

6. 6

   Insert the rasp tool into the hole and turn it back and along. The rasp tool should await similar the insertion needle, simply information technology won't accept a hole and the end volition exist serrated. The serrated edges on the rasp tool will scratch up the hole in your tire and then the rubber plug has something to grip onto. Pull the rasp tool out of the hole when you're finished.^[11]

7. 7

   Push the plug into the hole using the insertion needle. Place the tip of the needle over the pigsty and firmly press downwardly with both hands. You may need to apply a lot of pressure level to get the plug into the hole. As you push the plug into the hole, the rubber ends volition fold upwards and printing together. Stop pushing once the prophylactic ends are well-nigh ^ane⁄₂ inch (i.iii cm) away from going into the hole in your tire.^[12]

8. 8

   Pull the insertion needle upward and out of the hole. The tire plug should stay in place in your tire. If the plug comes out, double check that y'all put it in the needle properly and try inserting it in the puncture pigsty again.^[13]

9. 9

   Cut the excess safe off with a knife or razor. You don't want the excess rubber to be sticking upward higher up the tread on your tire. Carefully cut the rubber ends of the tire plug so the plug is nearly flush with the tread.^[14]

10. 10

    Inflate your tire if information technology's flat. Utilize a portable tire inflator and a gauge to brand certain your tire is inflated to the right force per unit area. If you don't know what the recommended pressure level is for your tire, bank check your possessor'due south transmission or look for a sticker on the commuter's side door that has the recommended force per unit area on it.

    • If you don't take a portable tire inflator or a gauge, you'll demand to alter out the tire with a spare or call a tow truck to bring your vehicle to a tire service technician.^[xv]

11. eleven

    Take your vehicle to a technician immediately to get your tire stock-still. Now that the pigsty in your tire is plugged, y'all should be able to bulldoze your vehicle to a technician. Brand sure you have your tire repaired by a professional.^[16] If at that place aren't whatever shops open up, drive habitation and go straight to a shop the side by side solar day. Driving for long periods of time on a plugged tire is dangerous, and it could cause damage to your vehicle. Always check the instructions that came with your tire plug kit to see what distance you lot can safely bulldoze with a plugged tire.^[17]

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Add together New Question

• Question

  Can you drive with a boom in your tire?

  

  Drew Hawkins1

  Community Answer

  While it is possible for you to not detect if a nail is stuck in your tire, it can be very dangerous and make the harm much worse if y'all keep driving that manner. As soon every bit you see or detect a smash in your tire, yous need to fix information technology. You tin can either remove the smash and patch the tire yourself or take your automobile to a mechanic or tire shop to take it repaired. The sooner y'all can become it fixed, the easier it will be to fix.

• Question

  Should I pull a screw out of my tire?

  

  Drew Hawkins1

  Community Answer

  Yep, yous should remove it right before y'all patch it so y'all can plug the hole. The spiral itself may actually be helping to hold the air inside of the tire, so don't pull it out until you lot're ready to repair it. Use a tire plug kit, which will come up with all the tools you lot'll demand to plug your tire, including tire plugs, an insertion needle, and a rasp tool. Merely retrieve, a plug is temporary and you lot'll demand to accept the tire professionally repaired eventually.

• Question

  How do you fix a tire that has a blast in information technology?

  

  Drew Hawkins1

  Community Answer

  You can temporarily patch a tire that has a boom in information technology and information technology will exist driveable so you can bring it into a mechanic or tire shop to be professionally repaired. Use a pair of needle-nose pliers to remove the nail from your tire. Use a tire plug kit, which will come with all the tools yous'll demand to plug your tire, including tire plugs, an insertion needle, and a rasp tool. Stick the rasp tool, into the pigsty and turn information technology back and along to create an even opening. Run a tire plug through the hole at the end of the insertion needle and push it into the hole. And then, pull the insertion needle up and out of the hole to plug the tire.

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• Never inflate a tire to the maximum tire pressure that's listed on the tire. Driving on the road causes your tire to aggrandize. This tin can increase the tire pressure to the signal that it surpasses what it'south able to handle.^[18]

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Things You'll Need

• Lug wrench
• Car jack
• Tape measure
• Tire plug kit
• Needle nose pliers
• Knife or razor

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Article Summary 10

To temporarily plug a nail hole so yous can drive your car to a technician, locate the nail in your tire. If you're having problem accessing the blast, you might have to take your tire off. And so, remove the nail using needle nose pliers. Use a tire plug kit to insert a rubber plug into the pigsty. Cut off the backlog safe sticking out using a knife or razor blade. When you're finished, drive your car to a technician to get it professionally repaired. For more tips on repairing a nail hole in your tire, like how to recognize holes that tin can't be plugged or fixed, keep reading!

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Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Repair-a-Nail-in-Your-Tire

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