When to Repair or Replace Punctured Tires
When you have a tire hole, you have three choices: plug it, patch it, or replace it with a new tire. With plugging and patching, you don’t need to replace your tire, which can save you tons of money.
However, we do not recommend plugging or patching a tire you’ve already plugged or patched previously. You could compromise safety and your tire’s integrity.
Let’s look at situations where plugging, patching, or replacing a punctured tire is applicable.
When to Plug or Patch a Punctured Tire
Little Wolf Automotive in Antigo, WI could plug or patch the tire depending on the hole size.
When the hole is small and round (such as one caused by a nail), it can be plugged with a tire plug. It can be patched if the hole is larger (such as a long slit caused by a piece of metal or glass).
During plugging, the wheel need not be removed from the car in most cases. But with patching, the tires must be removed from the rim.
We at Little Wolf Automotive do not recommend that you patch a tire yourself, as you could compromise the tire. If the patch is not applied correctly, you could cause more damage to the cords in the tire.
While plugging a tire is easier, you could still cause additional damage to the tire if you drive it in incorrectly.
When Plugging or Patching a Tire is Not Okay
Sometimes, you can’t repair tires.
If the hole is in the sidewall or shoulder, your only choice is to replace the tire. The sidewall handles too much pressure from the vehicle’s weight and the flexing it does as your car moves. A plug or a patch in the sidewall would blow out, which could cause you to wreck.
If you have a flat tire but continue driving, you will damage your tire so much that it can no longer be repaired.
Sometimes, damage caused by a crash cannot be repaired, and you will need a new tire.
Contact Little Wolf Automotive in Antigo, WI for Tire Replacement
You can easily replace your vehicle’s tires by contacting Litle Wolf Automotive in Antigo, WI. Make an appointment to ensure we have a stock of your tire size.
Write down the tire size (you’ll find it on the tire’s sidewall) and your preferred brand. When you call, we’ll let you know if we have the size and brand. We can even change the type of tire and have a little leeway with tire size, depending on your vehicle and rims.
Little Wolf Automotive Express Lube in Antigo, WI can help whether you need repair or new tires. Call us at (715) 350-4287, fill out this form, or vist us at 1436 Neva Rd., Antigo, WI 54409.
