If you have any area of the tire worn beyond the tread wear indicators, your tire is not repairable. If your tire is older than the internet, your tire is not repairable. If your tire is unevenly worn and any of the metal parts inside are visible your tire is not repairable.
If there are punctures or damage in the shoulder or sidewall of the tire, it is not repairable. If the injuries are close enough so that the repairs overlap or the injuries are directly across from each other, the tire cannot be repaired and must be scrapped.
Unfortunately, sidewall punctures on passenger or light truck tires can't be repaired. That's because: The patch won't hold - Tires have cords that run all around the tread of the tire, the part the makes contact with the road. But on the sidewall, those cords aren't there.
A tire can be patched twice and up to three times. However, this rule goes out the window if the hole overlaps another patch or damaged area. Is it dangerous to plug a tire too many times? Yes.
The use of a standard puncture repair unit in the shoulder (S-T) area will result in the repair unit being exposed to more stress in the upper sidewall, due to the characteristics of the tire. This could potentially result in a premature repair failure.
So if the diameter of the damaged area is larger than 6mm, a repair should not be attempted. This means it may be possible to repair a tyre that has been pierced by a nail or a screw, but if the damage is caused by a larger item such as a bolt or other metallic debris, the tyre may need to be replaced.
The quarter-inch rule
This is very simple: never repair a tire with a puncture greater than a quarter inch or 6 mm in diameter. Also, never repair any punctures found on the tire sidewall. Puncture repair is limited to the tread area and only between the outside shoulder grooves.
In general, a hole in a tire must be less than one inch in diameter in order to be patched; however, the location of the hole must be on the tread of the tire at least 1/4″ away from the sidewall in order to be patched. A tire can generally only be patched three times.
Any hole with a diameter greater than 6 to 8 inches is too large for taping or patching, so you'll need to follow the steps below explaining how to repair a large hole in the wall.
As it turns out, it can vary shop to shop. While there are no specific laws in place for when a tire can be repaired, nearly all shops follow industry standards which say too much wear or damage to the side wall means you have to replace it. Many shops vary when it comes to the age requirements of a tire.
Patches are better than plugs for bigger holes, holes closer to but not the sidewall and holes that aren't completely straight. Note that if you're looking to do tire sidewall repair, a patch will usually not cut it and you'll likely want to replace the tire. Don't patch the tire if it's near the sidewall.
Repairable Area
As a rule of thumb, for a normal passenger car tire, you shouldn't patch punctures within ½ inches (12 mm) of the edge of the tread, i.e., the sidewall. In other words, you should refrain from repairing the tread shoulders.
If the speed rating on the sidewall of your tyre does not exceed the T rating, the sidewall is repairable if the hole is 3mm or less in diameter. Beyond this index, tyre repair is strongly disadvised to avoid any safety risk.
Yes, there is nothing in the formulation that would prevent a tire from being repaired. Advise the tire repair professional that you have used the Fix-a-Flat brand tire inflator in your tire, so they may properly clean the tire for repair.
Sidewall damage can have serious implications for the safety and performance of the tire. Chipped or cut sidewall rubber can weaken the tire's structure, leading to a potential blowout or a sudden loss of air pressure.
The Patch. The most common and best-known repair is a patch. These are used when an object has pierced the outer tire liner, and loss of air pressure occurs. A technician will need to take the tire off the wheel to examine both inside and outside of the tire.
The plug can become dislodged from the tire, resulting in excessive air pressure loss and a potential blowout. This can be extremely dangerous, especially when going at high speeds. Driving on a plugged tire for long distances can also cause the tire to wear unevenly, which can lead to further damage to the tire.
Most simple tire punctures are able to be repaired, but if the screw happens to be in the sidewall of your tire (or close to the sidewall of your tire), you're going to need a new tire–and fast! Sorry to break the news to you, but that's just how it goes with sidewalls.
Punctures larger than a quarter-inch in diameter also can't be effectively and safely repaired. If the tire has a cut or gash, it can only be repaired if it's less than a quarter-inch in length. If the tire is worn and has less than 2/32-inch remaining tread depth, it is unsafe to repair and must be replaced.
If the tire has two punctures, getting a tire repaired may still be an option as long as the punctures are at least 16 inches apart and the maximum number of repairs does not exceed a total of 2 in the tire. Any more punctures than that, and you should consider getting a new tire.
While there are different sizes and types of spares, we suggest you keep speeds at or below 50 miles per hour and drive no more than 50 miles on a spare tire before getting your flat fixed.
In Australia, tyre plugs are an illegal way of repairing a tyre and have been for some time. The reason behind this is how modern tyres are constructed.
If the tread of a tyre is deep enough to cover the outer band of a 20p test, then the tyre treads are of the legal depth. But if you can see any of the outer band of the 20p, then your tyres have worn beyond the legal limit. This means it's time to get them changed.
Unfortunately, it's not possible to repair a damaged sidewall. As mentioned previously, sidewall damage can affect the overall structure of your tyre, which repairing the sidewall won't fix. If your sidewall is damaged you will need to replace the tyre as soon as possible.