How Long Does It Take to Patch a Tire?: Patches and plugs are used to repair a punctured tire. These are intended for emergency roadside repair and are not meant as a permanent fix for a punctured tire.
When patching a tire, you need to keep in mind that this is a temporary fix and should only be opted under emergencies. So, make sure you visit a mechanic as soon as you can to get your tire fixed completely.
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Time Required and the Process:
While it may seem like a tough job to nail, patching a tire is not a huge deal.
Patching a tire can take from 20 to 30 minutes tops. And this is only because you need to take the tire off of the rim in order to apply the patch.
The patch then needs to be hardened using heat or curing agents to strengthen the tire rubber.
After the patch is applied, it needs to be dried before driving off which can take about 10 minutes.
How long would that patch last for you?
A tire patch can last from seven to ten years unless the patch has been correctly sealed and placed.
A precisely patched tire can provide 25,000 miles. You can drive safely on a patched tire as long as there is not another puncture or a leak within the patched tire.
If you notice another puncture in your patched tire, then placing another patch is not a good idea as it can negatively affect the speed rating and cause tire blowouts.
There are Some Limitations Of A Tire Patch:
Although you can drive safely for years with a patched tire and get that patch replaced regularly by a professional, there are still situations where an un-patched tire would be a better option.
For example, if the patched tire experiences another puncture.
Beware that patches only stop further leaking of the air and do not help the tire regain the lost air or its strength.
Patches are only useful when the puncture is less than a quarter inch.
If your tire has run over a large sharp object and gets a large tear or cut, then a patch is not very useful, like when experiencing a tire blowout, so in this case, you will need to replace your tire entirely.
Can I patch a tire by myself?
If you face a mishap while on the road, and need to fix a hole in your tire, but also don’t have access to a mechanic, then you can surely get the job done by yourself if you have the skill to do so.
In fact, knowing how to patch a tire is actually quite a basic skill, and if you learn how to do it, it will come in handy at the time of urgency in the future for sure.
Know When To Get A New Tire
In some cases, like with specific brands of tires, sometimes a puncture is irreparable, and the tire needs to be replaced only if:
- The puncture is greater than one-fourth inch. In this case, a patch will not be useful, and the tire will not be fit for driving. You will have to visit the workshop and consult with the mechanic if the puncture can be repaired or not.
- The wall of the tire is ripped. When this happens, the structure of the tire is greatly affected, and the walls will behave differently than the treads and the tire will not function properly.
How Close to Sidewall a Tire can be Patched?
You should avoid it all-together. But if that’s a problem, consider getting it patched only if it’s few millimeters away from the sidewall.
We discussed it all here in detail.
But the thing is, you should always avoid tire repairs close to sidewalls, if you are in a situation that it’s unavoidable, consider the area from shoulder and get your tire patched up only if it is 6 millimeters away from the sidewall.
Final thoughts
While it may seem like a tough job to nail to many, patching a tire actually is quite easy and can be done within the course of half an hour.
It is however, important to know that tire patches are just temporary fixes and can only be relied on if you are in an emergency.
As soon as you gain access to a mechanic, you should take your car over to him and get your tire fixed properly.
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