If you are in a hurry, a tire failure on the road can cause a number of issues. And if you don’t know about the patch method you should know how close to sidewall can a tire be patched
If the damage to the sidewall is 6mm or greater, you can patch your tire. Otherwise, if the puncture is closer than 6mm, there is nothing you can do, and if the distance is less than 6mm, you should replace your tire. It is no longer suitable for a patch.
Table of Contents
How Close To Sidewall Can A Tire Be Patched ?
If the spot is on the side of the vehicle or too close to this position, we recommend that you do not use the patch option. Then there’s the question of how close to the sidewall a tire can be patched.
If the hole is close to the wheel and the gap is less than 6mm, you cannot use the patch. Furthermore, if the hole is larger than 1/4 inches in diameter, the patch should not be used. In this case, if the patch is too small to cover the hole, the wheel will continue to deflate while moving.
How To Patch Sidewall?
To know how close to sidewall can a tire be patched we should know about the tire’s anatomy. A tire’s surface is divided into three sections: the crown, the shoulders, and the sidewalls. The thickest parts in contact with the asphalt are the peaks. The shoulders, which are located on the crown’s outer sides, are also strong. The sidewalls are the tire’s lateral sections.
A hole that is too close to the tire’s sidewall cannot be patched, but a puncture near the tread can be repaired. If the puncture is too close to the sidewall, the sidewall may be damaged when the hole is patched.
- Check for holes and remove any stuck objects after successful disassembly. Remove all of the air from the tire and apply a small amount of cement to the plug.
- The puncture must then be cleaned and refilled with air. After applying enough sealant to the center of the plug, plug it in to complete the patching process.
- A tire repair can be done on the sidewall or near the shoulder of a tire as long as it is 1/4 inch from the edge and not at a straight angle. A patch can also be made if it has a plug that is more than 1/4 inch away from the tread edge.
Should You Patch The Sidewall?
If there is any damage to the tyre, from the shoulder to the entire length of the sidewall, the tyre should be replaced. The only area of the tyre that can be safely plugged or patched is the tread!
This is due to the fact that the sidewall and shoulder area of the tyre provide structural integrity to the tyre, and ANY damage in this area necessitates scrapping the damaged tyre! This is for your own safety. You don’t want a sudden blowout at high speeds!
How To Plug The Tyre ?
If you are trying to fix your tire with the help of plug, we will help you to fix the tires by yourself
Step 1: Locate the Leak
Fill the tire with enough air to make it firm to finger pressure. Examine the tire thoroughly to locate the leak.
Step 2: Remove any objects embedded
Using pliers, remove any nails, screws, staples, or stray metal that has caused damage Insert your T-handle reaming tool into the hole, then rotate it up and down several times. This prepares the inner surface of the hole for plugging by widening it and roughening it.
Step 3: Examine The Hole
Examine the hole with the reaming tool. Reinsert the reaming tool and work it up and down again if it isn’t round and uniform.
4. Make the Plug
Take a tyre plugging strip from your tyre plugging kit. It should be threaded through the eyelet of your plug insertion tool. Pull it through the eyelet with pliers until it protrudes from the eyelet evenly on both sides.
Coat the entire plug strip in tyre sealing cement, then repeat with the tyre hole.
Step 4: Inserting The Strip
Slowly insert your plug insertion tool into the tyre hole. To get the plug into the hole, you’ll need to apply a lot of force.When the plug is inserted deeply enough that only about an inch of it protrudes from the tyre, carefully pull the plug insertion handle.
Step 5: Inflate the Tire
Connect the tyre to an air compressor or pump and fill it with air that is 10% less than the maximum rated pressure.
Step 6: Remove the Plug
With a paper towel, remove any excess tyre sealing cement from around the plug. Allow the tyre to sit for 5 minutes. Using wire cutters, remove the majority of the excess from the plug, leaving about 1/8 inch sticking out.
QnA
Q. How Long Can You Drive On A Tire That Has Been Patched?
A. A properly patched tyre can last from 8 months to a year. However, if you patch your tyre several times, the durability will suffer.
Conclusion
We hope you liked our post on how close to sidewall can a tire be patched. Patching a tyre is not a long-term solution because patches can fail at any time. Any solution, however, is preferable to driving with a flat tyre. The tyre is not only hazardous to the vehicle. It is also hazardous to you and anyone else in the vehicle. As a result, a puncture in the vehicle’s side is a one-of-a-kind situation in which patching is not an optimal solution. It would be beneficial if you switched to a new tyre to ensure your safety while travelling.