How to Tell if Your Tire Can Be Repaired

close up view of a service tech repairing a tire

Can My Tire Be Repaired?

You’re driving down the highway, and you hear that telltale sign that you have a flat tire. You quickly change it with the spare in your cargo area before heading on to your destination. You may wonder if it can be patched or will need to be replaced. Don’t worry about it until you take it in for repair. If you live around Roscoe, Abilene, or San Angelo, you can bring it to the service center at Stanley Ford Sweetwater for repair.

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When Can Your Tire Can Be Repaired?

Not every flat tire can be repaired. Some of them will need to be replaced with a new tire. When you bring your tire to a service center, the service technician will locate the puncture and determine if it’s safe to repair the tire. They will look at the area where the puncture happened and the size of the hole.
If the puncture is situated on the tread, it can usually be repaired. The puncture can’t be more than ¼ of an inch in length. If you have two punctures on the tire, they must be at least 16 inches apart and each puncture can’t be longer than the allowed length. If you have three or more punctures, the tire cannot be repaired.
If the puncture was made along the sidewall or shoulder of the tire, it can’t be repaired. Additionally, if it’s longer than a quarter of an inch, the tire will need to be replaced.

Let the Team at Stanley Ford Determine if Your Tire Can Be Repaired

Sometimes you may have a special situation where you wonder about fixing your tire. For example, if this tire has been repaired before, you may wonder if you can repair it again. In many cases, the tire can be repaired even with a previous puncture. The new puncture can’t be too close to the old one. The previous puncture must have been repaired correctly for a new repair to work.
If the technician finds a bubble along the tire’s sidewall, it can’t be repaired. While you can drive your vehicle on a run-flat tire, it may not be able to be repaired. These tires aren’t designed to run on less than 15 psi, which can cause damage.
It’s best not to use emergency inflators or sealants because they can prevent your tire from being repaired. Sealants may prevent the tire pressure monitoring system from getting correct data about the tire.
Temporary fixes for flat tires aren’t the best solution. They can cause more problems than they solve. In some circumstances, they are necessary, but avoid using them if you have other options.
If you have a flat tire, you can bring it to the service center at Stanley Ford Sweetwater. Our technicians will look at it and let you know if it can be repaired. If your tire must be replaced, we’ll show you what tires we have available that will fit your vehicle.

Let Stanley Ford Sweetwater help you stay safe on the road with tires you can count on. We’ll take care of repairs and replacement for your tires.

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