Should You Pull A Nail Out Of Your Tire

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If you have a nail in your tire, you'll demand to take your vehicle to a tire service technician to get information technology professionally fixed. Driving on a tire that hasn't been properly repaired by a professional can damage your vehicle and even cause an accident. The proficient news is that yous can temporarily plug the hole in your tire then you don't take to pay for an expensive tow truck to take you to a tire service technician. If you do plug your tire, make sure you go straight to a professional to get your tire permanently stock-still.

1

Visit a tire service technician for a permanent gear up. They'll have your tire off the rim and patch and plug it so information technology's safety to drive on over again. If you lot want to keep your tire, you'll need to visit a professional person. Plugging a nail hole on your ain is only a temporary solution.^[1]
ii
Drive your car to the technician if your tire isn't losing air. Take a expect at your tire. If it looks apartment, don't drive on information technology. If it doesn't, agree your mitt to a higher place the nail to see if you tin feel whatever air coming out. Y'all tin can also spray the smash with soapy h2o and check to see if air bubbles form. If they practise form, your tire is losing air. If your tire doesn't appear to be losing air, you should be able to bulldoze it to a nearby technician to get the pigsty fixed.
- If your tire is losing air but information technology hasn't lost a lot yet, you can temporarily plug it with a tire repair kit and so y'all're able to drive to a nearby technician.
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3

Put on a spare or telephone call a tow truck if your tire is losing air. Don't drive on your tire if information technology'due south losing air or you could harm your vehicle. If you have a spare tire with you, change it out with your punctured tire. Otherwise, call a tow truck and have them take your car to the nearest tire service shop.

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1

Measure the size of the hole in your tire to see if information technology's fixable. Pull the smash out with needle nose pliers and so it'due south easier to measure the hole. If it's more than ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) across, you won't be able to set up it and you'll need to have your tire replaced.^[2]
ii
Look to see if the nail punctured your tire inside the tread. If it did, and the hole is smaller than ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) across, a tire service technician should be able to repair your tire. If the nail is outside of the tread or on the side of your tires, information technology'southward not fixable.^[iii]
- If you're not sure, visit a tire service technician and get their stance. Having your tire repaired volition be cheaper than replacing it, then it's a skilful idea to find out if at that place's whatever manner your tire can exist stock-still earlier moving forward.
3

Visit a tire technician to have your tire replaced if information technology'due south not fixable. If your punctured tire has lost a lot of air, put on a spare or have your machine towed. If information technology yet has air in it, you tin can temporarily plug it with a tire plug kit so you lot can drive your car to a store.
four
Refer to the tire replacement recommendations in your owner's manual. Depending on your vehicle, yous may need to supplant half or fifty-fifty all of your tires if i tire is damaged. Brand sure you follow the recommendations in your owner's manual or you could end up damaging your vehicle.^[iv]
- Vehicles with all-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive usually crave all iv tires to be replaced at the same fourth dimension.
- If you lot're on a budget, inquire your tire service technician if there's any way you can only supervene upon the 1 punctured tire.
5
Choose a new tire that'south the same size and model as the rest. If you're simply replacing the punctured tire, brand certain the new tire matches the other 3 tires on your vehicle. Otherwise, the tires will wear and operate differently, and you could cause harm to your vehicle.^[5]
- Ask your tire service technician for aid picking out the right tire.
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i
Buy a tire plug kit to temporarily plug the hole in your tire in an emergency. A tire plug kit will come up with all the tools you'll demand to plug your tire, including tire plugs, an insertion needle, and a rasp tool.^[6] Keep in mind that plugging your tire is only a temporary solution and does carry some hazard. Using a plug from the outside of the tire can fifty-fifty damage the tire to the bespeak that information technology'southward not usable. The simply way to safely repair your tire is to accept a professional person tire service technician remove the tire from the rim and repair the tire from the inside.^[7]
- You can buy a tire plug kit online or at your local department store.
- If your tire is flat, yous'll need a portable tire inflator and a tire gauge so you can pump your tire later you plug it.
2

Remove your tire if you can't easily access the boom. If y'all can't locate the nail or you're unable to attain it, you'll need to accept your tire off to plug the hole. Use a machine jack to lift your auto 6 inches (xv cm) off the basis. Then, utilize a lug wrench to unscrew the lug nuts and so you can pull your tire off. In one case your tire is off, locate the boom.
3
Determine if information technology's safe for your tire to exist temporarily plugged. Depending on where the nail is in your tire and how big the hole is, you may not be able to use a temporary plug. If the smash is in the side of your tire or in the shoulder (the edges of the tire outside of the tread), you won't be able to use a temporary plug.^[8] If the hole the nail made is more than ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) across, it's as well big to safely plug. Y'all'll need to put on a spare tire or have your machine towed to a repair shop.
- Never employ a tire plug in a hole that's besides big or a hole that's located on the side or shoulders of the tire. The plug could come up out while you're driving and cause an accident.
- If the nail is small-scale and located in the tread of your tire, you should be able to use a tire plug kit to temporarily plug the hole in your tire.
four

Run a tire plug through the hole at the end of the insertion needle. The insertion needle is the tool with a t-shaped handle and metal needle with a hole at the terminate. Heart the plug in the hole so at that place's an equal amount of condom on each side of the needle hole. One time the plug is centered in the insertion needle, set the tool aside.^[9]
v

Remove the nail from your tire with needle nose pliers. Accept the tools in the tire plug kit nearby then you can plug the hole rapidly before a lot of air gets out. After yous pull out the nail, set up it somewhere safe and so you tin can dispose of information technology later.^[ten]
six

Insert the rasp tool into the hole and turn it back and along. The rasp tool should look similar the insertion needle, but it won't have a hole and the end will be serrated. The serrated edges on the rasp tool will scratch upwardly the hole in your tire and then the rubber plug has something to grip onto. Pull the rasp tool out of the pigsty when y'all're finished.^[eleven]
7

Push the plug into the hole using the insertion needle. Place the tip of the needle over the pigsty and firmly press downward with both easily. Yous may demand to apply a lot of pressure level to get the plug into the hole. As yous button the plug into the hole, the safety ends will fold up and printing together. Stop pushing once the condom ends are about ^ane⁄_ii inch (ane.3 cm) away from going into the hole in your tire.^[12]
eight

Pull the insertion needle up and out of the hole. The tire plug should stay in identify in your tire. If the plug comes out, double cheque that you put it in the needle properly and try inserting it in the puncture hole once more.^[xiii]
9

Cutting the excess rubber off with a knife or razor. You lot don't want the backlog rubber to be sticking up above the tread on your tire. Carefully cutting the rubber ends of the tire plug and then the plug is most flush with the tread.^[14]
10
Inflate your tire if it'due south flat. Use a portable tire inflator and a guess to make sure your tire is inflated to the correct pressure. If you don't know what the recommended force per unit area is for your tire, check your owner's manual or look for a sticker on the driver'due south side door that has the recommended pressure level on it.
- If you don't accept a portable tire inflator or a gauge, yous'll need to alter out the tire with a spare or phone call a tow truck to bring your vehicle to a tire service technician.^[xv]
11

Take your vehicle to a technician immediately to get your tire fixed. Now that the pigsty in your tire is plugged, y'all should be able to drive your vehicle to a technician. Make certain y'all take your tire repaired by a professional person.^[16] If there aren't any shops open, bulldoze home and become direct to a store the side by side solar day. Driving for long periods of fourth dimension on a plugged tire is dangerous, and it could cause damage to your vehicle. Always check the instructions that came with your tire plug kit to see what distance yous can safely drive with a plugged tire.^[17]

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Question

Tin you drive with a nail in your tire?

Drew Hawkins1

Customs Reply

While information technology is possible for you to non notice if a nail is stuck in your tire, it tin be very dangerous and brand the damage much worse if you continue driving that way. As soon every bit yous run into or discover a nail in your tire, you demand to fix it. You lot can either remove the boom and patch the tire yourself or take your car to a mechanic or tire shop to take it repaired. The sooner you lot can go it fixed, the easier it will be to fix.
Question

Should I pull a screw out of my tire?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Respond

Yes, you should remove it right before y'all patch it so you lot can plug the hole. The spiral itself may actually be helping to concur the air inside of the tire, then don't pull information technology out until you're ready to repair it. Employ a tire plug kit, which will come up with all the tools y'all'll need to plug your tire, including tire plugs, an insertion needle, and a rasp tool. Only recall, a plug is temporary and you'll need to have the tire professionally repaired eventually.
Question

How do you fix a tire that has a nail in it?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Reply

You lot tin can temporarily patch a tire that has a nail in it and it will exist driveable and then you can bring it into a mechanic or tire shop to exist professionally repaired. Apply a pair of needle-nose pliers to remove the boom from your tire. Use a tire plug kit, which will come up with all the tools you'll need to plug your tire, including tire plugs, an insertion needle, and a rasp tool. Stick the rasp tool, into the hole and turn it back and forth to create an even opening. Run a tire plug through the hole at the terminate of the insertion needle and push it into the hole. So, pull the insertion needle up and out of the hole to plug the tire.

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Never inflate a tire to the maximum tire pressure level that's listed on the tire. Driving on the road causes your tire to expand. This can increase the tire pressure to the indicate that it surpasses what it'south able to handle.^[18]

Things You'll Need

Lug wrench
Car jack
Tape measure
Tire plug kit
Needle olfactory organ pliers
Knife or razor

About This Article

Article Summary X

To temporarily plug a blast hole so you can drive your automobile to a technician, locate the nail in your tire. If you're having problem accessing the smash, you might have to take your tire off. And so, remove the nail using needle nose pliers. Employ a tire plug kit to insert a rubber plug into the hole. Cut off the excess rubber sticking out using a knife or razor bract. When you're finished, drive your car to a technician to become it professionally repaired. For more tips on repairing a smash hole in your tire, like how to recognize holes that can't exist plugged or stock-still, go on reading!

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