There are different types of damages your car’s tyres can incur. Some damages are repairable while others call for a tyre replacement. The problem most often encountered is “a flat tyre” or a puncture of a tyre, this can be caused by sharp objects such as a nail or a screw in the tyre.
However, just because you have a screw in your tyre doesn’t mean you’re going to get a flat tyre. In some cases, the screw may be short enough that it does not penetrate the airtight lining of the tyre. In other cases, its trajectory may have completely lost its coating.
Steps To Fix a Tyre With a Screw or Nail
If you have a screw in tyre, you will need to take your vehicle to a tyre service technician for professional repair. Driving on a vehicle with a screw stuck in the tyre can damage your car and cause an accident. However, you can temporarily plug your tyre hole so that you can easily take your vehicle to the service technician. Here is how you can fix the screw in tyres.
To avoid any such accident, it is important to know how to handle car tyres burst.
Plug Tyre Hole Temporarily
You can use a tyre plug kit to temporarily plug your tyre hole. A tyre plug kit includes a rasp tool, tyre plugs and an insertion needle. It is important to keep in mind that plugging in your tyre is only a temporary solution.
If your tyre is flat, you will need a portable tyre inflator and a pressure gauge so that you can pump your tyre after plugging it in. You can also use a tyre pressure monitoring system for this purpose.
Remove the Car Tyre
If you are unable to locate the screw or nail in the car tyre and if you cannot reach it, you will need to remove your tyre to plug the hole. Use a car jack to lift your car 6 inches from the ground. Then use a hook wrench to unscrew the lug nuts so you can remove your tyre. Once your tyre is removed, locate the screw.
Identify if Temporarily Plugin is Safe
Now you need to identify if it is safe to temporarily plug your tyre. Depending on the location of the screw in your tyre and the size of the hole. If the screw is in the side of your tyre or the edges of the tyre, then you will not be able to use a temporary plug.
However, if the screw hole is more than 0.64 cm in diameter, it is too large to be safely plugged. You will need to put on a car spare tyre or have your car towed to a repair shop.
If the screw is small and located in the tread of your tyre, you should be able to use a tyre plug kit to temporarily plug your tyre hole.
How To Plug a Tyre Hole
- Pass a tyre plug through the hole at the end of the insertion needle. The insertion needle is the tool with a T-shaped handle and a metal needle with a hole at the end.
- Now remove the screw stuck in tyre with the help of a needle nose plier. Keep the tyre plug kit with you so that you can quickly plug the hole without lowering the tyre air pressure.
- Insert the rasp tool into the hole and turn it back and forth. The jagged edges of the rasp tool will score your tyre hole so that the rubber stopper has something to cling to. Take the rasp tool out of the hole when finished.
- Now plug into the hole by using the insertion needle. When you push the plug through the hole, the rubber ends bend back and squeeze together. Stop pushing once the rubber ends are about 1.3 cm from entering your tyre hole.
- Take the insertion needle up and out of the hole. The tyre cap should stay in place in your tyre. If the stopper comes out, check again that you have inserted it correctly into the needle.
- Carefully cut the excess rubber with a knife or razor. You don’t want excess rubber to stick on top of your tyre’s tread.
- Inflate your tyre if it is flat. Use a portable tyre inflator and gauge to make sure your tyre is inflated to the correct pressure.
- Now that your tyre hole is plugged in, you should be able to take your vehicle to a technician to get it fixed.
Replace the Tyre if Necessary
Moreover, some areas in car tyres such as the shoulder and sidewall can’t be repaired. In both places, there is a lot of bending and movement and a plug-patch will not be valid. Also, if the puncture is in the tread, but the puncture is larger than a quarter of an inch, it cannot be safely repaired. Whether due to location or size, there are times when a tyre repair is not possible and you need to change car tyres.
Tyre safety in the UAE is quite important; hence, don’t risk driving with a screw in the tyre. Have a professional inspect and repair your tyre as soon as possible. In case you are looking for good quality car tyres for sale in the UAE, then check out the dubizzle website.
Besides, if you are planning to buy a used car in the UAE, make sure its tyres don’t have any metallic object in them to avoid extra expense.
If you want to have more car repair tips, stay tuned to the UAE’s top car blog.
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