Flat Tire Repair

Proper Tire Repair

At Discount Tire, we will only repair tires in accordance with the proper guidelines. Attempting to repair tires damaged beyond these thresholds can make driving unsafe.

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Tire Repair Guidelines

In order to conduct a safe tire repair, a thorough tire inspection is required. Before beginning a tire repair, the tire must be removed from the wheel assembly. Not all unsafe conditions are visible from the outside of the tire. Removing the tire from the wheel assembly allows a thorough inspection of the exterior and interior walls of the tire to determine if any hidden damage may be present.

The first consideration when evaluating if a tire can be repaired is to confirm the type, size, and location of the damage.

Repairs are limited to the tread area only. Do not repair a tire if the injury extends into the shoulder or sidewall area. In this situation, the tire must be replaced.


In order for the tire to be repairable, the puncture must be 1/2 inch away or more from the treads edge where the steel belt begins. Any puncture less than 1/2 inch from the start of the steel belt, is not suitable for repair.

Punctures greater than 1/4 of an inch or 6mm are prohibited. Full tire replacement is required if punctures exceed this limit. Repairs to larger tread punctures, irregular gashes, or cuts exceeding 1/4 of an inch are not permitted. If cuts have sliced through the tire’s steel belts it reduces the strength and durability of the tire, making it unreliable and unsafe.

Repairs can never overlap. If new damage compromises a previously repaired area, the tire will not be safe to repair.

Patching, by itself, is never a suitable repair. Proper repair procedures dictate that the injury must first be completely filled with a suitable vulcanizing material or solid rubber stem. Secondly, a patch must then be applied to the inner liner to complete the repair.

Not all tires qualify to be repaired. Some tires have special repair limits, and others may have suffered damage too extensive to repair. The end results of returning a permanently weakened, or incorrectly repaired, tire to service could be catastrophic.

Discount Tire will always check the tire damage against our guidelines to ensure proper repair and safety. If you have any questions or concerns regarding repairing a flat tire, stop by your local Discount Tire and we'll get you taken care of.

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