Tire Repair
The importance of tire repair
Maximize the stability and safety of your vehicle by ensuring your tires are in good working condition. To avoid loss of control and decrease the chance of accidents, it is important to properly inspect your tires and get expert help to repair deflated or punctured tires.
We offer the following tire repair services, which are performed by our expert technicians in accordance with strict industry standards:
- Dismounting and inspection of tires
- Flat tire repair
- Rebalancing of tire and wheel assembly
How to reduce the risk of tire damage
In many cases, tire damage is caused by road hazards, but uneven wear can also set a tire up for damage. You can take several actions to extend the life of your tires and reduce the chances of them needing repair.
First, check your tire pressure regularly and adjust as needed, so you are always driving on properly inflated tires. A tire that is too firm or too soft can be damaged more easily than a tire that is inflated according to the manufacturer and vehicle specifications. Continued driving on underinflated tires can also cause hidden structural damage that sets a tire up for catastrophic failure.
Second, schedule a wheel alignment at least once a year. Over time as you are driving (especially over bumpy roads), your vehicle's suspension system can loosen up and shift. This shift causes the tires to track at the wrong angle leading to increased and uneven wear. A yearly or twice-a-year alignment can correct these problems before they damage your tires.
Third, rotate your tires regularly according to manufacturer recommendations. In most cases, you should schedule a tire rotation every 10,000 to 12,000 kilometers. Regular rotations also help to ensure tires wear evenly. Even with proper alignment, not all your tires get the same amount of wear and abuse. This is especially true of two-wheel drive cars.
Finally, pay attention to road hazards and avoid driving on surfaces that could damage your tires. Nails, sharp rocks, and other pointy objects can easily puncture a tire. If you see an unknown object on the roadway in front of you, switch lanes to avoid it if safely possible. If not, attempt to straddle the object, so your tires do not make contact with it.
Types of tire repair
Puncture repairs are done for minor holes in the tread crown. A combination plug and patch repair is most often used on punctures.
Spot repairs fill in exterior surface damage to the tread, shoulder, or sidewall of a radial tire. Spot repairs can also be done on bias tires if the damage affects less than 25% of the plies or layers.
The most extensive type of tire repair is a section repair. Section repairs are done if the sidewall, shoulder, or tread crown damage to a radial tire extends through the casing. On a bias tire, section repairs are considered for tires with damage to more than 25% of the plies.
How to tell if your vehicle’s tire can be repaired
While our expertly trained technicians will make the final call on whether your tire can be fixed, a punctured tire is typically eligible for repair if:
- The remaining tread depth is greater than the minimum legally required depth.
- The puncture site is located on the center three-quarters of the tread.
- The puncture is less than 6mm in size.
- No previous punctures are near the area of the new puncture.
Types of tire damage that cannot be repaired
Not every damaged tire can or should be repaired. Before a tire repair is attempted, a trained professional needs to assess the tire and determine whether a repair is possible and safe. If the damage is too severe or is located on a non-repairable portion of the tire, you will need a replacement tire.
Tires that should be replaced rather than repaired include:
- Tires that have been driven on while flat.
- Runflat tires (unless the manufacturer has approved repairs and the tire was not driven on following the damaging incident).
- Bulging tires.
- Tires with shoulder or sidewall damage.
- Tires with a worn tread surface.
- Tires with a pre-existing damage and repair site near the location of the new damage.
- Tires with a damage site that is larger than 6mm.
What is included in a tire repair
When you bring your vehicle in for a tire repair, we will first remove, dismount, and inspect the tire. We will assess the location, type, and extent of the damage to determine whether the tire can be safely repaired. If the tire is eligible for a repair, we will complete the repair work then rebalance and remount the tire and wheel assembly.
Remember, if a flat or damaged tire leaves you stranded, give us a call. Our expert team will assess your tire and repair or replace it to get you back on the road as soon as possible.