How to Plug a Radial Tire
by James Melzer
Radial tires are tubeless tires that come standard on almost every vehicle. When a radial tire is punctured by a nail or other road debris, it can be repaired instead of being replaced. Plugging a punctured radial tire requires a tire plug kit that is available at any automotive store for around $5. This allows you to plug the radial tire yourself instead of spending money on a costly mechanic.
Step 1
Loosen the lug nuts on the wheel with the flat tire. Lift up the end of the car with the punctured radial tire with a jack. Remove the lug nuts with a lug wrench. Pull off the radial tire.
Step 2
Locate the obstruction causing the puncture and pull it out with the pliers.
Step 3
Open the tire repair kit. Put two to three drops of the rubber cement on the insertion probe and put it into the puncture. Work it back and forth to clean the hole and apply the rubber cement around it.
Step 4
Take one end of the repair strip from the tire plug kit and thread it through the needle of the insertion tool. Stop when it is halfway through. Put two to three drops of rubber cement on the end of the needle.
Step 5
Insert the needle into the puncture until 1/4 inch of repair strip remains sticking out. Give the handle a 1/4 turn and pull the needle out. The repair strip will not come with it. Cut the remainder of the repair strip sticking out of the puncture down to 1/8 of an inch.
Step 6
Inflate the tire to the pressure indicated on the tire wall.
References
Things You'll Need
- Jack
- Lug wrench
- Tire plug kit
- Tire inflator
- Scissors
- Pliers
Writer Bio
James Melzer began writing professionally in 2008. He is a novelist and freelance writer from Toronto, Canada. His feature writing has appeared on Digigasms and his journalistic work has appeared on Robodustrial. Melzer holds a degree in radio broadcasting from Loyalist College.
