Puncture Repairs

Most tyre fitters are if anything excessively cautious about repairing punctures.

If the repair is done correctly and is repairable then it's fine, if the nail went in fairly straight and is not within an inch of where the tyre starts curve for the side wall then all will be well. Watch for the use of a drill and a golf ball looking thing, if those are used then it has probably been done correctly. Having said that I own a tyre fitting company, and I would not drive on repaired tyres, but there again I don't pay the same money as you do for tyres.

If it is in the main tread area, yes.

The repair for nail punctures has been the same for donkeys years.

As I hate the average Tigra driver, I would say patch the tyre. If I was Fred or me, I would replace the tyre.

-- Stuart

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I've had many repairs and never had one fail.

The british standard now has changed and does not recommend repairs on "high performance" tyres of a certain rating and above, of which I suspect yours is not. I think these days that the "correct" repair is a patch like a bicycle patch but also with a stem that goes into the tyre. The repair is made with proper vulcanising fluid/glue.

If you're doing "normal" driving and keep the tyres properly inflated then I think generally there is no problem but if you drive very hard indeed or at very high speeds then I guess there is a chance that soemthign bad will happen but there is always that chance anyway.

Thanks guys - I went to the local tyre dealer - very nice manager showed and explained the repair you have described so well, and then pointed out the damage was too close to the shoulder.

Shame he didn't stock the right tyre at the right price!

Interesting to know see that opinion is divided on repairs, should you/shouldn't you....

Cheers anyway

Ian

If the nail is not in the sidewall, it can be repaired. Just use any tyre shop. Did you visit a DIY store? I have twice picked up a nail in my tyre after visiting a B&Q store.

You can repair whatever you like but the british standard states that the repairable area is defined as the central section of a percentage of the tyre's nominal section width and this is dependant on the type and size of the tyre, ranging from 60 to 70%.

BS also now states that tyres with high speed ratings cannot be repaired at all.

This is understandable if the tyres are really used for high speed such as the autobahn. But if you're cruising legally at 70mph, they I can't see any disadvantage of a repaired high speed tyre over a repaired low speed tyre.