DIY tubeless tire puncture repair

In detail: do-it-yourself repair of a tubeless tire puncture from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

If you puncture a wheel while driving, it is not necessary to immediately go to the service and spend money on the services of the masters. The breakdown is, in fact, nothing. There are many ways to repair a tubeless tire yourself.

The tubeless tire repair technique, which will be presented below, is suitable only for this type of tire. Therefore, before starting work, it is important to decide which type is installed on your car.

The main difference between a tubeless tire is the absence of a rubber tube. Its role is played by a rubber airtight layer. On average, its thickness ranges from 2 to 3 millimeters, depending on the manufacturer and model. It literally melts into the inner surface. This ensures high tightness.

This design allows you to use a tubeless tire repair kit and restore the integrity of the structure in 20-25 minutes. The cost of restoration work rarely exceeds 300-500 rubles.

Tubeless tires can be self-adhesive or regular. In the first option, upon receiving damage, the air will escape at a minimum speed, which will ensure safety on the road. In the second case, to get even to the garage, you need to screw a self-tapping screw into the hole. Of course, if you have a tubeless repair kit, all the operations can be done right on the road. The structure itself consists of elements such as:

  • ribs,
  • protectors,
  • tread blocks,
  • shoulders protector,
  • grooves,
  • rings,
  • radial frame,
  • nylon bandage,
  • slats,
  • valve,
  • steel breaker,
  • boards, etc.
Video (click to play).

This is the benchmark, yet every tire manufacturer strives to bring something new, striving for excellence. This type of wheel has the following advantages:

  • low heating;
  • increased security;
  • long service life;
  • reduced weight in comparison with chamber analogs.

Unfortunately, externally tubeless tires are extremely difficult to distinguish from ordinary ones. But there are some tried and true methods to help you decide whether or not to buy a tubeless repair kit.

In recent years, tubeless tires have been installed on all new passenger cars. If your car was released no earlier than 5 years ago, most likely it has just such wheels.

The simplest but shortsighted way of determining is a puncture. Tubeless tires deflate much more slowly. While ordinary ones almost immediately lose their shape.

To understand what type of wheels your car has, pay attention to the nipple. In a design where there is a camera, it is cylindrical or cone-shaped. The tubeless type has a rubber seal with a small shoulder at the base of the nipple. It is made so that air does not escape from the wheel.

A good puncture test is to push the nipple inward. If you succeed, then there is a camera inside. Otherwise, you can safely take up the repair kit.

The first step in repairing is to determine exactly where the puncture is. However, besides the nail on the road, there are a number of reasons that can lead to air leaks:

  1. The place where the beads adjoin the disc is unsealed.
  2. Skips the spool.
  3. The valve is loose.
  4. The wheels have been in operation for a long time without pumping.

If we talk about mechanical damage, then this is most often a puncture of the protector with a nail or a screw, or a side cut. There is nothing complicated in the determination method. Simply immerse the tire in water or cover it with soapy water.Any astringent fluid will do. Bubbles will appear at the puncture site.

If, after processing the entire surface of the tire, the puncture site is still not found, concentrate your efforts on the surface around the nipple, as well as in the places where the tire adheres to the disc.

If a third-party object pierces the tire, you can do the repair yourself and save time and money for a trip to the service station. The main thing is that the nail is not thicker than five millimeters. Otherwise, certain difficulties may arise.

The main advantage of this repair is that it can be done without removing the wheels. In the process of work, you will need the following tools:

  1. a tool to expand the puncture.
  2. harnesses made of raw rubber.
  3. harness installation tool.
  4. adhesive activator for repairing tubeless tires or special paste.

In this case, you can use both improvised means and a set (it can be purchased for 200-300 rubles). If you decide to do with the tools available in the garage, then keep in mind that the knife must be very sharp. The reinforced structure of the rope is extremely difficult to cut.

When choosing a tool to widen the hole, keep in mind that the tire has many layers and is extremely durable. The standard version of the kit is a round file with a sharp point. The T-shaped handle allows it to be easily screwed into the tire, adjusting the hole to the desired size.

The file for enlarging the hole is made of hardened steel and can withstand high mechanical stress. With it, you prepare the holes for the harness insertion.

The harness insertion tool deserves special attention. It is usually only provided in tubeless repair kits. A special cut at the bottom is used to fix the patch. In this case, as soon as you pull the steel bar out of the tire, the tourniquet will slip into the hole and remain inside.

The harnesses themselves are made from so-called raw rubber. To increase the strength, special fibers are used. A tire with such a patch can withstand tens of thousands of kilometers.

After you have found the puncture site and have prepared all the necessary tools, it's time to start directly repairing your tubeless tires.

First you need to remove all the dirt from the damaged area. Then assess whether a tubeless tire harness kit can help fix the defect. If the hole is more than 5 mm, then you cannot do without a trip to the service center. There, specialists will install a special "fungus" that ensures complete sealing of large holes.

At the second stage, release the air, the approximate pressure in the tire should be no more than 0.5 atmosphere. This will relieve stress on the structure and maintain the cord. Insert the instrument into the puncture, rotate it several times and remove it back. Repeat the operation 2-3 times.

After a hole of the required diameter has been formed, insert a tourniquet for repairing tubeless tires, having previously coated it with glue or special paste. Inflate the tire and spray the puncture site with soapy water or spray. If bubbles appear, the operation will have to be repeated.

At the end of the work, carefully cut the ends of the protruding bundle. Below is a detailed video of DIY tubeless tire repair. It will help you clarify many of the details and make the process easier to understand.

After checking the pressure, you can safely go to the track. The tire will serve you until it wears out.

Repairing tubeless tires involves more than just repairing punctures. There are a number of damages that can interfere with normal driving. Unfortunately, the repair kit will be useless in such cases.

Very often, drivers are interested in the question of how the side cut of a tubeless tire is repaired? Unfortunately, in most cases, such damage is considered a verdict on the tire.

Of course, there are technologies that allow recovery.But after that you have to do a new balancing. The thing is that the balance of the tire deteriorates due to a change in the structure.

To repair a tubeless tire, a cord is usually cut when a cut is made. Because of this, it is difficult to predict the behavior of the tire on the track. In theory, it can hold out for several tens of thousands of kilometers or burst in a couple of months.

The only repair option for tubeless tires that gives a good result is vulcanization. The patch is installed from the inside using special equipment and can serve for many years.

To repair tubeless tires with a dent in the rim, it is best to contact a specialized workshop. As a temporary measure, simply hit the disc with a hammer and partially repair the dent.

If the disc has corroded, the tire is removed and refurbished with a tubeless tire sealant. The entire area where the rubber comes into contact with the disc is thoroughly oiled.

A small puncture in the tire can be repaired on your own in twenty minutes. The recovery procedure is not complicated and does not require any special knowledge. Another tubeless tire repair video is shown below. As you can see, everything is really simple.