How much does it cost to plug or patch a tire near you?

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Jeff7181

Lifer
Aug 21, 2002
18,368
11
81
I didn't realize so many people have trouble with punctured tires. In my 8 or so years of driving I've never had a flat tire... and the only time I had a tire losing air was because the valve stem was old.
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
15
81
fobot.com
last one i did i went to a chain tire store and they charged me $25
i won't go back there

before that, it was $10 at a local place
 

BobDaMenkey

Diamond Member
Jan 27, 2005
3,057
2
0
I've never had to pay for tire repairs. Local shop always takes care of me because I bought tires from them, and take my car to them if anything goes wrong. They're a great place.
 

cKGunslinger

Lifer
Nov 29, 1999
16,408
57
91
Originally posted by: Jeff7181
I didn't realize so many people have trouble with punctured tires. In my 8 or so years of driving I've never had a flat tire... and the only time I had a tire losing air was because the valve stem was old.

So in your 8 years of driving without a flat, have you broken 25,000 miles yet? :confused:
 

conehead433

Diamond Member
Dec 4, 2002
5,569
901
126
Free at Wal Mart if you buy your tires there and get the protection plan. Their protection plan will even replace the tire. My Dad had something happen to the sidewall of a Michelin tire on his car. It wasn't a tire warranty covered type of problem, but his Wal Mart protection plan replaced the tire free. Not bad.
 

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,127
616
126
Originally posted by: Ketteringo
Free at Discount Tire, but we do a lot of business w/ them.
Otherwise known as America's Tire Co. Its free even if you didn't buy them there.
 

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
29,391
2,738
126
i've driven 250k miles w/o a flat.

then i bought my new mazda3... a few months later, there was a slow leak caused by a nail. (i saw the nail in the tire, thus why i bought it to them.) $20 at mazda3 dealership.

how do plugs work? how do you patch the tire w/it???
 

Jeff7181

Lifer
Aug 21, 2002
18,368
11
81
Originally posted by: JEDI
i've driven 250k miles w/o a flat.

then i bought my new mazda3... a few months later, there was a slow leak caused by a nail. (i saw the nail in the tire, thus why i bought it to them.) $20 at mazda3 dealership.

how do plugs work? how do you patch the tire w/it???

A patch and a plug are different. A patch is applied to the inside of a tire by glueing a piece of rubber down and sealing the puncture. A plug is a piece of rubber that is inserted and glued into the hole created by a nail or something. Patching typically costs more because you have to remove the tire from the wheel and there's a bit more labor involved in installing the patch. With a plug, that's not necessary, you just have to let all the air out to plug a tire. A GOOD tech will remove a tire from the wheel anyway to check for damage inside, and also use both a plug and a patch to ensure it never begins to leak.
 

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
29,391
2,738
126
but how do you put the plug into the tire? the hole is just the width of the nail.
 

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,127
616
126
Originally posted by: JEDI
but how do you put the plug into the tire? the hole is just the width of the nail.
Rubber compressed. Think about it.

America's Tire Co pulls the tire off the wheel, cleans it up and uses a nice plug. Never had a problem with that method.
 

Armitage

Banned
Feb 23, 2001
8,086
0
0
I've always just plugged nail holes with those kits you get at walmart or such for 2 or 3 dollars. I've never had a problem with them - I've probably done it 3 or 4 times.
 

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
29,391
2,738
126
Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Originally posted by: JEDI
i've driven 250k miles w/o a flat.

then i bought my new mazda3... a few months later, there was a slow leak caused by a nail. (i saw the nail in the tire, thus why i bought it to them.) $20 at mazda3 dealership.

how do plugs work? how do you patch the tire w/it???

A patch and a plug are different. A patch is applied to the inside of a tire by glueing a piece of rubber down and sealing the puncture. A plug is a piece of rubber that is inserted and glued into the hole created by a nail or something. Patching typically costs more because you have to remove the tire from the wheel and there's a bit more labor involved in installing the patch. With a plug, that's not necessary, you just have to let all the air out to plug a tire. A GOOD tech will remove a tire from the wheel anyway to check for damage inside, and also use both a plug and a patch to ensure it never begins to leak.

but how do you put the plug into the tire? the hole is just the width of the nail.
 

Krazefinn

Senior member
Feb 1, 2006
610
0
0
Originally posted by: JEDI
but how do you put the plug into the tire? the hole is just the width of the nail.

The kit includes a small tool which resembles a split screwdriver, you insert the "string"like plug into too; slot, coat it with rubber cement, use included rasp to clean out hole after removal of nail etc.

Then push in the plugging tool half way, pull tool out and plug stays in the hole with 2 short ends sticking out. Rubber cemnt and heat of driving sets the repair. A steel belted radial can be hard to insert tool into, and plugs are alittle different/more expensive for them. Still, for just $3 or 4, and quickly performed, often tire doesnt lose much air and you are on your way. It pays to pay atention to that "click-click-click" sound a nail/screw makes, because if left too long, heat from the nail will burn much bigger hole, and you'll go flat.
 

TuxDave

Lifer
Oct 8, 2002
10,571
3
71
Originally posted by: ironcrotch
$0.

theres a pretty big chain called les schwab that does it for free for most of us left coasters

Ditto, the patched up my tire for free, replaced a missing cap AND gave me a free sunday newspaper.
 

shimsham

Lifer
May 9, 2002
10,765
0
0
5 at the local place. i just do it myself with a kit when i need to now. really easy and only takes 20mins or so, which is quicker than the tire shop.
 

Svnla

Lifer
Nov 10, 2003
17,986
1,388
126
The old tire store near my old house would do the job for about $5 each.

Sams Club would do it for members for free, even if you bought the tires from somewhere else.

$25 per tire is high to me. Almost 1/2 the cost of a new tire.
 

jcuadrado

Diamond Member
Oct 26, 1999
3,300
0
76
aphex...I'm in Florida too and have been to spots that are $20+ too...that's a rip IMO...

you have to go to those little mom/pop shops...$10 bucks at most...
 

aphex

Moderator<br>All Things Apple
Moderator
Jul 19, 2001
38,572
2
91
Damn, well i got back from Sams... Had the car 2 hours, and couldnt even fix it... The nail (with the head missing) is too close to the sidewall for him to patch. Gonna try somewhere else in the AM...