lisitsa

While I'm still too young to drive, I came to thinking why to change a flat on a car you need to replace the wheel. Could you not patch it up with a heavy duty bike patch, or would it be too hard to get the tire off the rim? Do they patch wheels on motorbikes?

chimivee

You can patch a car tire (involves removing tire from rim), or plug a car tire (w/ out removing from rim). Many service stations will do this for about $10-$15. A plug kit can be purchased at an auto parts store and is an easy DIY temporary repair.

Kev

They patch car tires all the time, who would replace a tire expecialy cost of car tires just for a nail causing a flat.

Basicaly there are two types of patches for car tires, there is ones similar to bike tube patches that go on the inside of the tire. These are not used as much since you hace to remove the tire from the rim. The other kind are these rubber type rope you force into the whole which basicaly because of the sticky rubber will squeeze throught then expands to normal size sealing the puncture. If a car tire is punctured on the side wall it can not be patched, due to the patches not being able to hold the rubber of the tire together.

jhota

1. "rag" plugs suck. when used on a radial tyre, the belts in the tyre tend to scissor together and bisect the plug, making it worthless. they also leak through the plies of the plug body. "rag" type plugs should only be used as temporary fixes until a proper internal patch can be applied.

2. flat internal patches are old tech and superseded. they work o.k., but do not maintain the tyre's original load and speed ratings.

3. car and truck tyres should only be repaired with a "mushroom" or "patch-plug" type repair. when properly installed they maintain the tyre's load and speed ratings, support the damaged belt material, and can be used for sidewall punctures. these repairs are installed from inside the tyre and extend through the damaged area. when properly installed, the damaged belts are cut away, and the density of the "plug" material prevents the scissoring effect seen with rag plugs. this prevents premature tyre failure (belt separation) and stabilises the belts (maintaining speed and load ratings). the patch portion covers the damaged area inside the casing, restoring airtight integrity. in addition, a chemical sealant should be applied to cover the area where the tyre liner (butyl or halobutyl) has been buffed away to allow the patch to adhere.

bike patches are not unlike the tube patches still used on tube-type applications (old cars, trucks, equipment) - but they are nowhere near what is required for a radial tyre repair.

bbattle

I spent a summer changing and fixing tires on log trucks in Alabama. Two piece rims and tires that weighed more than I do. By all means do I recommend you pay a service station to patch your tires. They are faster and the cost is minimal.