How To Plug A Hole In Your Tire Tread

I recently had my right front tire pressure get low. Upon inspecting it I found a nice little screw in the tread of the tire. I got lucky that was the only issue because now I can repair it using a plug kit. You cannot use a plug kit if the leak is in the bead or the sidewall, it is actually really dangerous if you do. You can find these at any auto parts store or probably even a gas station. They are relatively cheap, the one I picked up cost only $9. I figured I would write a little about it to try and help someone out.

  1. Go to your nearest auto parts store and pick up one of these.
  2. Remove the item that punctured the tire if it is still in there.
  3. Run the wire brush or coarse tool they supply up and down through the hole to ensure it is clean.
  4. Thread one of the tar strips into the tool with the needle eye half way.
  5. Next coat the tar strip with the glue they supply.
  6. Now comes the hard part. Shove the tool with the tar strip into the hole until the tar strip is about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way down. In one motion, quickly pull up on the tool so it leaves the tar strip in the tire hole.
  7. Now just cut off the excess so it is flush with the tread of the tire. The rest will slowly wear down with the tire as they gradually wear down.
  8. Check for any leaks. If none, re-inflate your tire to proper pressure.
Since I had to quickly do this during work, well so I could make it back to work, I couldn’t video the process. I found this video online and figured I would share.