Essential tools, materials and equipment for tire repair

Tire repair work requires the right equipment, tools and materials to ensure a quality job. Let’s look at some of the essentials for performing tire repair work.

Lifting equipment –- Repairing a flat or damaged tire properly requires that the wheel assembly be removed from the vehicle and tire demounted from the rim. Depending on where the damage happened and how far the driver dared travel, a vehicle jack or lift is used to get the vehicle off the ground and the tire/wheel assembly off the vehicle.

Bead spreader (tire spreader) –- To inspect and repair the tire properly, it is necessary to have the right equipment to spread the sidewalls to get a good look and access to the inside.

8-inch blunt awl –- In order to perform a quality repair, a blunt awl can be used to “get in there” to probe the puncture area, to determine the extent and angle of the wound and to remove any debris that may be trapped. The blunt tip helps prevent damage to the cords while making repairs.

Electric or air-powered drill -- Some repairs recommend the use of a powered drill (1,200 rpm max.) fitted with an appropriate sized carbide cutter.

Tire crayons –- Paint sticks or tire marking crayons help the technician mark and later locate areas requiring attention, such as leaks and injuries, for tire repair.

Tire repair materials –- Tire plug kits, patch kits, string plugs, inserts, and sealants are engineered to make it easy for technicians to perform quality tire repairs. It is important to not mix products from different repair material manufacturers.