Fixing a Flat Tire

This is a guide for how to fix your flat tire. It should cover every step of installation and has a few tips I have always found useful. Using these methods, you can save a few hundred dollars (depending on where you buy your tires and what type of tires you buy) every time you hit some nail or, in this case, a SELF TAPPING SCREW!

Unfortunately, I have recently had my wallet stolen so this is what I could afford to do. If you happen to be in the same boat (goodness forbid) this will be very very helpful. However, if you are in an emergency situation and just went flat, please use your spare and get somewhere safe before attempting to fix your flat! Safety first!

For this project you are going to NEED very few tools. That being said, there are also a few things you can add to your list of items if you need help with force or grip, like I do, or just want the job to go more smoothly. (I have chronic pain conditions so I prefer to work smarter and not harder {now}.)

REQUIRED ITEMS:

1. Tire Patch Kit - These can come in small kits or big kits, from a specific car tire kit to full on patch kits that include supplies for patching a variety of items. Any of these kits are handy to have in your emergency kit in your vehicle. These patch kits are available anywhere from Amazon to some convenience stores. Below is a link for a simple kit on Amazon.
2. Air Compressor - I prefer to keep one of these in case I get low on tire pressure. They are good for all general inflation around the house. The one I am using has an auto-off feature where you can set the PSI and it will automatically shut off.
3. Jack Kit - Typically, any car that you buy, used or new, will come with a jack kit. It will include a jack, tire iron, and sometimes an additional breaker bar. If you don't know where yours is, you can check your manual, which can usually be found in your glove box.
4. Pliers/Vice Grips - I am using a pair of vice grips, but pliers work just as well. Vice grips take a little bit of messing with to get the right grip, but they will work well and pull anything out that you need. They have super tiny adorable versions at most auto parts store counters.
5. Grease Wrag - I prefer a blue rag from the auto aisle at most any big box store. also available at most mom and pop cat shops. If you don't have this any cotton or spare wrag works. sometimes it helps to ask for a few "blue Rags" when getting parts or fluids, and stuff them where they fit in your compartments.... uh yeah...like into where your jack is!

ADDITIONAL HELPFUL ITEMS:

1. Knee Pads - Personally, I find that a pair of knee pads goes a long way for how little they can cost. I found mine on clearance at the local big box store. When pivoting tires around and working the jack, they can protect your knees.
2. Gloves - I used Nitrile gloves that, as you can see, did not work as well as I had hoped. They did what they could up until I started using the jack and they got all twisted up. Please remember to pick up glove scraps if this happens to you as birds and critters might come to harm.
3. Cordless Drill - Now here is a key part for me, as I have pain problems and cannot get the force I need by hand. I removed the factory made handles from a screwdriver with a few hammer whacks. When you do this, it makes it fit well into a drill just as a bit would. I used my cordless drill with both pieces needed to punch and plug the hole.
4. Soapy water - This is usually a great thing to have on hand if you have a shop. I do not as I am poor (and on top of that my wallet was stolen (great right?!)). I didn't have a spare bottle, but I had a puddle near by. Once you reinflate the tire you can spray the patch with a soapy water to check for bubbles. (****my poor person method next****) if you cant afford a spare bottle you can find a close-by puddle or make one, as long as the hole is submerged.
5. Hat/Coat/Boots - This may seem like a counter-intuitive idea but simple things like the proper PPE (personal protective equipment) can make a job go much smoother and can help you stay calm, comfortable, and keep you from raging out (which is my other problem). I prefer to have a comfortable hat to keep long hair back and sun and grease away (black hat, as it will get dirty!). A coat should be in the vehicle just in case. Boots are always best when working with heavy equipment like this; it's simply more safe then any open-toed or soft shoe.

This is not for emergency instruction. If you just got a flat, swap your spare and PLEASE, get somewhere safe!!!

That being said, find a safe and flat area to setup for your project. Remember, you will be using a jack so it's best not to be on gravel or a slope. You will be putting the jack behind or in-front of your tire, depending on which tire you are replacing. When you are in your desired spot, put your vehicle into P (park) and turn your vehicle off. I prefer to engage my parking break, so find your parking break pedal, or lever, and move on to preparing the area.

I don't have much of an area to work in but I was able to double-park under a carport at my apartment. Usually people wont mind this if you are out of the way and respectful. This worked well and was very stable.

At this point you should have everything together. If not then put on your emergency flashers and gather everything listed from your house. I like to put everything within reach so I don't have to get up any more than absolutely necessary. Setup your work area as shown in the last photo; everything near by.

This is the time to put on your gloves and knee pads, if you have not already. (As well as anything else you might want, depending on where you live and what helps you work. (I prefer having Bobs Burgers [recipes to come] or other TV playing on my phone during, but some might find that distracting. Do what works for you!)

1. Find your lift point under your door. I am replacing a front tire so the lift point is behind the tire. If you are changing a back tire, the lift point will be infront of the tire. When feeling underneath the frame you will feel there is a spot that is more flat then the rest of the frame. The spot you are looking for is shown in the 2nd photo. It should be a flatish spot in the frame, a few inches across.
2. Slide your flat, unopened jack underneath the frame and slowly (by hand) turn the eyelet that the rod goes into. Doing this will allow you to control where it connects with the car and you can make sure it is flush and secure against the flatter spot described above. When you can no longer spin it by hand, connect the breaker bar and from there, add on the tire iron. The bolt cap should face out like a handle.
3. Keep jacking up your vehicle until you have 2-3 (two to three) inches of clearance, depending on how big your tires are once inflated (think ahead). Using the last photo, I have illustrated where I put my hands for the best and easiest motion. This is basic and simple to some, but far-fetched to others... so... take or leave it as you may! I tend to like knowing. The last pic shows what I mean by keeping the bolt cap facing out, and where I prefer to put my hand for bracing.
4. Remove your tire iron from the breaker bar, and the breaker bar as well so you don't trip or fall on it. (This hurts and is not helpful.) Now you are done jacking up the vehicle!

When removing a tire, make sure to go in a star pattern (as shown in the photo) and to go gently and easily. I will be scooting past this part to focus more on the repair aspect of this instructable.

After you have removed your tire, you will be able to determine the cause of the flat if you couldn't before. With these simple steps, it's easy to remove any foreign body from your tire.

1. Locate the nail or screw - When looking for your foreign object (tv show language) you can use the reamer tools tip to poker at things to make sure it is or is not the problem. usually it will be fairly obvious. but slowly roll your tire and look at the flat of the tire first. the most common thing will be a round topped screw or nail head. in this case it was a self tapping screws as shown in the photos.
2. Pry up slightly - I did not mention that you need a pry tool as i just use my reamer tip that comes in the kit. use this to gently get underneath your item. in this case you have the screw head and the grooves of the tire to gain access. BE CAREFUL AND SLOW! IF YOU BEAK IT IT WILL BE FAR MORE DIFFICULT!
3. Latch on Vice Grips - From here you can twist your nut on your vice grips to size and latch them to your screw head or whatever might be in your tire. I prefer a smaller pair for this but i only had my large pair available. you can find tiny adorable grips at most any auto parts store counter as an impulse buy.will add links in post somewhere.
4. SLOWLY Remove - Its pretty simple. DON'T BREAK THE SCREW OR ITEM, go slow, and a little bit of a twisting motion is absolutely helpful. easy as it goes. Simple and easy!
5. Store Item - As tempting as it may be to throw it somewhere or against something, Please make sure to store your item you just pulled out of your tire, in something! I usually put them in the kit i just used as there should be enough space. Just please be clean!
6. check for any other items just in-case and now you are ready for plugging!

Possibly one of the more intimidating parts of the process. you will start witht the tool that looks like a file, follow with the tool that looks like a strange sewing tool.

1. Start with putting the first tool that looks like a file or a rough pole. if you are using a drill insert it in like you would do with any other bit.
2. Line up the tip of the tool with the hole and start reaming the hole or punching the tool back and forth. the goal here is to make a slightly bigger and smoother hole for the plug to slip into as well as the tool you will be using. if using the drill, start slow and go at whatever speed you are comfortable with but remember it started as a hand tool so you dont need to go crazy with it. NOTE: PLEASE BE CAREFUL IF USING THE TOOL BY HAND! IT CAN SLIDE OUT AND STAB YOUR HAND!! IT DOES NOT FEEL GOOD!!!
3. once you have the hole reamed, you can pull a "tire plug" from the packet and thread it through your weird sewing tool (not sure what alse to call it) and start making it even on both sides. This is Depicted in the 4th and 5th photos.
4. line up the tip of your tool with the hole and gently twist the plug into place with firm pressure. keep twisting in the same direction. it will be slow going if you are doing this by hand but that's ok. If using the drill, do the same thing but drill slowly as you press it into the tire. NOTE: You can go to far with the drill and punch the plug all the way in! if you do this you will have to retry and there will be no way to retrieve the plug.
5. When pressing the plug in you should stop when there is 3/4 to 1 and 1/4 inches sticking out from both ends.
6. Start slowly pulling out, and this may be hard to get going but once you do it should slide out away from the plug, leaving it in place and sealing the hole completely. that should be a complete patch.
7. Pic.7-10 show what it looks like when you are not going deep enough. an easy way to tell is when tugging hard it will come out. The last photo in this set shows what the plug should look like after you remove the tool and the end goal!

NOTE: you can trim off the extra material after you are done but i prefer to just leave it so it becomes part of the tire and helps to keep it from coming out. This is just opinion so do what makes you feel comfortable.

This is when you will be able to check for any leaks and to see all your progress! Depending on your air pump there are a few ways to do this. I am using a Bellaire3000 and this is fairly inexpensive at Fred Meyers and is extremely light. I was fortunate to have one already, and it came in very handy for this. Inflation took about 10-15 MINUTES.

1. Lay your tire down flat and find your air valve (took me 5 mins to think of word "VALVE") and make sure to keep your cap when you take it off. i prefer to put it in my kit so it does not get lost.
2. Screw on your hose to the AIR VALVE, and start your pump.
3. If your pump does not have a screw on function you can hold the hose on firmly while inflating.
4. Keep an eye on your tire as it inflates to make sure there are no leaks. If you are not sure what tire pressure you are looking for, it should be on the outside wall of your tire.
5. Once you reach the preferred PSI (Pound per Square Inch) you can turn your pump off, and start unscrewing your hose.
6. NOTE: Some pumps will have an auto off function.

This is a somewhat optional step. If yo are already dirty and have the tire off then why not? a simple soap with a ratio of 1 cup water to 1 cup liquid dish soap. so a simple 1:1 ratio! Swirl it around gently and you have a leak test spray!

If you can afford a spray bottle and have made the mix described above, spray it on the spot with the hole facing straight up. A couple douses may be needed if it runs off and spraying slow and steady works best. Pouring also works if you just want to use a cup. If you don't have this option, or rushed (ME) then you can put the hole side down in a puddle and look for any bubbles. Make sure to look all around for any bubbles. Also, you are looking for a long stream of bubbles. Not surface bubbles from on top of the tire, or from the grooves.

Should you see any bubbles then pull the plug out with the pliers (or vice grips) and try again. This is not a bad thing. Better to be safe then sorry!

This is just the same as taking off the tire but in reverse. make sure you have everything put away and prepare to re-install your tire.

1. Clean your work area so you can SAFELY install your tire.
2. Gently easy your rim onto the bolts and press so it is close to the final portion (does not need to be flush yet)
3. Hand tighten your bolt caps into place in a star motion or skip every other bolt in till you have them all snug. as you tighten them you can wobble the tire closer to the final position and going from bolt to bolt will allow you to make sure it is even and safely done.
4. use your tire iron to tighten the bolts in again, a star pattern or skipping each other bolt.
5. there is a pic above that shows the pattern if a visual helps!
6. when they are much tighter, position the tire iron just to the right on straight up, and wrench down on it to give it a firm rightness.
7. Make sure there is nothing underneath the tire, And that your tire has no wobble in it before the next step. By "NO WOBBLE" i mean put your hands on both sides of the tire after tightening and give it a wiggle (gently as your still on a jack) and make sure there is no... wobble..

Not to belittle dropping the vehicle but it is essentially putting it up, But in reverse. Make sure nothing is underneath your tire, and (again) that your tire has no wobble in it before dropping. By "NO WOBBLE" i mean put your hands on both sides of the tire after tightening and give it a wiggle (gently as your still on a jack) and make sure there is no... wobble..

1. Hook on the breaker bar or whatever tools come with your jack set. in this case a breaker bar and a tire iron.
2. Gently lower your vehicle at a comfortable speed. Nobody wants a jack to fall over and yes it can happen.
3. When you are nearing the ground I prefer to slow down and ease the tire back down.
4. As you get detached from the vehicle you can slip out the jack and hold it up by the eyelet and spin the jack entirely to speed up the closing process. this should help it fit into its cubby easier.
5. Wipe down your jack and tire iron to prevent rust and grease smudges before storing.
6. Now should be a good time for you to release your emergency brake and to start cleaning.

Now is a good time to do a loop around the vehicle to make sure you did not miss anything you dropped or... threw.. gather your tools and put them in your vehicle trunk or "away" somewhere. Wipe things down, And once it is safe move to your usual parking spot. Once you are moved and the tire has been shifted under the weight of the vehicle you can make sure there are no leaks or hissing sounds coming from your tire. CONGRATULATIONS! you just saved money, Reused, And up-cycled your tire and got so much more life out of it!