How to Fix Tires Without Removing Them

A flat tire on your vehicle is a major inconvenience. But you don't need a professional to fix it. Keep a tire repair kit in your trunk or glove box. In fact, you don't even have to remove the tire to repair


•Step 1
Use a car jack to lift the corner of the car with the bad tire.

•Step 2
Find the object that punctured the tire. If it's not immediately visible, spray the tire with soapy water, if handy. It will bubble around the leak.

•Step 3
Remove the object from the tire with pliers.

•Step 4
Clean out the hole with the rasp tool from the repair kit. Insert it into the hole and rock it back and forth (this both cleans the hole and roughs up the rubber so the patch adheres better).

•Step 5
Thread the plug through the needle tool from the repair kit. If necessary, coat the plug with the adhesive that's in the repair kit.

•Step 6
Insert the needle with the plug into the puncture, then remove it just enough so you can cut the plug from the needle. The hole should now be plugged.

•Step 7
Allow any adhesives used to dry.

•Step 8
Trim the plug flush with the tire.

•Step 9
Fill the tire using the aerosol tire filler or air pump.

•Step 10
Release the car jack to return the tire to the ground