When It’s Time to Move On (From Your Old, Broken Tire)
You’re driving back home from a wonderful trip where you and your family just visited Busch Gardens Williamsburg (we love Apollo’s Chariot!). While on the way back, you reflect on how amazing the day was. Nothing could ruin this day, right?
Bang.
Spoke too soon. You pull to the side and see that you accidently ran over some debris from a previous accident. You inspect one of your wheels and find a nail in the tread. Yikes. Now you’ll have to replace that tire, right?
Not necessarily.
Just because your tire is damaged, doesn’t mean you have to replace it. Some tires can be repaired, but the circumstances have to be just right. Wondering what they are? Well, the Auto Pros are here to help you out.
Repair Your Tire
This is the ideal situation for anyone that’s on a budget. Most tire repairs range from $35 to free depending on the auto shop. Unfortunately, it takes pretty unique circumstances for the tire to be repaired rather than replaced. There’s usually two factors when it comes to properly repairing a tire: speed and damage.
Speed in this sense means how quickly a car owner took to recognize and respond to the problem. Typically, chances of a clean repair increase the quicker an owner takes action. For damage, it really depends on how bad the tire is. Car owners should never drive their vehicle with low tire pressure as it damages the interior and exterior of the tire. If there is a small and slow leak in the tire, that is usually easy to fix. If there is a small nail directly on the tire tread, that too will be easy to repair. Regardless of what the problem is, it’s best to leave the inspection and repair to a professional (like us!). We’ll be able to quickly assess the damage and determine if the tire is worth repairing or replacing.
Most tire manufacturers recommend only one repair for their tires. More than that compromises the tires safety and durability. Along with that, if the tire is damaged again and is in the same area as the first spot, then the tire should be replaced.
Replace Your Tire
The typical option for most drivers in this situation. You’ll usually spend a lot more money on tires but you’ll also have a brand new (or relatively new if it’s used) tire. This is a lot more straight-forward as most damages will require a completely new tire. You’ll also have peace of mind as you won’t have to worry about the damage to your tire from reoccurring, a luxury repaired tire owners may not have.
Parting Thoughts
If at the end you can’t tell, visit any reputable tire store. They should be able to tell you in just a few minutes. A good rule of thumb is that if there is any uncertainty, always replace the tire. You’ll leave you and your passengers a lot safer.