How to Fix a Tubeless Tyre Puncture? - Check the Procedure

Tyres are the only contact patch between your car and the road. However, tyres are prone to puncture due to bad road conditions or debris/sharp objects lying on the road. Nowadays, all modern vehicles come fitted with tubeless tyres. They are safe and reliable as they do not have an inner tube like the regular tyres and do not leak air instantly in the event of a puncture. 

As a car owner/driver, you may encounter this situation of tyre puncture, and it can cause a lot of inconveniences. But thanks to tubeless tyres, fixing a puncture is easy. Read on to know how to fix a tubeless tyre puncture.

How to Repair a Tubeless Tyre Puncture?

Repairing a tubeless tyre puncture is a straightforward process, and you don’t even need the help of a mechanic. However, before explaining the process of puncture repair, let’s find out what is the main difference between a standard tyre and a tubeless tyre. As the name suggests, a tubeless tyre doesn’t have an inner tube and fits directly onto the rim or alloy wheel. Due to this fact, it is easy to repair a puncture in a tubeless tyre.

One of the main advantages of tubeless tyres is that you need not remove the tyre from the rim/wheel to repair a puncture. Furthermore, if the puncture area is easily accessible, there is no need to remove the wheel from the car. All in all, tubeless tyres are safe, reliable and very easy to repair in case of a puncture.

Tools Required

To fix a tubeless tyre puncture, all you need is a tyre puncture repair kit. The kit comprises a rasper or smoothening tool, rubber strips and a strip insertion tool. You can buy a puncture repair kit at any tyre or car accessory store, or you can even order it online. You will also need a plier and a blade/knife to complete the repair. Lastly, it would help if you had an air compressor or a portable tyre inflator to fill the air in the repaired tyre.

Note: To fix a puncture on the rear tyres, you need to remove the wheel from the car. For that, you need a jack to lift the vehicle.

Inspection of Tyre

Before you get your hands dirty, thoroughly examine the tyre to locate the puncture. Pour water on the tyre to pinpoint the cause of air leakage. Because it could be frustrating to find out that there is more than one puncture after you have fixed a puncture.

Tubeless Tyre Puncture Repair Procedure

Fixing a tubeless tyre puncture is easy, and it hardly takes a few minutes, provided you have all the necessary tools. Below are the steps to repair a tubeless tyre puncture.

• Step 1 - Park your car in a safe and well-lit area. If you are driving, then park the car on the side of the road away from the traffic.

• Step 2 - Locate the puncture. If the puncture is on the front tyres, there is no need to remove the wheels as you can turn the steering wheel left or right to access the inside or outside part of the tyre. If the rear tyre is punctured, you need to use a jack to lift the car and remove the wheel to fix the puncture.

• Step 3 - Once you have found the puncture location, remove the nail/sharp object from the tyre with the help of a plier.

• Step 4 - Next, use the rasper/smoothening tool to smoothen the hole created by the nail. You may have to insert and remove the tool multiple times to make a big enough hole to accommodate the rubber strip. Once done, do not remove the smoothing tool from the hole.

• Step 5 - Insert the rubber strip halfway into the insertion tool. The process is similar to threading a needle.

• Step 6 - Remove the smoothening tool from the hole and insert the tool with the rubber strip and push it all the way. After a second, pull out the insertion tool as the rubber strip will fill up the hole.

• Step 7 - Use a knife or blade to cut the strip which is protruding outside the tyre.

• Step 8 - Fill up the air in the tyre using a portable tyre inflator/air compressor and check for any air leakage from the fixed puncture.

As mentioned earlier, the tubeless tyre puncture repair procedure is simple and can be an interesting DIY. 

However, there are a few points that you need to keep in mind while repairing a puncture. 

• Never use a puncture kit that is older than two years, as the rubber strip will get too hard, and it will be impossible to insert the strip inside the hole.

• Another critical point is that you can only repair small punctures caused by sharp objects using puncture repair kits. If there is a big cut or the tyre has torn apart, you cannot repair such a tyre, and you may need to replace the tyre itself. 

• Lastly, fix the puncture by yourself only if you are confident that you can handle the tools. If not, it’s better to take your car to a puncture repair shop because you may end up damaging the tyre if you do it wrongly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions and their answers related to tubeless tyre puncture repair.

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions and their answers related to tubeless tyre puncture repair.

Is it safe to drive with a punctured tubeless tyre?

Yes, you can drive your car with a punctured tubeless tyre, but not for long distances as it can damage the rim or alloy wheel. Ideally, you can drive the car till you find a nearby puncture repair shop as a tubeless tyre deflates gradually, unlike the standard tyre, which deflates instantly.

Is it safe to fix the tubeless tyre puncture by myself?

Yes, it is safe to fix the puncture by yourself as you will not be fiddling with any mechanical or electrical components. However, you have to be careful using the puncture repair kit as it may damage the tyre if not used properly.

Do I need any special tools to repair the tubeless tyre puncture?

No, there is no need for any special tools. All you need is a puncture repair kit, pliers, and a blade or knife.

Do I need to remove the wheel to fix the puncture?

You don't need to remove the front wheels as you can easily access the outside and inside part of the tyre by turning the steering wheel. However, if the rear tyres are punctured, there is no space to work on the puncture. Hence, you have to remove the wheels by jacking up the car.

How can I locate the puncture in a tubeless tyre?

The easiest way to locate a puncture in a tubeless tyre is by looking out for any nails or sharp objects that may have pierced the tyre. If you cannot find a nail/sharp object, pour water on the tyre, and air bubbles will indicate the puncture spot.

Does using a rasper or smoothening tool damage my car’s tyre?

No, if used correctly, a smoothening tool will not damage the tyre. The purpose of using the smoothening tool is to smoothen or enlarge the hole to insert the rubber strip to stop air leakage.

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