Flat Tire Repair in Tulsa, OK
Almost any sharp object on the road can cause a flat tire. After a tire is damaged, many drivers turn to a spare tire. However, that’s only a temporary fix. Doughnuts spares are only good for about 50 to 70 miles. After that, a full—size tire will be needed.
Why You Should Consult With A Tire Repair Shop
Tate Boys understands how frustrating a flat tire can be; that’s why we offer quick tire repairs at our locations.
At our tire repair shop, we will remove the tire from the wheel and thoroughly inspect your tires for hidden damage that could risk weakening the tire.
Tate Boys does not recommend that drivers attempt to repair the tires themselves. An improperly repaired tire may fail while driving at high speeds, which can cause you to lose control of the vehicle.
If you have any questions regarding your tire’s condition, we’ll be glad to inspect them for you.
Important Tire Safety Tips
Keeping yourself and your family safe on the road is the top priority for every vehicle owner. A set of good working tires is the foundation to keeping you on the road and driving safely. Tires that are older, have visibly worn tread, are not aligned properly, or not inflated to the appropriate pressure are all dangers to the safety of your vehicle.
There are many things that can be done to prevent a flat tire. Keeping your tires properly maintained is just as important as other preventive maintenance is to keep your vehicle running efficiently and safely. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation both emphatically state that having safe tires is vital to safe driving.
What Can Cause a Flat
There are many things that can cause a flat tire that will require tire repair. There is the danger that running over a sharp object on the road could cause a puncture. The age of a tire also plays a large role in how secure a tire can be. In addition, uneven wear on tires could be a contributing factor to a flat tire.
The age of a tire is a sure sign of its integrity. Even though the tread on a tire may still be in good condition with sufficient depth, the rubber in the structure underneath breaks down over time. Heat exposure, time, and weather conditions all aid in breaking down your tires and causing them to deteriorate. Once a tire has started to have its integrity compromised, it is time for a new tire or set of tires.
Uneven wear on your tires occurs when your tires have not been properly rotated or aligned. If you notice a wobbling, pulling to one side, or uneven tread wear, you should bring your vehicle into your nearest Tate Boys to ensure your tires are aligned and rotated as they should be. As this could lead to having to fix a flat tire on the road, it is very important to stay on top of proper tire maintenance.
Fixing a Flat Tire
Even if you have taken precautions to prevent a flat tire, sometimes there is no avoiding it. When this happens, you will want a flat repair done quickly and thoroughly so that you can get back on the road. Here at Tate Boys, we know how important your tires are and will do a thorough inspection to check out any unobvious punctures or damages.
With so much riding on your tires being safe and efficient, you will want expert hands helping you fix a flat tire. Our technicians will repair a flat tire with speed and precision in order to get you going as quickly as we can.
Some of the steps we may take with a typical flat repair include:
- Replacing the tire with a spare is an immediate solution to getting you driving again quickly. However, this is not a permanent solution and should only be treated as a very temporary fix.
- Plugging the puncture. This method involves placing a small piece of rubber into the puncture and letting the pressure of the tire seal the hole and prevent air from leaking out. Plugging a puncture in a flat tire should be done while the tire is still inflated and as close properly pressurized as possible. While plugging a puncture is a fairly quick process, it may be better to patch the leak instead.
- Patching a leak on a flat tire is a bit more involved for a flat repair than plugging up a puncture. In order to patch a leak in a flat tire, the tire must be removed from the rim of the tire, the area on the inside of the tire where the leak or puncture is must be sanded slightly. Then a piece of rubber with adhesive is adhered underneath the leak. After all this, the tire is placed back on the rim and reinstalled on the vehicle.
It may occur in such a way that your flat tire is beyond repair and needs to be replaced. When this happens, be sure that your tires get properly aligned and rotated so that your new tire gets the best chance at a long life. This may mean that more than one tire should be replaced at a time in order to keep the wear on your tires evenly dispersed.
Let Our Team Fix Your Flat Tire
With our many locations around Tulsa, we are easy to get to and always happy to help with flat repair. We know how frustrating a flat tire can be and we are ready to get you back on the road as soon as possible. Contact us the next time you find yourself with a flat tire in need of repair.
Frequently Asked Questions
Repairing a flat tire could be done at one of our Tate Boys locations free of charge for qualifying vehicles. While this is not applicable with any other promotions, our team will repair a flat tire on most valid vehicles.
There are many signs that it is time to purchase a new tire. The most noticeable way to tell that it is time to purchase a new tire is the depth of the tread on the tire. If the tread is visibly worn down, you will probably need to replace the tire. While there are several measuring devices you can purchase to check the tread depth of your tire, you can also use a small coin to get a good idea of the depth of the tread on your tires.
Another indicator that it is time to replace a tire is the age of the tire itself. On the side of every tire, the week and the year of when the tire was manufactured is printed in the rubber. This is a great way to keep track of how long your tires have been on the road and when you might need to replace them for new tires.
The best way to prevent having a flat tire is to keep up with the regular rotations and alignments of your tires and wheels. This should be done often over the life of your vehicle and is a great way to help prevent a sudden flat tire.
Another important way to avoid a flat tire is to make sure the proper amount of air is in your tires as the seasons change. You can check the pressure that your tires should be at on the tire information sticker that is usually on the inside of the driver’s door. In winter, you may need to add some more air as the air pressure is lessened in the cold. Likewise in the summer, be sure not to overfill your tires as the air pressure increases in the heat.
There is never a good time to have a flat tire. It will always happen on the way to work, when you are already late, or when you are in a big hurry to get somewhere. When you get a flat tire that needs a repair, we recommend getting some experts to look at your tires and see how they can fix it. Doing your own tire repair can end up costing you more time and money than seeing a professional like the technicians here at Tate Boys. We have the expertise and the experience to meet your tire repair needs.
Flat tire repairs should always be performed by a professional tire shop. At Tate Boys, we follow the specifications of the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) for safe and effective flat tire repair. When you have a flat, our technicians can diagnose the issue and provide a fix that complies with USTMA safety standards. When a flat tire can’t be safely repaired, we can recommend the new tire to fit your vehicle perfectly.
