How does knowing that help? “Using that definition, which, for short, we’ll say is ‘restoring to original condition,’ means we’re putting a tire back into a state just as good as it was before it was damaged. “Therefore, it can be returned to the same kind of service it was in before the injury occurred.” Except for steer tires? “Including steer tires. We consulted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) people, and they say nail hole repairs in steer tires are not prohibited by FMCSR regulations. “And there could be any number of nail hole repairs, so long as the repair units do not overlap, which would be considered an improper repair.”

re pair (ri per') vt.
the act of restoring something to it's original condition following damage of injury.

What about section repairs?

“We don’t recommend tires with section repairs on steer axles, not because we don’t feel section repairs are proper, but because the regulations are somewhat vague in this area.”

How do you define “a proper repair”?

“The industry has standards for repairing tires, created by a committee composed of members from our organization, the ITRA, together with members of the Rubber Manufacturers’ Association, the Tire Association of North America and the Tread Rubber and Tire Repair Material Manufacturers’ Group.

“Copies of the Industry Standards are available from the Tire Retread Information Bureau (TRIB).”

You can purchase a copy of these industry standards for $65 from TRIB at 831-272-1917. You may also visit the TRIB web site at www.retread.org

Can you summarize what constitutes a proper repair? “A nail hole repair in the crown area of a tire should have a maximum diameter of 3/8 and consist of both a rubber stem and patch, or integral rubber stem/patch repair unit. The repair must be done according to instructions provided by the repair unit manufacturer. “Anything larger than that, or outside the crown area, requires a section repair.” We’re not talking about a “string plug” are we? “Absolutely not. A string plug is not a proper repair. Again, we go back to our definition: ‘to restore to original condition.’ A string plug can’t do that.” Is the correct type of rubber stem enough? “No. A proper repair must also have an inside patch or use an integral plug/patch unit. It is not enough to just plug the hole. That’s one of many reasons you cannot do a proper repair without demounting the tire from the wheel.”

"...you cannot do a proper repair without demounting the tire from the wheel."

Can you tell by looking if the repair is correct?

“You can certainly tell some things:

1. You should never see a rubber stem repair outside the crown area.
2. A rubber stem should never be larger than 3/8in diameter.
3. Every nail hole repair should have a patch inside the tire.
4. Patches should never overlap.
5. Patches should always be aligned with their bead arrows pointing to the beads.
6. Any repair outside the crown area should be a section repair.
7. Body ply cords in some areas, notably the bead area, are not repairable. Tires with this kind of damage must be scrapped.”

Are there telltale clues that repairs aren’t being done right? “If every tire you send out for a nail hole repair comes back with a 3/8” repair, it may be that someone decided to economize by only buying the largest size cutter and the largest repair units. That’s not good practice. “If you can, it’s also a good idea to visit and inspect the repair shop. What do you see? Do you see a neat, clean, well-lighted work environment with the proper tools and materials? Are repair materials stored in a cool, dry area, away from direct light, especially sunlight?” Should fleets try to do their own repairs? “If a fleet is committed to doing proper repairs, and willing to invest the time and money required to properly train and equip repair personnel, it can repair tires successfully. But the key is that commitment.” How can they get that training? “Many of the repair unit manufacturers offer training, and so does ITRA. In fact, through ITRA seminars, we’ve trained over 5,000 certified tire repair technicians, and over 650 tire repair instructors. Information on our seminars is available on our web site, www.itra.com, or by phone, at 1-800-426-8835.”

The ITRA membership directory lists, in red type, members who offer certified tire repair service. Copies are available from ITRA, 1-800-462-8835. You may also wish to visit the ITRA web site, www.itra.com

If a fleet wants to outsource repairs, is there a way it can choose a good repair shop?

“If they follow the guidelines we’ve mentioned, locating a good tire repair facility shouldn’t be too difficult. And, they can also request a copy of our membership directory.

“The entries in this book listed in red are ITRA members who have on staff certified personnel who have completed our tire repair seminars and who have been fully trained to make proper tire repairs.”

A properly equipped shop needs at least these tools to do proper tire repairs. The cost of what you see here is about $500.