Can you repair a nail hole in the tire shoulder?

Tire shoulder nail holes can’t be repaired. Here’s why

The tire shoulder is a high stress high heat area

Every tire company tells you they can’t repair a nail hole in the tire shoulder. But they never explain why. Here’s the story.

There are no belts in the sidewall OR the tire shoulder

If you can understand why you can’t repair a puncture in the sidewall, then you should also understand why you can’t repair a nail hole in the tire shoulder area. Because there are no belts in the sidewall; just body plies. And, there are no belts in the tire shoulder area either; just body plies. You can’t patch either area.

The tire shoulder area is a high stress area

The tire shoulders and sidewalls encounter the most flex and therefore, the most heat. So tire plugs and patches don’t stand up well to the constant flex and heat. They’re designed for relatively flat areas like the tire tread.

Second, the tire sidewall and shoulder encounter the most stress in turns, so any weakness in those areas can result in tire failure and loss of control.

If you look at the cutaway below, you’ll see that there are no belts in the tire shoulder or sidewall areas. That means you’re depending on just the body plies for structural stability. The body plies can handle the stress if they’re not punctured. But they’re not strong enough if they’ve been punctured and patched or plugged.

Notice how the steel belts end right at the last void in the tire tread. There’s no structural support in the tire shoulder or the sidewall. That’s why you can’t repair a nail hole in the tire shoulder.

©. 2022 Rick Muscoplat