• Tire gauges are not a repair tool but are instrumental in monitoring a tire's pressure.Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
  
  Technicians use a variety of products in repairing tires. Products range from standard plugs and patches to chemicals and tools used to prepare and adhere the rubber patches. Dozens of manufacturers produce broad lines of items geared for tire repair, but the basics are all that is necessary for a successful tire repair.
  
  

Plugs and Patches

• Plugs and patches come in several variations. Repair kits use adhesive plugs that are strips of rubber, pre-coated with an adhesive to be used as a stand-alone repair. Standard plugs are simple strips of rubber inserted into a hole and are typically used in conjunction with a patch. Patches range from 1" to 2" rubber disks or squares with an adhesive backing. The optimal repair is done with a plug / patch combination that is inserted directly into the hole and pulled through until the patch is pressed against the inner lining of the tire.
  
  

Tools

• Pliers are the most common repair tool. They are used to pull plugs through, remove obstructions, and remove old patches from the inner lining of a tire. A stitcher is a rolling tool with blunt teeth used to press a patch onto the tire. Hand scrapers abrade and clean the inner lining of a tire to prepare the surface for a patch. Hand-held electric drills use drill bits and sanding discs to smooth out holes and roughen the surface of the inner lining for better seals with the plugs and patches. Repair kits use a probe to clean out the holes and a closed-eye hook to pull plugs through a hole without removing the tire from the rim.
  
  

Chemicals

• Pre-buffer solution softens the surface of an inner liner to allow scrapers and sanding discs to thoroughly clean the surface. Liquid tire cement is a specialized rubber cement that creates a bond between a patch and the rubber of the tire. Bead seal is a common chemical used along the bead of a tire when a small leak is identified between the bead and the lip of the rim. Bead seal can also be used to coat the exterior of a patch after it has been applied to the tire to create a more thorough seal. Window cleaner is the best tool for locating holes in a tire. Spray window cleaner onto the surface of a tire and even a pinhole size leak will cause bubbles to appear.