Why the type of repair matters
There are two very different things people call a tire repair, and the difference matters. A plug-only fix pushes a sticky rubber plug into the puncture from the outside, without ever taking the tire off the rim. It’s fast and it’s what most roadside kits and tow trucks use to get you moving, but it is meant to be temporary. A plug-patch repair is the industry-standard permanent fix: the wheel comes off the vehicle, the tire comes off the rim, and a combination plug-and-patch unit is installed from the inside, sealing the puncture from both directions and letting us inspect the inner liner for hidden damage at the same time. If a puncture is in the tread area and under about a quarter inch across, a plug-patch usually holds for the life of the tire. If it’s in the sidewall, too close to the edge of the tread, or the tire has been run flat for any distance, we will tell you it needs replacing instead of chasing a repair that will not hold. That honesty costs us nothing and saves you a repeat flat down the road.