subject: How to Patch the tire tube ? [print this page] How to Patch the tire tube ? How to Patch the tire tube ?
Inflate the tube so that you can find the source of the leak. You can sometimes find the leak by listening for the hissing and following the sound to the hole. A more reliable way is to fill a sink with a couple of inches of water, and then placing a portion of the inflated tube underneath the water, rotating the tire until you've watched the entire tube go through. The leak will give itself away by the bubbles it produces when its section of the tube goes underwater. You can circle the spot or mark it with an X. Otherwise it can be easy to lose.
After you've identified the source of the leak, follow these steps to patch the tube:
Lay the tube on a flat surface.
Using the abrasive paper or metal scraper included in your puncture repair kit, rough up the area around the puncture. The goal is to remove any dirt or debris from the surface and help the patch bond to the tube.
Coat the tube with a thin, even layer of glue from the puncture repair kit in an area centered over the puncture and slightly larger than the size of the patch. Allow the glue to dry completely before proceeding.
Remove the metal backing from the patch (leaving the side covered in cellophane alone). Avoid touching the sticky side of the patch during this process. Doing so can weaken the patch's bonding properties.
Apply the patch to the tube, making sure to center it over the puncture .
Press the patch firmly and repeatedly in place and, using a tire lever, smooth it out to remove any trapped air. Leave the cellophane in place it prevents the glue from sticking to the tire.
If you're using glue-free patches, you'll rough up the tube as in Step 2 and apply the patch directly after removing the backing.
Glue-free patches are designed to provide a quick fix to get you home and are not the long-term solution that the standard glue type patches can be.
