Los Angeles Auto Repair

Repair or Replace

As a car owner, to have speculation on how serious the damage to your tire is, you can check the location of damage. The damage to your tire is more likely repairable if it is on the tread of the tire than when it is on the sidewall. The tire should be removed from the rim by a qualified technician for a thorough inspection of the tire. In order to know with certainty and resolve your doubts we encourage you to bring it in to University Tire and an expert, ASE-certified technician will take a look and tell you if you need any tire repair services. Whether it is a puncture on your tire, a seemingly flat tire or your TPMS light sensor on, we encourage you to bring it in for a check up. We are happy to assist you and ensure your safety on the road.

How do we do it?

There are two different, well known ways to repair the puncture in your tire but only one that follows the correct procedure. At University Tire you will receive the latter service for your car. We will remove the whole tire from the rim to thoroughly inspect the condition of the tire inside and outside. Once we have declared the tire repairable, with a special drill called Carbide cutter we will drill into the existing puncture. This Carbide cutter will trim the damaged cables back to solid rubber and stabilize the area of injury. A rubber stem will then be inserted in the new hole in order to keep water and other substances that can damage the tire out. The technician then will use a special buffing wheel that will prepare the surface for the patch. Once the surface is smooth and prepared, a layer of chemical cement is put and the patch is applied. University Tire goes an extra step to ensure that your tire has no other leaks and is safe to go back on your car by submerging the tire in water. Lastly we reset the TPMS light sensor.

More detail information on Puncture Repair Procedures is available.

Whether it is a puncture or your tire is simply old the solution might be a tire replacement. Just like our own shoes, tires get worn out and have to be replaced. Otherwise, torn tires might easily blow with an object while on the road or might not have the ability to handle weather conditions such as rain and snow.

An easy way to check if you need to replace your tire is by using the penny test. If the tread of the tire does not reach the Lincoln's head in the penny, then that is an alert sign that your tire needs replacement.

No, during a Tire Rotation we are not simply rotating your tires the way they do when you're on the road. It refers to moving each tire from one wheel to another on a specific direction depending on the model of car. The reason behind this is because tires tend to worn unevenly, in example, the tires in front tend to worn out faster in the outside edges because the tire leans over when making a turn. When not doing a tire rotation, these tires eventually have to be replaced many miles sooner than the rest. Rotation extends the life of the tire greatly hence saving you money and time. During a tire rotation we have to dismount your tires and therefore we take the opportunity to check air pressure and brakes.