Do you plan to dine out with family after a long working day? Or you have to pick up your loved one from the station? In such a situation, if you end up with a puncture, it can be quite disheartening. With Walmart store available at many places, drivers often rely on it for help but does Walmart patch tires or not?
Walmart does offer patch tire along with a range of automotive services. It costs around $10-$15 per tire. Although walk-in customers are also entertained, we suggest you book an appointment first.
Here is what you need to know more about tire puncturing and repairing at Walmart as well as other services that the store offers.
Does Walmart Offer to Patch Tires
Fortunately, yes.
We all know that Walmart has earned a great reputation globally by providing multi-purpose services. But, only a few of us know that they also provide a bulk of auto care services for both tires and vehicles. One of these is tire repair.
How Do Walmart Patch Tires
When it comes to tire repairs, Walmart adheres to the USTMA (United States Tire Manufacturer Association) standards. There are two methods for patch tiring. One is the ‘plug method’ and the other is ‘the patch method’. The later covers a wide range of tire repairs even with bigger and bumpy holes. Walmart also utilizes this method.
The damage must be completely inside the treaded region to be considered repairable. This region is characterized as being half inches from the fringes of the steel belt, which are present beneath the tread.
For safety purposes, the tire must be abandoned if the damage is within half an inch of the belt line, or the sidewall damage is too much. The repeated bulging and shrinking of the rubber as the tire turns makes it susceptible to blowouts which ultimately leads to accidents.
Furthermore, Walmart will fix your tire for free if it is protected by their Road Hazard protection plan.
Due to certain safety concerns, the tire which is fully damaged can not be repaired completely. Such tire damage is referred to as ‘Irreparable’. This type of damage could be categorized as follows.
- When the hole in the tire is larger than one-fourth of an inch.
- When tire puncturing has occurred diagonally.
- There is an irregularity in the tire shape.
- Slicing off the steel belt.
Can You Buy Tire Patch Kits at Walmart
Yes, Walmart sells tire patch kits. Their prices lie between $10-$20. However, a few tire patch kits are pricey. They can cost up to $70.
It is suggested to read reviews before choosing the right patch kit for your tire. You can check the details on their website Walmart.com.
How to Schedule an Appointment at Walmart
Walmart has a very convenient system for making appointments online which assists in scheduling user demands. Here are simple steps which you can follow for an easy appointment.
Step 1: Find the Walmart auto care center nearest to your location.
Step 2: Once you found the store click on the ‘details’.
Step 3: The details will let you know about the availability of all auto care-related services along with the opening and closing times.
Step 4: You can call on the provided phone number and you will be guided to speak to the representative of the auto care center of Walmart.
Step 5: By following these steps, you can book an appointment.
What Other Tire Services Does Walmart Offer
Tire patching is among one many services being offered at Walmart auto care. It has made life easier by offering several services for both tires and vehicles. A few of them are listed below.
1. Tires
Walmart offers tire rotation services for just $2.50 per tire. It is less expensive than the industry standard of $25 to $50 for all four tires. Walmart also provides a lifetime balance and rotation service for each tire for just $14.
Any new tires can be mounted on your rims at Walmart. The cost of the mounting service for tires purchased from Walmart is $15 per tire. But if you have purchased tires from somewhere else then an additional $10 per tire will be charged, which will bring the total to $25 per tire or $100 including all four tires.
Additionally, the tire installation package includes a few other services. It includes a valve stems/TPMS repair pack, lifetime balancing and rotational maintenance every 7,500 miles, and a 50-mile lug re-torque.
If you purchased the tire from Walmart, you have the option of replacing the lug nuts in addition to buying them off the shelf. But it is not free; each lug nut will cost you an additional amount of $2.
2. Vehicle
Walmart costs between $20 to $50 for oil changing of vehicles. Precautionary measures should be taken to ensure that the correct oil is being used in the vehicle.
The wiper blades have a price of $10 per blade. If you Buy wiper blades from Walmart, then their installation cost will be zero.
Just like the wiper blade installation, a battery purchased from Walmart will be installed free of cost. However, if you buy a battery from somewhere else, then the installation cost at Walmart will be $10.
For headlight installation, you will have to pay $7.5 per headlight. Here at Walmart, you will also get a headlight renewal service for $25 per headlight.
Should You Patch a Tire Yourself
You could repair a tire patch on your own. Walmart offers a wide variety of patches, plugs, and extra tools which are mandatory for patch tiring.
Remember that to appropriately accomplish the patch job, you will need to remove the tire from the rim.
How to Patch a Tire by Yourself
If you are doing it for the first time, it is important that you are well aware of how the procedure works.
Step 1: Take the wheel off the car and locate the damaged area. Drenching liquid soap on the tire and checking for bubbles are simple methods.
Step 2: Then release all the air from the tire.
Step 3: Take it off the rim and tag it.
Step 4: You may use a plug kit since you don’t need to remove the tire from the rim. However, these plugs are not durable and may drip again.
Step 5: The margins of the puncture hole must be filed smoothly if the damage is repairable. For the patch to stay in place, the region surrounding the puncture on the inner side of the tire must also be cleaned.
Then the further steps you need to take are discussed below.
Step 1: The hole needs to be filled after the preparation phase, which includes cleaning the interior space. You can accomplish this with a tire plug or an appropriate vulcanizing material.
Step 2: For the patch to stick to the rubber surface after the hole has been filled, the inside of the tire needs to be cleaned.
Step 3: The directions for applying the patches can vary because the adhesives interact in various ways.
Step 4: Placing the patch should be as simple as pasting a sticky note.
If there is no dripping, then you’re ready to move it again. Don’t expect the longevity and durability of your tire to be like the new one. The top speed and the long route traveling of the tire will be affected. The grip will remain.
Wrap Up
For about $10 to $15 per tire patch job, Walmart does provide patch tire services. In addition, Walmart will charge you $10 to install a full spare tire or sell you a new tire if it cannot be fixed.
Be advised that there may be lengthy wait at Walmart. Thus, if at all feasible, make an appointment. There are several tire and vehicle services from oil changing to headlight reconstruction being provided at Walmart so it can get crowded.
This article has covered all the highlights of patch tiring a Walmart. But, we would encourage you to share their experience in the comment section below if they have received any auto care services at Walmart.