Wick for tires: purpose, application and price

Tire wicks are one of the many solutions for repairing your tire if it has been punctured. If you are using a drill repair kit, you do not need to remove the bar. The bit is inserted into the puncture, after removal of the foreign body, if necessary.

🔍 How does a tire changer work?

The tire wick is part of the wick repair kit. It allows remove foreign body rail and patch up the puncture site with a drill. Thus, it allows you to continue your journey in complete safety, without damaging the inner part of the tire and preventing it from rolling on the wheel.

It is important to note that the use of the drill is limited to a short distance (maximum 50 kilometers) to the nearest garage so that the mechanic can change the tire. Typically, a drill repair kit consists of the following:

• Wick set : they will be of different sizes to adapt to the size of the puncture;
• Bit insertion tool : allows the wick to integrate into the tire;
• Special adhesive for this purpose : used to fix the bit in the puncture area of ​​the tire;
• Magnification tool : Used to enlarge the puncture area if it is tiny and cannot be drilled into.

However, it should be noted that any type of repair kit, or rather one that has wicks, can only be used if the following 4 conditions are met:

1. The puncture is present on to tread not on the sidewall of the tire;
2. La internal structure the tire was not damaged by a puncture;
3. The car was not immobilized for a long period with a flat tire;
4. No repair kit previously used on a damaged tire.

💡 Tire repair wick or mushroom: which to choose?

There is a fundamental difference between a wick and a mushroom tire repair kit. Indeed, the former does not give access to internal structure of the tire for checking, while the second allows it, since it requires disassembling the used tire.

Thus, the mushroom kit will be better used when the puncture is larger, because the patch will better maintain the tire pressure.

Also, depending on the type of groove, the mushroom kit may allow you to keep driving with your tire without having to go to the garage for a tire change. This does not apply to a set of wicks that short term solution.

👨‍🔧 How to insert the wick into the tire?

In this tutorial, we will walk you step by step how to use the wick repair kit and insert the wick into the tire easily and successfully.

Required material:

• Protective gloves
• Drill repair kit
• Toolbox

Step 1. Remove foreign objects.

First, it is necessary to determine the puncture site. Observe and touch your tire to find a hole. If there is a foreign body, it will have to be removed with forceps.

Step 2: clean the puncture site

Using the supplied T-handle, clean the hole to level the surface and prepare it for repair.

Step 3: Insert the drill

The bit should be pushed halfway onto the bit holder. Then you can grease the wick with glue, if it hasn't been previously coated, and insert it into the hole on the tire.

Step 4: Remove the bit holder

Let the wick protrude a few centimeters, then remove the wick holder. It will be necessary to cut off the excess wick protruding from the tire.

💸 How much does a tire drill set cost?

Tire repair kits vary in price. They are sold by most automotive suppliers, but also many sites on the Internet.

The wick kit is one of the cheapest tire sealant : sold on average between 10 € and 15 €... However, the mushroom set is more expensive because it is more efficient: count between 45 € and 60 €.

The wick tire repair kit is a very practical piece of equipment to have in your car in case of a puncture. This avoids breakage and go to the next garage to do change your tires professional.