Why can't tubeless tires be repaired?

[RoseAnn]

Due to the lack of inner tube support inside tubeless tires, patches are not very secure and may fall off. Therefore, tubeless tires are not suitable for repair. Here is some relevant information: 1. Tubeless tires: Tubeless tires are pneumatic tires without inner tubes, also known as "low-pressure tires" or "pneumatic tires." They have high elasticity and wear resistance, as well as good adhesion and heat dissipation performance. Tubeless tires are increasingly widely used in bicycles, motorcycles, cars, buses, and trucks. 2. Structure: Tubeless tires are divided into three parts: the carcass, the cord ply, and the tread. The carcass is relatively soft, the tread is more rigid, and the middle cord ply serves to strengthen the carcass and maintain its shape, often reinforced with metal wires to improve the tire's elastic performance.

[DelMaximus]

I once heard from an experienced truck driver that tubeless tires can't be patched casually due to their unique structure. These tires rely entirely on the tight seal between the tire bead and the wheel rim to hold air, unlike tube-type tires that can be repaired separately. The most concerning issues are cuts or bulges on the sidewall, as such damage weakens structural support—a puncture on the sidewall usually means the tire is done for. I've seen some car owners try to save money by using plug strips, only to end up with worse slow leaks afterward. Nowadays, properly repairing a tubeless tire requires professional mushroom plugs for internal patching, followed by rebalancing. If the tire tread has worn down to the wear indicators or shows aging cracks, it's really not worth forcing a repair—getting a new tire is much safer. A blowout at high speed is no joke.

[RyanDella]

Last week I just helped a friend deal with this issue. There are three common scenarios where tubeless tires can't be repaired: 1) If the tire sidewall is cut over 2cm, even forced repairs can't withstand bending pressure; 2) Old tires that have been patched more than twice - their rubber strength can't compare to new tires; 3) If the inner steel belt layer is broken or deformed (invisible to naked eye but may burst anytime). Remember one case where a car owner used external repair strips as temporary fix, only to find zero tire pressure the next day. Honestly, most modern tubeless tires come with rim protection edges nowadays, making sidewall damage more likely. Tire repair costs dozens while replacement costs hundreds, but you only get one life.

[VictoriaAnn]

The auto repair shop worker told me a key point: The inner liner of tubeless tires is extremely thin, and regular patching can easily damage the rubber structure. For nail holes smaller than 6mm in the tread area, a mushroom plug might still work, but if it's close to the sidewall, don't even bother. They've also encountered cases where the tire slowly leaked after patching, only to find out upon disassembly that oxidation on the wheel rim edge was the cause. Once, a customer insisted on patching a sidewall-scarred tire, which bulged and blew out after just 300 kilometers. Tubeless tires have internal composite fiber layers—once damaged, the overall strength becomes like a cut fishing net, and patches simply can't withstand centrifugal force.

[VanAndrew]

A tire wholesale boss said the key lies in the cost calculation. New vacuum tires cost three to four hundred, while professional hot repairs run up to two hundred with no lifespan guarantee. Small punctures can only be patched for spare tire use, and repairing tires with over 40,000 kilometers is actually a waste of money. What's more annoying is that repaired tires lose their roundness, making the steering wheel shake like sitting on a massage chair. The most outrageous case I've seen was a nail puncturing the tread groove ridge—after repair, the tire wall tore apart within two weeks of driving. Nowadays, high-end cars use self-sealing tires with internal sealant coatings that can automatically heal small punctures.