Emergency puncture repair

This month’s column may be a bit controversial and against the advice of some of the tyre experts, as it includes some tricks that should really only be used in the case of a dire emergency.

Fact is, countless times we’ve been stuck on the roadside with a torn sidewall, or marooned in a dune with a tyre off its rim. What do you do in these situations, and how can you get home safely?

Torn sidewall

Let me first be clear that once a tyre has a torn sidewall, it is ruined and must be replaced. However, the problem arises – as it has with me on several occasions – where one has already used up the spare and the only tyre available had a cut