4 min read
Flat Tire in Philadelphia: Your Roadside Options
Philadelphia potholes end a lot of tires. What happens next depends almost entirely on one thing: whether there's a usable spare in your trunk.
Get somewhere safe first
A flat is survivable at low speed for a short distance. Being hit is not. If you are in a travel lane on I-95, the Schuylkill or Roosevelt Boulevard, keep the hazards on and move to a shoulder, exit or side street if the car can still roll. Damaging a wheel costs a few hundred dollars; standing on the Boulevard costs more.
If you have a spare
This is the simple case. A roadside technician removes the damaged tire, installs your usable spare with a professional jack, and tightens the lug nuts to appropriate manufacturer specifications when available. You then drive on the spare — donut spares are typically limited to about 50 mph and short distances — to a tire shop.
If you don't have a spare
Many newer vehicles ship with a sealant and inflator kit instead of a spare. Sealant can work on a small tread puncture, but it does nothing for a sidewall tear or a blown bead, which is what most pothole damage produces.
We will be straight with you: no spare and no sealed puncture means a roadside tire change is not possible, and you need a tow to a tire shop. We do not tow, and we would rather tell you that on the phone than take a fee to show up and confirm it.
Where we can and can't work
We need a level, solid surface to jack safely. Belgian block on Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill, cobblestone in Old City, or a steep Manayunk block may mean rolling the car a few feet first.