Keep an eye on the health of the tyres, they’re what make you go the distance!
Tyre damage can happen to anyone at any time, no matter how careful you are or whether your car has new tyres or older ones. Checking your tyres often and making sure that they are within the limits can help you lower repair costs and avoid certain types of damage.
The most common damage incurred by tyres includes the following:
- Punctures
- Cuts
- Cracks
- Bulges
- Irregular wear to the tread
If you discover or suspect wear or damage, have your tyres inspected without delay at Alfa Tyre Protector. Contact us here
How often should you check your tyres?
Alfa Tyre Protector recommends checking your tyres about once a week. You should look for any obvious signs of damage: punctures, worn patches, etc. You should also run your hand along the tyre to see if anything is stuck in the tread and check the air pressure to make sure it is at the optimal level. To check the tread, you can use a tyre tread depth gauge or a coin.
Below are the damages which we usually fall into and Apollo showcases the adequate recommendations to solve the same:
Run Flat Damage
Probable Cause
- Continuous driving after a puncture or in an underinflated condition
Recommendations
- Always maintain inflation pressure
- Check inflation pressure every week when the tyre is cold and ensure valve cap is secured
- Stop the vehicles safely after the tyre/tube gets punctured
Sidewall Bulge
Probable Cause
- Continuous driving after a puncture or in an underinflated condition
- Damaged bead ply cords due to improper mounting/demounting
Recommendation
- Always maintain inflation pressure
- Stop the vehicle safely after the tyre/tube gets punctured
Sidewall Bulge – Nail Cut
Probable Cause
- Repeated abrasion of nail/ sharp object on carcass damages the ply cords from inside on the low sidewall region
- Carcass loses strength at damaged area hence sidewall bulges out
Recommendation
- Drive Carefully
- Stop the vehicle safely after tyre/tube gets punctured
Sidewall Bulge Due to Impact
Probable Cause
- An impact due to running over a blunt object or on potholes causing breakage of ply cords on side wall region with or without leaving an evidence of impact mark outside
- Low inflation pressure maintenance and/or high speed driving are more prone to lead to this kind of failure
Recommendation
- Drive carefully and avoid running over blunt objects/ pot holes at high speeds
- Drive slow on speed breakers/ pot holes
Sidewall/ Shoulder through Cut
Probable Cause
- Driving over a sharp object
Recommendation
- Careful Driving
- Scrap the failed tyre
Sidewall Undulation
Probable Cause
- Every tyre manufactured has plies which are oriented to form a structure. Sometimes these radial depressions are visible as a result of usage in overload or overinflated condition
Recommendations
- The visual appearance of splice area depression does not have any effect on the intended tyre performance
- Maintain recommended inflation pressure and avoid overloading
One-sided Tread Wear
Probable Cause
- Distributed wheel alignment i.e. excessive camber, and/or toe
Recommendation
- In case of an irregular or one sided tread wear, check wheel alignment and correct it
- Rotate tyres as recommended
Wavy Tread Wear at Shoulder
Probable Cause
- Defective suspension/ worn out/ damaged bush
- Loose/ pitted bearings
- Defective rotating parts
Recommendation
- Check/correct/ replace defective mechanical deficiencies including suspension
- Change the worn out/pitted wheel bearings
- Maintain the alignment values
Tread Burst
Probable Cause
- Sudden impact/ run over an object at high speed
Recommendation
- Drive carefully
- Reduce speed while driving through bad road conditions/ pot holes/ speed breakers
Belt Separation due to NTC
Probable Cause
- Neglected tread cuts (NTC) leading to oxidation and rusting of steel belts
Recommendation
- Timely removal for repair of cuts
- Always opt for recommended tubeless tyre puncture repair
Broken Bead Mounting Damage
Probable Cause
- Mounting tyre on the wheel rim forcibly
- Overinflation for proper bead seating on the rim flange
- Improper tools used for tyre mounting
- Usage of wrong size/defective/ rusted/ reconditioned rim
Recommendation
- Lubricate the tyre beads with lubricants as recommended by the tyre manufacturer for smooth seating of the beads
- Do not force the tyre beads to seat on the rim ( never exceed the safe inflation pressure of 44 PSI for bead seating)
- Follow proper mounting process
- Use proper tools for mounting
- Always use recommended rim size only
Mounting/ Demounting Damage
Probable Cause
- Unskilled practices & improper usage of tools for mounting & demounting of tyres
Recommendation
- If beads/ ply cords are damaged, scrap the failed tyre
- Follow proper tyre mounting/ demounting procedure
Apollo recommends:
Tyre damage can be devastating to the functioning of your car and can put your health and safety at risk. While some sources of damage are unavoidable, there are some ways that you can avoid wheel damage by using suitable driving conditions.
It may seem inconvenient to check your tyres every week but doing so can help you avoid many problems in the long run. It will alert you to issues that can help you to protect your safety, increase the longevity of your car and save you money.