Common Tire Problems Drivers Face
The modern automobile is an assembly of thousands of components, most of which will last the life of the car in all practicality. There is, however, a list of “wear” items to be considered. These items require adjustment or replacement periodically. Belts, hoses, brakes, fluids and filters come to mind and are not too expensive generally. Tires are another wear item and among the more expensive replacements. While tires are typically replaced when the tread is worn to a minimum level, there are other issues that require attention. Often those other issues are external to the tire itself.
Maintaining proper tire inflation is important for vehicle control and stability, maximum tire life and good fuel mileage. While this would seem to be a basic issue that every driver should be cognizant of, the problems that Ford and Firestone had a few years ago seems to belie that assertion. While the legal community pursued the deep pockets of Ford and Firestone, the government proceeded to attack the problem and required tire pressure sensing on new vehicles. If the owner doesn’t check his tire pressure the onboard computer will nag him about it.
Tire pressure is directly affected by temperature, which is why tire pressure is to be checked and adjusted when the tires are cold. With the onset of winter’s colder temperatures your tires will actually lose pressure and require adjustment.
Some mechanics support the use of nitrogen in tire inflation because the larger nitrogen molecule is less likely tomigratethrough the tire material than the smaller oxygen molecule. Nitrogen is also dry, unlike compressed air, but it comes with a cost. Consider, then, the difference between compressed nitrogen and air and make your own decision about the value of nitrogen.
The act of compressing air forces moisture out of suspension. This is why there are air dryers in compressed air systems and why there is a drain cock on a compressed air tank. Water vapor trapped inside your tire can cause corrosion of the steel or aluminum wheel. When the corrosion migrates to the bead area of the rim it can cause a slow leak. When a slow leak is determined it must be corrected, be it in the bead area, a badSchradervalve or a puncture. Some custom, aftermarket wheels that have not been treated to sealporositymay also exhibit a slow leak.
The solution is generally to remove the wheel/tire assembly from the vehicle and place it in a water tank and look for bubbles emitting from the tire. Once the source of the leak has been identified the repair or replace decision can be made.
Should the source of the leak be a puncture, an entirely new world of problems is uncovered. Can the tire berepaired, can the repair be made properly and will the tire life and performance be reduced? If the puncture was caused by an object such as a nail or screw the repair would typically be made by “plugging”.
To perform the repair properly the tire must be removed from the wheel. Although some shops will attempt the repair with the tire still mounted on the wheel, this is a bad idea. Unless you can observe the awl used to dress the hole and engage the plug, from both inside and outside the tire, you cannot be sure you followed the puncture. If the awl enters the start of the puncture but deviates from the puncture’s path, it can cause a second leak path. The plug may stop the leak but the steel belt fibers in the unsealed path are now exposed to the aforementioned moisture inside the tire. Rusting steel belts will lead to tire failure in the future. While most tire manufacturers accept puncture repairs as necessary, most will not continue to support the tire speed rating since they have no control of the quality of the repair. As an aside, most shops will decline to repair a motorcycle tire once punctured.
When new, tires are generally balanced during mounting. You can expect a tire to remain balanced for its useful life unless it wears unevenly due to improper alignment, “cuppy” tire wear due to worn shocks, or other unusual wear such as “flat spotting” due to skidding. A lost wheel weight will also cause an imbalance. An out of balance tire will be felt by the driver as a vibration above about 30 mph and it will increase with speed. A similar symptom will be experienced with worn wheel bearings so if the tires are checked and prove to be properly balanced, the wheel bearings are the next place to look.
A similar vibration will also result from a broken chord. If the driver strikes a curb or a pot hole at speed it is possible to break a chord. Inspection of the tire often will expose a bulge in a sidewall or an unusual “squirm” in the tread pattern. Tire replacement is the only solution when this occurs.
Wheel alignment is another external condition having a significant effect on tire life. An out of alignment condition literally scrubs the rubber off the tire. It reduces tire life, increases tire heating which damages the tire carcass, and can cause the tire to go out of balance.
After several paragraphs of cautions and warnings one can begin to wonder about the durability of the modern tire. Nothing could be further from the truth. Less than fifty years ago it was not unusual to replace tires every ten thousand miles. Tire durability has more than tripled during the last five decades, handling and traction in all weather conditions has greatly improved as well. Of course all of this technology comes with a price, but on balance today’s tire is a bargain. Treat it properly and use all of the advantages new tire technology offers.
