All Tire Questions & Answers

Sounds are one of the quickest ways to detect a car problem. Certain car problems present with an abnormal sound almost the instance the fault ensues. An example of such is the flat tire condition. Although dreaded, early detection of a flat tire is highly desired as it cuts down the extent of damage that this could cause to the tire or other car parts. So, what does a flat tire sound like? Depending on the stage of the deflation, a flat tire produces two different types of sounds. At the initial state when the tire is actively losing air at a considerable tire pressure, the type of sound heard is more like a hissing sound. The hissing sound is produced as a result of air under considerable pressure forcing its way out of the tire through the punctured hole. This causes the creation of a characteristics hissing sound. However, as the air continuously leaves the tire causing it to become flat, the sound changes and becomes more of a flapping sound. The flapping or thumping sound at this stage is created by the airless flappy tire impacting the road during its rotational movement. While the hissing sound may go unnoticed especially if the car windows are completely rolled up while the stereo is buzzing with loud music sound, the characteristic flapping sound made by the flat tires is rarely missed. This is because, at this point, the flat tire can be felt at the steering wheel in the form of vibration. Passersby at this point may also begin to draw your attention to the airless tires, with gestures that a need for you to stop and take a look at your tire. The sound of a flat tire during acceleration The sound associated with a flat tire explained above is a flapping type of sound and is ascribed to a car accelerating with a flat tire. The loudness of this sound depends on the speed of the car, that is, as the car speeds up, the sound gets louder. Even for an expert driver, speeding with an airless tire is extremely risky and can lead to loss of control of the car. However, with increasing acceleration, the sound increases in frequency, and at some point, it synchronizes with that of the engine sound becoming indifferentiable. What does a flat tire sound like when the brakes are applied? As mentioned above, flat tires make a flapping type of sound when the car accelerates, which increases along with the speed of the car. So, when the brakes are applied, the car slows down and therefore the loudness of the sound consequently decreases along with the decreasing speed. What is best is to slow down at the very instance when a flat tire is suspected to reduce the amount of damage that could potentially be done to the tire, rim, and other associated parts. Causes of a fake flat tire noise For those already used to the sound made by a flat tire, sometime, while driving, one could hear a sound similar to this and may find the tires to be in perfect shape upon stopping for inspection. This usually leaves most persons confused as to the cause of the flake flat tire sound and the course of action to take in such a situation.  The confusion in this state is usually regarding what to do, should one get back into the car ignoring the fake flat tire sound or should this be of great concern necessitating a need to take action? Whenever such sound is heard, the tires should be the first because that should come to the mind of the driver. In that case, to prevent further damage to the tires, slow down immediately after a careful look at the distance of the vehicles at your rear. Look for a favorable parking spot where the car will be out of the way of other road users and do a full inspection of all four tires. If at the end of the inspection, all four tires are observed in be in perfect condition with optimal tire pressure, then other causes of such noise can be brought into consideration. While it may be considered a riddle to hear a flat tire sound and not find any flat tires upon inspection, it should always be remembered that the flapping sound is not a monopoly of flat tires. Therefore, you should not dismiss the significance of such sound when heard without an actual flat tire. The commonest causes of such sound aside from a flat tire include problems with the rim such as a bent rim from impacting on potholes, misalignment of the wheel, and problems with the bearing. These are crucial parts and when there is any indication of a problem with any of them such as an abnormal sound, prompt action should be taken to have them inspected to know whether or not further action Is required. Here is a detailed explanation of some of the causes of flat tire sound unrelated to a flat tire. A defective tire There are certain tire conditions that the tired defective and due for replacement. An example of such is a bubble on the tire’s sidewall. When this happens, be rest assured that such tire has reached the end of its lifespan and it is now time to have it replaced. Amongst the commonest cause of a flapping noise that is not caused by a flat tire is a bulge on the sidewall of the tire. Such bulge result from a break in the belt, driving with such a tire puts you and other road users at risk and should therefore be avoided. The commonest cause of such a bulge on a tire’s sidewall is a result of running at full speed over a bump or into a pothole without applying the brakes. Such impact will cause the tire belt to get broken and become irreparable. Unfortunately, there is no fixing of a bulge … Read more

many persons out there do not understand the primary function of a valve cap and can therefore become confused when they discover the cap is gone missing. Often time, this is an accidental discovery, especially by those who seldom do a thorough inspection of their tires. So, will the tire go flat without a cap? caps are not meant to keep the air within the tire, rather, they function primarily as protectors against the dirt as well as debris and these out of the valve’s core. The valves can therefore do without them especially if they are non-leaking.  So no, the car tire will not go flat on account of a missing cap. Does this however imply that the car can be driven around without any plan of replacing the cap? Well, even though the missing cap cannot stop the car from being driven, replacing it as soon as possible is much preferable. Given how easy it is to do this as a result of online stores such as amazon, there should be no delay in getting a new valve cover for the tires. Caps or different sizes and designs are readily available both at offline and online auto part stores at a reasonably affordable price. Rather than exposing the valve’s core to debris on the road which could great a more serious problem later on, simply spare a few bucks on the cap to avoid falling into this situation. The type of construction material used in the making of valve caps ranges from plastics to metal. Plastic caps are however preferable compared to metal caps. With metal caps, there is a risk of the cap becoming corroded over time leading it to adhere to the valve and proving difficult to remove when there is a need to re-inflate the tires. Caps also out of the valve’s core pebbles, water alongside the dirt, and debris. pebbles if allowed into the valve system can cause the air to leak out of the tire when it presses against the core of the valve. This is probably the only possible instance where a cap-less valve can lead to a flat tire. This is however rare and therefore not a common finding. Losing your cap, therefore, is not commonly known for causing a flat tire. Safety concerns associated with driving without a cap Those unfamiliar with the designated role of the cap are primarily afraid of driving without it based on the concern that the tires could suddenly go flat when it is without a cap. This is erroneous thinking stemming from the lack of a basic understanding of the primary functions of the cap. Unknown to many, the cap has nothing to do with keeping it airtight. The valve is designed for this. the valve on examination has a core that is pressed down when air is put into the tire. , the valve keeps this air from leaving the tire. Except when valves leak at the stem, the cap plays no role in keeping the tire airtight. When the valve is leaky, a tightly fitting cap may prevent the tire from expeditiously losing all its air at once, however, this is not its primary function. Without a cap, sure, the valve is vulnerable to dirt, dust, and debris, this does not however prevent the car from being driven and will not cause the tire to go flat. When a tire without a cap on its valve is seen to get deflated over time, this may be a secondary effect of the lack of cap which caused the accumulation of dirt in the valve system leading to the loss of air from the tire through the valve. This is not however a common finding. The cap also protects the valve and does not leave it completely to criminal-minded individuals who may intentionally wish to deflate your car tire.  Except you can afford to constantly blow out accumulated dirt in the valve’s core which time the dirt pills up, there is a need to have the missing cap replaced as soon as it is discovered. This will only cost a token compared to the potential harm the valve is exposed to without it.  How important are tire caps? The cap is not a vestigial part of the tire nor is it for decorative purposes, that is, without purpose or function, rather it plays a crucial role in the tire, hence its inclusion as a valve and tire component. Valves are essential components of the car’s tire and protection against grease, ice, water, dirt, and debris. This is done by the cap, which keeps all these out of the valve. So, without it, the valve core is completely helpless against dirt and debris and may get damaged by their accumulation. When this happens, it may become considerably difficult to get such tire inflated.t thee accumulated dirt or debris may also press on the core of the valve. the effect of such weight on the valve core is a slow but continuous loss of air from the tire. If not addressed, this may over time cause the tire to go flat. Some of the dirt getting into the valve core as a result of the missing core can damage the seal of the valve and cause a leaking valve which may eventually cause the tire to go flat and out of air. So, how essential are caps to the valve? Well, I will say reasonably important. Without them, the valve is not protected, the air pressure is threatened and some valves may not be 100% airtight. What to do when you lose your tire caps? most persons hardly notice a missing valve cap and when they do, they usually become confused about how the valve cap got off in the first place and whether this has affected the tires adversely or not. There are several causes of the missing cap, sometime, this may be a result of rubbing the tire against a curb, during which … Read more

There was a time when car owners did not consider rotating their tires a necessity, however, after observing the benefits that come with this in terms of extension of the tire lifespan, there is an increasing number of people who practice tire rotation. Issues related to tore rotation include the proper way to rotate a car tire and whether rotating the car tire poses any threat to the TPMS. So, does tire rotation affect TPMS? essentially, rotating your tires will not cause any damage to the TPMS, it may however cause the TPMS to give a wrong reading and a false alarm.  When the tires are swapped, the TPMS assumes the old tire is still in place and judges the new tire with the preset value for the original tire that was meant to be at that particular wheel. Unfortunately, the psi for the front tire is different from that of the rear tires. This implies that when the front tires are swapped with those at the rear end, the TPMS at the rear wheels analyses the tire pressure about the preset values for rear tires. Given the difference in their optimal pressure, the TPMS may think the tire pressure in the front tires which are now switched with those at the rear as being either overly inflated or under-inflated. Therefore, when the light shows up on the dashboard implying a low tire pressure, you may be surprised to find that the first is in perfect shape.  This happens because the TPMS system is essentially a dummy, it simply cross-matches the tire pressure with what the manufacturers have set as the normal or optimal tire pressure. By so doing, it considers values above or below this reference point as abnormal without putting into consideration whether the tires have been swapped or not. Being aware of this possibility, that is, the situation where rotating your tires may cause a false reading or false alarm by the TPMS will make you more vigilant of the situation and not get frantic when your dashboard signal for low tire pressure comes on. You will not also think the TPMS faulty when on inspection you see all four tires in great shape. Here in this article, the goal is to explain why this happens, as well as how to circumvent it.  What is TPMS and how does tire rotation affect it? There is hardly any vehicle out there on the road without a TPMS. But it has not always been this way, before 2007, car owners and drivers probably had to depend on observers to tell when the car tires are low in pressure or wait until the tire goes completely flat, during which time the steering begins to vibrate and the car starts swaying off the road to realize they have a flat tire. Driving with low tire pressure is incessantly spoken against by all and sundry, this is on the account of the damages this could cause to the tires as well as the rim. TPMS makes sure you key a hawk’s eye on the tire pressure even while driving. The moment the pressure is low, you will be able to tell from the dashboard.  The sensor is installed into the car rim from where it is wired onto the dashboard to signal the driver about the state of the tires. Its drawback is the inability to indicate the particular tires with low pressure. There is no way of telling the tire indicated until a close examination of all four tires is done. How does the TPMS know that the tire pressure is low? Well, all TPMS has an assigned pressure that is considered the reference pressure. Any pressure outside this in either direction, that is below or above is considered abnormal and signaled by the system. However, TPMS is commonly seen with low tire pressure. Under certain instances when the tire pressure is exceedingly high, it may also be able to signal this as well  TPMS is of varying types, there are generally two types of this sensor. The first is the direct type, which is more accurate although a little bit more expensive. Is however preferable to spend more for an accurate sensor than to spend less or go for an inexpensive sensor that may not detect the tire pressure even when all tires are flat. As for the working mechanism of the direct type of TPMS, it accesses the tire pressure directly as the name implies and reports this on the dashboard. The indirect type is said to be less accurate and untrustworthy because it does not access the actual tire pressure, rather, by comparing the rotational motions of the tires, it regards the tire with relatively slow motion as low in pressure and flags them as such. This is however not an accurate method of determining tire pressure. What is the need for tire rotation and how necessary is this practice? Given that tire rotation may potentially mess up with the TPMS, one may wonder if this is truly necessary and how frequently it should be done.  Irrespective of maintenance practices, tires eventually get worn out. However, depending on their location, each tear wears out differently. The primary determinant of the rate at which a tire gets worn out over time is largely dependent on the amount of weight such tire bears. Each car tire bears a different weight of the car, depending on its location, and thus determines the amount of frictional force generated and consequently the rate of wear. Front tires are saddled with the weight of the engine, therefore, the frictional force created between the tires and the road is much greater than the rear tires.  When a heavy object such as the refrigerator is pulled across the living room, the drag on it is much greater than when a much lighter object such as a table is moved this way. This example shows that the amount of friction depends on the weight of the … Read more

The four wheels of your car are connected via what is known as suspension. The adjustment of this to allow for the highest feat of tire performance is what is known as alignment. The car wheels or tires do not always need alignment unless affected by certain factors which cause their misalignment. So, will a bad tire affect alignment? The common finding is that a bad car alignment usually causes the car tires to go bad before their due date.  When the car tires are well aligned, which is the normal state of the tires or wheel when the car is bought initially, they give the best driving experience and allow the car tire sufficient contact with the road. However, as long as the car is driven every day, a properly aligned wheel is bound to get misaligned someday, especially if the car is driven on a bad road filled with potholes or by a driver who drives recklessly, speeding over road bumps without slowing down. The tires are one of the first parts of the car to suffer a direct consequence of misaligned wheels. they show an obvious symptom of wearing prematurely and unevenly. Their lifespan is shortened considerably and they make driving rough and un-enjoyable. A lot of drivers out there do not care much about the vehicle’s tire alignment and may not be familiar with its symptoms. The misalignment, therefore, goes unnoticed for a while until it begins to cause major issues in the car.  Here in this article, we shall consider some of the causes of a misalignment, the common findings in a car with misaligned tires, and why it is important to regularly check the car’s alignment and have it adjusted when need be, amongst other issues related to vehicle alignment. Trending Searches Can A 16-Inch Tire Fit On A 16.5-Inch Wheel? Can You Use Super Glue To Patch A Bike Tire? Can You Reuse Bike Tires?Find Out Now How does alignment affect a car’s tires? Your driving experience, that is, how smooth or rough the driving feels depends highly on the condition of the tires. The condition of the tires on the other hand is greatly influenced its alignment. When a car wheel goes out of alignment, it poses a considerable threat to the tires, especially when left in this state for a considerable period. One of the primary benefits of always checking the car’s alignment as regular as possible such as during an oil change is that it helps to prolong the life span of the tires amongst other benefits which shall be mentioned later in this article. So, how does the car alignment relate to the condition of the tires? When the car tires connect the car to the road and bring about the movement of the car. The four tires must have good contact with the road and must move at the same speed and in the same direction to bring about a smooth driving experience.(Read Also: Does Tire Weight Matters?Find Out Here! When the car wheels become misaligned as a result of factors such as bumps or potholes, the four tires will no longer be in synchrony with one another and this will cause a bad driving experience. The tires will be out of place in terms of contact with the road and may not move at the same speed or direction unless the suspension is readjusted once more.(Read Also: Will Tire Pressure Light Fail Emissions?) The consequences of this are that the tires may experience premature wear and tear and become unusable before their due date. Also, the wearing, rather than being uniform as seen with a properly aligned car tire, will be uneven, this will greatly affect the driving experience. What causes the car to go out of alignment? Depending on the type of factor your vehicle is exposed to, the rate at which you will need to visit the auto shop for an adjustment of the car’s alignment differs. So, what are the factors that can cause the car to go out of alignment? These factors can be classified into road factors, driver factors, and the condition of the components of the car’s suspension.  In terms of road factors, individual who drives commonly along bad roads characterized by numerous potholes are more likely to have to deal with misalignment problems often than those who drive along good roads. Similarly, the presence of bumps on the road also affects the car’s alignment and influences how frequently the car will benefit from adjustment of its alignment. The style of driving is equally an important issue with a direct bearing on the car’s adjustment. Drivers who drive recklessly above the speed limit not minding the presence of potholes or speed bumps and running through and over them respectively will cause the car to go out of alignment in no time. When a pothole is entered into suddenly without slowing down, irrespective of the size of the potholes, you are likely to cause the car to go out of alignment. Similarly, there should be a considerable application of the car brakes when approaching a speed bump, otherwise, the car wheels may as well be shifted out of alignment. When similar objects are hit at a high speed, they could also cause the same problem. When the car collides with another car or is involved in any form of accident, the alignment is likely going to need some adjusting. As regards potholes and speed bumps, do not think their size is what determines the damage they are capable of doing to the car. Speed bumps in particular are usually constructed in a specified way in terms of their dimension. What is most important is the speed with which the car is driven into the pothole or over the speed bump. At high speed, the car tires come are suddenly impacted by these causing the alignment to shift out of place. How well you take care of your tires are also some … Read more

It is okay to assume that sometime in the recent past you may have seen while driving on the highway a car with a flat tire being driven slowly along the side of the road. A good number of persons do this without knowing whether the rims or the flat tires could be affected adversely in an irreparable way. This has necessitated the writing is this article to educate everyone out there unsure of the harm of driving with a flat tire. So, will a flat tire damage the rim? Yes, most definitely, flat tires are capable of damaging the rim. To understand further why this happens, there is a need to explain the significant time played by the air in the tires. The weight of the car is well supported by the inflated tire. The air allows for the accommodation of the car’s weight irrespective of the condition of the road.  A deflated tire losses this function and transmits all of the car’s weight to the next available structure which is the rim. However, unlike the inflated tires, the rim, being a solid structure will succumb to this weight and become deformed as a result.  A close analogy in this situation is the sole of sports shoes, while jogging with such shoes, you will notice that your weight is well supported by the “air” within the sole. This ensures that you do not feel any pain in the sole of your foot. Conversely, jogging or running with a shoe not designated for sports such as cooperate shoes or a barefoot will most certainly cause a significant amount of pain in the foot. Similarly, without air in the tires, the crushing weight of the car falls upon the rim which is unable to bear such weight and therefore begins to form a bend around its ends. Consequently, a rim with a bent end will not fit properly with tires of appropriate size. This will lead to such tires getting deflated slowly over time. When a rim develops a bend along the edges either due to impact with potholes, speed bumps or as a result of driving with a deflated tire, such will cause air to sip out of the tire through the bent area leading to a gradual deflation of the tire. Individuals who constantly experience flat tires especially when there is no obvious cause such as puncture agents like broken glasses or nails should consider having their rims examined for a bend as this is one of the possible causes of tire deflation. What is the highest duration for which a car can sit on a flat tire? Depending on the cause of the flat tire, the cost of repair is most likely affordable. However, a flat tire could result in heavy unplanned expenses if the situation is not properly handled. Part of improper handling of a flat tire situation is allowing the car to stay parked on the flat tire for an extended time duration. You may have probably noticed neighbors whose tires became flat after being out of use for a prolonged period. While in this state, the car is continuously left standing on a flat tire for an additional period before arrangements were made for intervention. Following such an incidence, there is no doubt that the tire will suffer irreparable damage and that the car owner will have to buy a new tire. So, from spending a little amount of money on fixing the cause of a flat tire, one can easily fall into having to buy a brand-new tire when the flat tire is not promptly addressed. Aside from this, there are other consequences associated with leaving a car with a flat tire to sit for too long on it. This includes the subject of our discussion which is damage to the rim.  The rim of an airless tire is susceptible to potentially severe damage which will require an extra cost to fix when the flat tire is allowed to sit that way for a long period. So, in the event of a flat tire, how long is considered too long? Well, to be on the safer side, it is best to avoid this completely. That is, once you experience a flat tire, rather than simply leaving the car parked in this state, ensure to have the tire fixed as soon as possible. This should ideally not exceed an overnight period. As for those who allow a car with a flat tire to sit for an incredibly long period, they also risk rusting the rim. As the car’s weight presses against the deflated tire, it damages the fabric of the tire as well as its wiring, this will completely ruin the tire. The rim in this condition may be in direct contact with the floor. Its exposure to moisture during rainy seasons will lead to rusting. Is it okay to allow a flat tire to stay overnight? At this point, you would have realized that the duration for which the car is allowed to sit on a flat tire greatly determines the degree of damage that will be done to the tire as well as the rim. So, is sitting overnight considered a long period?  An overnight duration may not be considered too long, however, this could over time contribute to the premature deterioration of the tire before its expiry date. Irrespective of efforts put in to avoid the flat tire from sitting for too long, sometimes, one may not have a choice other than to let the car sit this way. This could be a result of financial constraints or other similar factors. However, even in this condition, The car’s situation can still be helped by lifting it off the flat tire using a jack. Simply place a jack below the part of the car with a flat tire to get this part elevated. This method however is a temporary solution and should only be used for a short time duration such as … Read more