Are Spare Tire Covers Necessary?
If for nothing, spare tire covers add beauty and appeal to your vehicle. A very important fact about these spare tire covers is that they are mostly universal, which means that one spare tire cover can serve many tires even when they are of different sizes. Apart from this aesthetic function, do these covers have any other function or role they play in the use of spare tires? This article will make every effort to find out what really is the use of spare tire covers apart from just adding beauty to the cars. Are Spare Tire Covers Necessary? Yes, spare tire covers are actually very necessary since they contribute much more than just beauty to both the tire and the vehicle. To start with, your spare tire will definitely get exposed to the harsh rays of the sun without any sort of protection. You should also know that any prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays will cause premature tire cracking in the sidewall,   as well as the weakening of its rubber fabric too. This excessive exposure to sun rays makes your spare tire less structurally sound for regular uses. Can you drive without a tire cover? Certainly, one can drive without spare tire covers. To make matters very clear, spare tire covers are at best serving mainly aesthetic functions in tires. They usually cover the lug nuts and the rims while at the same time equally protecting them from dust particles and any damage. Though using a car without any spare tire covers gives it a minus look really. That is what we mean by aesthetics.(Read Also: Will Mercedes Wheels Fit Audi?Find Out Here!) Are black tire covers okay? Indeed, black tire covers are okay for all intents and purposes. For instance, the dark coloured tire covers that completely wrap around them have been judged as the best of them all. It is common knowledge that the sun can burn most things up with time and destroy their material compositions. This has been the cause for the damage of garments, roofing sheets, vehicle exteriors, painted buildings, and in fact, pretty much anything that is in constant contact with the sun will eventually be eaten up by it. As a result of the destructive effects of the sun, you are highly advised to cover your tires. Should I cover a spare tire? Yes, you should please endeavour to cover a spare tire. First, by covering your spare tires, you are essentially protecting them from dust particles and any wilful damage as well. Furthermore, if your spare tires are constantly exposed to the rays of the sun, it is just a matter of time before they will eventually get fully degraded by sun rays. To prevent this degradation from happening, you should always cover your tires. There is still another important reason why many people use spare tire covers, which is the additional beauty it confers on your truck or car. If your truck does not spot these tire covers, it is really a minus in its looks. How are tire covers measured? Unless you know the correct size of your tire, it is not possible to buy a tire cover for it. If you must know how to get your correct tire size, there are basic necessary steps you must take to find out. First, measure the distance from the ground to the top of the tire. Take for example a tire in whose notation there are three last numbers as 175. These last three numbers simply refer to the width of the tire. If these numbers were to be 4.83 for instance, it will again mean that the tires are 4.83 meters wide. The next two digits following the width give you what is generally known as the aspect ratio. If the value of these numbers is given as 80, for instance, it will also mean that you will take 80 per cent of the section width. For example, on a tire with notations ST/175/80-R-16, you would take 80 per cent of 175, which is roughly about 140 mm. Next, convert this value to inches and multiply the result by 140. It will amount to about 5.526 inches. Note that the last two numbers are the wheel diameter. Essentially, therefore, for a tire labelled as ST 175/ 80/ R-16, you will have to multiply the aspect ratio of 5.526 ×2, which would give you about 11.052. Add this value to the 16-inch wheel diameter and your height would be 27.052. Do tire covers prevent dry rot? Yes, tire covers actually prevent dry rot, especially very dark covers. They are able to do this by reducing the exposure of the spare tires to the mercy of the drying and bleaching actions of the sun on the materials of the tire. Over time, if this exposure continues, your tire is bound to be intrinsically degraded such that its rubber integrity is essentially lost. The darker the tire cover, the more effective is its ability to provide this needed shield for the tire. So, yes, tire covers prevent dry rust. How do you keep tires from dry rotting? It is easy to keep tires or protect them from dry rotting when you prevent the access of sun rays from getting or falling directly onto the materials of the tire. The more effectively you do this, the more protection you are giving your tires. It is for this reason that black tire covers are most preferred to any others because they give more efficient protection than other covers do. The sun is able to degrade the materials of any substance over time. Conversely, when you protect the rays from falling directly onto the object, you are basically forcing the rays to fall on the cover instead, which will in turn become degraded. That’s the basic idea. What size tire cover do I need for a 14-inch tire? There are various types of tire cover brands from different manufacturers that will give adequate cover … Read more





