How to catch someone putting nails in your tires? You could be wondering, why do I keep getting nails in my tires? Victims of such a heinous act tend to ask themselves one of many questions: what on earth have I done to deserve this? The reasons are never viable in most cases and at all times, to say the least.
Some of the perpetrators of these acts who have been apprehended have said they felt it was the only way they could get revenge for something that never held water.
Below are some measures you can take to curtail such malevolent events from happening around you.
Also Read: How To Give Someone A Flat Tire Without Them Knowing
How To Catch Someone Putting Nails In Your Tire
Let’s now look at some of the best ways you can catch those malicious people who keep putting nails in your tires.
You might need to employ a couple of the below-recommended methods – find exactly what works best for you.
1. Park Your Car In Visible Places
The miscreants who carry out such crimes are less likely to puncture your tire if there is an active presence around the area, for fear of being caught. If you have noticed that your car has been punctured at a particular parking spot, try parking at another parking spot that is safe and busy at the same time.
Read Also: How To Prove Someone Slashed Your Tires
Anyone who comes to cause damage to your vehicle is likely to get caught under such conditions.
2. Make Use Of A Car Camera
This is by far the easiest means of knowing the culprit’s identity. Installing a car camera in your car can help you take photographs of the culprit, and even help record the moments – catching them in the act.
The camera would have to be hidden so as not to draw their attention. There are many such cameras in the market, but the best and the most effective is the VAVA Dual dash camera.
Here are some of its exciting features:
- It Comes With A Separate Camera: The VAVA Dual dash camera comes with a separate camera that can be mounted on the rear window of your car or the car’s cabin. This will give you a closer look at the front road, and the rear as well.
- Great Night Vision: It has a light enhancer that helps it in low light environments. The perfect combination of the F1.8 and 6-glass lens helps to drastically reduce the necessity for an external light source regardless of the low light available in the environment, and still, yet, you can be sure it will record and capture very sharp images.
- It Monitors Your Car For 24-Hours: The VAVA Dual dash camera will stay on even when your car’s engine has been turned off. It has a battery capacity of 320mAh that aids in recording videos immediately there is a bump on your car of any kind, or when there is any form of physical presence around a vehicle. All you have to do is simply activate this function in the settings of your camera. As soon as you turn on your VAVA Dual dash camera, it enters rec mode, and also saves the footage, while the VIVA dash app will help you transfer the video evidence recorded to the police right from your phone.
- 360-Degree Swivel Angle: With this feature in the VAVA Dual dash camera, you can be certain that any form of blind spot is reduced to its barest minimum. It also allows you to take instant snapshots of unexpected events that occur while driving.
Having the VAVA Dual dash camera installed in your car is the surest way to catch any hoodlum who tries to vent their frustration on your tires.
Besides, the police will only take your complaints seriously if you can provide enough evidence of the activity taking place, and what better evidence than to have the whole activity recorded, with the face of the perpetrator in it. (Read Also: Can I Use Tire Foam To Clean Engine?)
It can be hung on your rear-view mirror, and since it can rotate, it won’t be a problem to catch the criminal from any angle.
3. Motion-Activated Alarm
If the incident happens in the spot you park your car, then I suggest you get this motion detector alarm and hang it on a tree, fence, or any surface; but ensure it is not easy to spot so that the culprit can be caught right-handed.
You can even place it under the bumper of your vehicle, it is completely waterproof and can travel as far as 1000ft to reach the receiver. As long as there is movement in or around the place you packed your vehicle, you will be alerted. (Read Also:Can You Put Drive Tires On Steer Axle?)
4. Ask For Help From Neighbors
If you feel it is getting out of your control, lay a complaint to your neighbors around and have them keep an eye out for the culprit. It makes catching the culprit easier, and might even reduce the incident if one of your neighbors is responsible since they will now be alerted that more eyes are out looking.
5. Report To The Cops
This should be the last route you should take, and most times, the police will want proof of the incident before making any necessary measures.
Simply ask your local cop to include your area in their routine patrol radius, and also state the time the incident is likely to occur. This should help in nailing down the culprit in no time.
(Read Also: Can My Tire Fall Off With A Bad Wheel Bearing? Find Out Now)
How to Tell if Someone Put a Screw in Your Tire
Do you keep getting screws in your tires? You could be wondering, how does a screw get into a tire? why do I keep getting screws in my tires? In this next section, we’ll dive deeper into this and get to the bottom of this critical question.
It’s not always easy to tell if someone put a screw in your tire. But there are always a number of things that you can look out for to help determine if this was international or just an unfortunate situation.
Below are the steps on how to tell if someone put a screw in your tire:
First, if you notice a large tear on your tire, then this could be caused by some natural unfortunate situation. But if you notice a small puncture hole this could be an intentional puncture – high chances are a screw was used to cause the mayhem.
If the screw is still intact on your tires, inspect it thoroughly. If it’s rusted or covered in dirt it could have been on the road and happened to have just punctured your car naturally (while driving). If this isn’t the case, then you could be dealing with an intentional puncture.
Another thing to look out for is the exact location of the puncture. A puncture on your tire’s sidewall could indicate a natural cause; while a puncture in your tire tread could be due to an intentional cause.
It’s important to be vigilant and always aware of your surrounding and should you suspect someone intentionally caused the harm, report them to relevant authorities.
Nails in Tires Vandalism: Someone Keeps Putting Nails in My Tires
How to tell if someone put a nail in your tire? This is a very common question for most car owners. Nails in tires vandalism; is it really vandalism? Is someone putting nails in your tires?
Nails in tires could be coming in from different angles (read people). If you are not on good terms with your neighbor you could be asking yourself; is my neighbor putting nails in my tires? or is it someone putting nails in my tires? Who can it be?
But, Is it illegal to put a nail under someone’s tire? When it comes to nails in tire vandalism, there are a number of reasons why someone would want to puncture your tire. It may be extremely hard to know the exact reasons. But, if they are knowingly doing so, then that’s definitely illegal.
Why is someone putting nails in my tires? We cover some of the most common ones below.
For starters, you could be annoying. Don’t take it the wrong way, but if you are that neighbor that enjoys making his/her presence known in the most annoying way possible, then you are likely to generate enemies.
By being annoying, this is what I mean;
1. Infringing Into The Rights Of Others With Your Lifestyle
This can include keeping your neighbors up in the dead of the night with your sexual activities (an example I happen to be a victim of), throwing disturbing parties, and any other activity that you’re personally are not okay with.
2. Ignoring The Annoying Noise From Your Car
This could come from a loud and annoying exhaust pipe you have vehemently refused to fix for reasons best known to you.
If you seem okay with it, some persons might find it disturbing, and would rather not have you drive the car around anymore. (Read Also: Can You Jack Up A Truck By The Leaf Springs?)
3. A Jealous Neighbor, Friend, Or Colleague
This is definitely out of your control, but some people might find your level of success intimidating and could unleash their jealousy on your tires. This is usually not your fault, but I guess it’s the little price we have to pay for success.
None of the above reasons is entirely justifiable, but from time to time, we should ensure that our rights in society are not selfishly used within society.
How To Fix A Nail Puncture In Your Tire
If your tire picks up a nail or a screw, either accidentally or placed on purpose, do not panic. Follow these simple steps in the next paragraph to get rid of the nail from the tire.
You should note that driving with a nail in your tire will only aggravate the problem, although it is quite safe to drive a very short distance.
(Read Also: How Long Does A Nail Have To Be To Puncture A Tire?)
But, first, let’s look at the key items you’ll need to fix a nail puncture in your tire. The Table below covers exactly data.
Materials needed for fixing a nail puncture in your tire
Material | Description |
---|---|
Tire repair kit | A kit containing plugs, tools, and adhesive for repairing tire punctures |
Tire jack | A tool used to lift the car off the ground for tire repair |
Lug wrench | A tool used to remove and tighten lug nuts |
Pliers | A tool used to remove the nail from the tire |
Tire pressure gauge | A tool used to check the tire pressure after repair |
1. Park At A Safe Spot
The first thing you need to do is to pack at a safe spot. Ensure that you are out of harm’s way before carrying out the routine check. This step is not necessary if it is discovered in the parking lot.
2. Jack Up The Car To Examine The Exact Spot
Jack up your car and spin the tires to determine the exact location the nail or screw pierced, it is likely to be visible to the naked eye if it’s a nail or a screw.
3. Remove The Nail Or The Screw From The Tire
If the item causing the discomfort in the tire is a screw, use a screwdriver, but if it is a nail, you can use a plier, a claw hammer, or a vice grip to take out the nail.
4. Ream The Hole
After removing the nail or the screw, ream the hole. Tire plug kits are known to come with files you can use. Reaming the hole makes it easier to locate when repairs are to be carried out on it.
Read Also: How To Pop A Tire Back On The Rim With Fire Like A Pro
5. Thread The Plug Tool And Insert A Tire Plug
Once you are done with the reaming process, check your tire kit for another tool that looks like a needle. Take the plug-threaded needle and put it into the hole you just reamed.
Apply a gentle force until you see that there is a little amount of plug sticking out. Remove the plug tool from the tire, and this should make the plug stay in the hole. Try as much as you can trim the end of the plug to make it have an even surface with the tire.
Precautions to take when fixing a nail puncture in your tire.
Precaution | Description |
---|---|
Wear gloves | To avoid getting dirt and debris on your hands |
Be cautious | When handling tools and sharp objects |
Follow kit instructions | To ensure correct use of repair materials |
Check tire damage | To ensure the puncture is repairable and there is no other tire damage |
Check tire pressure | Before and after repair |
Do not exceed speed limit | Until you have driven at least 100 miles on the repaired tire |
This should help until you decide to seek a permanent solution from the mechanic’s workshop. Here are some FAQs you might have about the safety and maintenance of your car tires.
How Do I Know I Need New Tires?
knowing when you need a set of new tires is important to the safety of not just you, but others who use the road. Here are some tips to help you know when to replace your tires with new ones;
1. Take Note Of Your Thread Depth
The average tread depth of a tire should not fall below 1.6 millimeters, which is the same as 1/16 inches. Anything below this will be considered unsafe for you, and if you are frequently plying slippery surfaces, then your vehicle thread needs to be a lot deeper than stipulated above.
There is a simple way to check this out; use a penny coin, and insert it into your car thread (head-down). If the head in the coin (Lincoln’s head) remains visible, then it means that your tread depth is below the required depth, and the best thing to do is to head to the mechanic workshop for a pair of new ones.
2. Look Out For Tread Wear Indicators
This feature is readily available for modern-day tires. They have inbuilt indicator bars that are barely visible when purchased but begin to surface as soon as your tires begin to wear out.
They usually appear as flat rubber bars that run perpendicular to the thread. The moment you notice one or two of these bars rearing up their ugly heads, then it is high time you head to the dealer’s shop to get a new one.
3. Check For Bulges And Blisters On The Tire
This can simply be compared to a human having an aneurysm; an aneurysm is an event in the blood vessel that can lead to your artery blowing up, and the same can be said of your tires.
There are instances where the surface of your tires begin to weaken, and as a result, there can be bulge and blisters that extend outwards.
Ignoring early signs of bulges will lead to your tire exploding, and this could be very fatal especially when you are driving. Always do a routine check to look out for this.
4. Notice The Increase In Vibrations
It’s normal to have vibrations from time to time especially when you are on untarred roads, but as the driver of your vehicle, you should notice when the vibrations become excess.
There are certain causes of vibrations that can be caused when your tires are misaligned, or if your shock absorbers are wearing out. But in some cases, it could also mean that there are some internal problems with your tires you need to address. It is also very likely that your tires will not be responsible for the vibrations, however, do well to address the root cause of the vibration before it has a damaging effect on your tire.
5. Don’t Ignore The Cracks In The Sidewall
When it comes to the safety of your tires, you should note that not all the problems will come from the thread of the tire. From time to time, do a regular check on the sidewall, and look out for cracks that are visible to your eyes.
Any of such cracks you see signals an impending doom which can come as a leak on your tire, or worst still, a blowout or what I like to call a tire explosion.
If you judge that the cracks are becoming serious, do well to take it to the mechanic’s workshop for a change.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)?
is it illegal to put a nail under someone’s tire?
Yes, it’s illegal to put a nail under somene’s tire. This will damage their tires and can be dangerous to all the occupants of the car. If found you will get arrested and charged on the court of law.
Can someone put a nail in your tire?
Yes, it’s possible for someone to intentionally or unintentionally put a nail in your tire. If you suspect someone intentionally punctured your tire using a nail you should report to authorities immediately. Make sure to fix your tires before using your vehicle.
Can you hammer a nail into a tire?
Yes, you can hammer a nail into a tire, but doing so internationally is not recommended as can cause damage to your tires. Hammering a nail into a tire can cause a puncture, leading to a flat tire.
is it illegal to put nails in your driveway?
If you intentionally put nails in your driveway that is illegal. Such an action could lead to serious damages to users of the driveway as well as to vehicles using the driveway.
Can u drive with a nail in your tire?
Yes, you can drive with a nail in your tire – but only if your tire is still holding air. If the nail punctured the tire and led to a flat tire, then you may need to fix the flat tire before using your vehicle.
Conclusion
Tires do not cost much, compared to the damage or loss they will incur on your person if they are not treated as a matter of priority. After warming up your engines, the best thing to do is to check out your tires and ensure that they are poised to serve you for the day.
Looking out for your tires is something you should do religiously, you shouldn’t neglect their importance in any way.
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I am passionate about all things automotive and have a deep understanding of the topic. As a mechanic, I use my free time to share knowledge of everyday challenges that any car owner can experience – helping you make informed decisions about tires.