Every car owner has experienced tire damage at least once in their life. In general, such defects are easy to eliminate. Therefore, you should not write off damaged car tires and spend money on new tires.
Why flat tires
The tires of each car are under great stress during the trip. All this can lead to tire tread wear. In this case, the likelihood of damage increases significantly.
There are three most common reasons for tire damage.
- Wheel collision with a sharp object. This can be a tire cut by a stone, nail, glass, or lateral damage to the rubber during unsuccessful and inaccurate parking. If the object that pierced the tire is small, then it may not be immediately noticeable. This is because the foreign thing in the rubber clogs the cut, and the tire starts to go down imperceptibly.
- Disc defects. This problem is visible to the naked eye, so only an external inspection of the wheel is sufficient here. A disc jam occurs when mechanical damage occurs, for example, when a wheel falls into a deep hole. The rim bends and air escapes through it. To eliminate disk defects, it is necessary to roll it, straighten it and process the rim with a sealant.
- Valve damage. Since the valve body is made of lower quality rubber, the effect of reagents and temperatures on it is felt to a greater extent. Also, the valve can be damaged due to fast and aggressive driving. To avoid damage, the valve should be replaced every season.
How much will the repair cost and is it possible to fix the tire yourself
To bring the tire to its original form, you need to patch a puncture or cut. To do this, a special patch, tourniquet or sealant is applied to the damage site, depending on the complexity of the defect.
If the puncture is small, then you can save the budget and do the repairs yourself. The cheapest repair kits in specialized stores cost from $ 5. But if there is no experience in restoring tires, then it is better to contact a tire fitting or a car service, where they will do all the work efficiently and professionally for little money.
If the problem is related to a disc defect, then in this case it is better to immediately contact a specialized center where the master can straighten the rim. In no case should you do this on your own, based on safety rules.
The cost of repairs will depend both on the chosen service center and on the amount of work. It will be necessary to pay not only for the search and elimination of the defect, but also for the dismantling and installation of the tire. All this can cost from 30-40 dollars. Although the work is not overly difficult, it does require a high level of skill.
How to protect tires from damage
It must be remembered that not only bad roads and sharp objects can damage tires. How drivers use tires is critical. To make it last longer, you should follow very simple recommendations:
- daily check the condition of the tires;
- do not drive too fast;
- avoid road hazards.
The best way to protect your tires from damage is to have your wheels serviced regularly. If the tire life exceeds 6 years, then it is better not to take risks and replace such rubber. Over time, it becomes rigid, which leads to cracks and deformations.
If, on top of everything else, you neglect careful driving, you can very quickly find yourself with damaged tires. Hard braking and starting and excessively fast driving will increase the chance of a puncture after hitting a sharp object or driving a wheel into a hole. In addition, excessive speed leads to rapid and uneven wear of the rubber.
To protect yourself while driving, you should carefully look at the road and at the signs standing nearby that warn of possible pits, dangerous areas and repair work.
How to properly care for tires
To prolong the life of your tires, check your tire pressure monthly. This will help prevent rapid tire wear. For example, under-inflated tires pose a threat, as the wheel can be disassembled. Pumped – lead to deformation of the cord, which can lead to the appearance of hernias. To prevent this from happening, you need to have a car pressure gauge on hand that measures tire pressure.
You should also periodically change the front and rear wheels in places. This is necessary so that the tires wear evenly, which can increase the service life. The tread depth should be checked every three months to ensure uniform wear.
Moreover, the maximum loads that the tire can withstand should not be exceeded. It is necessary to carefully monitor the rear wheels, since it is on them that the main load is due to the close location of the trunk. To avoid additional load, a similarity collapse should be done every six months. This will help slow tire wear. You should also remove all unnecessary items from the car that can put pressure on the tires and bodywork.
In addition to wheel alignment, auto mechanics recommend doing wheel balancing after 12,000 miles. This will help prevent rapid tire wear and distribute the load evenly across all four wheels. In addition, balancing will eliminate the beating and vibration in the tires, which will make the ride even more comfortable.
General Tips
In order for tires to last as long as possible, their technical condition should be checked regularly. This can be done both independently and by contacting a car service.
In addition, extremely fast driving, which can lead to shorter tire life, should be avoided. Safe driving will reduce the risk of wheels falling into deep pits and hitting sharp objects.
If, however, the tire is damaged, you should immediately contact a professional tire fitting or car service, where auto mechanics will find the cause of the flat wheels and fix any problems.