Tire maintenance
Encyclopedia
Tire maintenance for motor vehicles is necessitated by several factors. The chief cause of tire failure is friction
from moving contact with road surfaces, causing the tread on the outer perimeter of tires to eventually wear away. When the tire tread becomes too shallow, the tire is worn out and should be replaced. The same wheels can usually be used throughout the lifetime of the car. Other problems encountered in tire maintenance include:
Sometimes a pneumatic tire gets a hole or a leak
through which the air inside leaks out resulting in a flat tire, a condition which must be fixed before the car can be driven safely. See Flat tire
for more information.
, already mounted on a rim, to be used in the event of flat tire or blowout. Many spare tires (sometimes called "doughnuts") for modern cars are smaller than normal tires (to save on trunk space, gas mileage, weight and cost) and should not be driven very far before replacement with a full-size tire. A few modern vehicle models may use conventional spare tires. Jack
s and for emergency replacement of a flat tire with a spare tire are included with a new car. Not included, but sometimes available separately, are hand or foot pumps for filling a tire with air by the vehicle owner. Cans of pressurized air can sometimes be bought separately for convenient emergency refill of a tire.
Some modern cars and trucks are equipped with run flat tires that may be driven with a puncture over a distance of 80 km to 100 km. This eliminates the need for an immediate stop, and the associated expensive tow
service or tire change.
Interestingly, tires actually get more traction when they are bald, because there is more surface area making contact with the road. The reason consumer-use tires have treads is to avoid hydroplaning when the surface of the road is icy or wet. Conversely, stock cars driven on professionally-maintained NASCAR
tracks use tires with no tread, but a much thicker layer of rubber.
(exchanging the front and rear tires with each other) is often done periodically to facilitate uniform tire wear. There are simple hand-held tire-pressure gauge
s which can be temporarily attached to the valve stem to check a tire's interior air pressure. This measurement of tire inflation pressure should be made at least once a month. The proper inflation pressure is located in the owner's manual and on the Tire Placard. Because of slow leaks or changes in weather or other conditions tire pressure may occasionally have to be corrected, usually via the valve stem with compressed air which is often available at service stations.
Under-inflation of tires can also cause premature tire wear. Many modern vehicles have tire pressure monitoring systems; older cars typically equipped with indirect monitoring systems while later cars are typically equipped with direct tire pressure monitoring systems
.
Friction
Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and/or material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction:...
from moving contact with road surfaces, causing the tread on the outer perimeter of tires to eventually wear away. When the tire tread becomes too shallow, the tire is worn out and should be replaced. The same wheels can usually be used throughout the lifetime of the car. Other problems encountered in tire maintenance include:
- Uneven or accelerated tire wear: can be caused by under-inflation, overload or bad wheel alignmentWheel alignmentWheel alignment sometimes referred to as tracking, is part of standard automobile maintenance that consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are set to the car maker's specification. The purpose of these adjustments is to reduce tire wear, and to ensure that vehicle travel is...
. - Increased wear on a tire facing the outside or the inside of a car: often a sign of bad wheel alignment.
- Tread worn away completely: especially when the wear on the outer rubber exposes the reinforcing threads within, the tire is said to be bald and should be replaced as soon as possible. Sometimes tires with worn tread are recapped, i. e. a new layer of rubber with grooves is bonded onto the outer perimeter of a worn tire. Since this bonding may occasionally come loose, new tires are considered superior to recapped ones.
Leakage
Leakage may refer to:*Leakage *Memory leak, in computer science*Leakage *Leakage *Leakage *Leakage...
through which the air inside leaks out resulting in a flat tire, a condition which must be fixed before the car can be driven safely. See Flat tire
Flat tire
A flat tire is a deflated pneumatic tire, which can cause the rim of the wheel to ride on the tire tread or the ground potentially resulting in loss of control of the vehicle or irreparable damage to the tire and wheel....
for more information.
Spare tires
Vehicles typically carry a spare tireSpare tire
A spare tire is an additional tire carried in a motor vehicle as a replacement for one that goes flat, a blowout, or other emergency...
, already mounted on a rim, to be used in the event of flat tire or blowout. Many spare tires (sometimes called "doughnuts") for modern cars are smaller than normal tires (to save on trunk space, gas mileage, weight and cost) and should not be driven very far before replacement with a full-size tire. A few modern vehicle models may use conventional spare tires. Jack
Jack (mechanical)
A jack is a mechanical device used to lift heavy loads or apply great forces. Jacks employ a screw thread or hydraulic cylinder to apply very high linear forces.-Mechanical jack:...
s and for emergency replacement of a flat tire with a spare tire are included with a new car. Not included, but sometimes available separately, are hand or foot pumps for filling a tire with air by the vehicle owner. Cans of pressurized air can sometimes be bought separately for convenient emergency refill of a tire.
Some modern cars and trucks are equipped with run flat tires that may be driven with a puncture over a distance of 80 km to 100 km. This eliminates the need for an immediate stop, and the associated expensive tow
Tow
In the composites industry, a tow is an untwisted bundle of continuous filaments, and it refers to man-made fibres, particularly carbon fibres ....
service or tire change.
Interestingly, tires actually get more traction when they are bald, because there is more surface area making contact with the road. The reason consumer-use tires have treads is to avoid hydroplaning when the surface of the road is icy or wet. Conversely, stock cars driven on professionally-maintained NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
tracks use tires with no tread, but a much thicker layer of rubber.
Rotation
Front tires, especially on front wheel drive vehicles, have a tendency to wear out more quickly than rear tires. Routine maintenance including tire rotationTire rotation
Tire rotation or rotating tires is the practice of moving automobile wheels and tires from one position on the car, to another, to ensure even tire wear. Tire wear is uneven for any number of reasons...
(exchanging the front and rear tires with each other) is often done periodically to facilitate uniform tire wear. There are simple hand-held tire-pressure gauge
Tire-pressure gauge
A tire-pressure gauge is a pressure gauge used to measure the pressure of tires on a vehicle. conditions can introduce a 13 to 15 percent variability in pressure due to temperature , and additional changes can result due to altitude...
s which can be temporarily attached to the valve stem to check a tire's interior air pressure. This measurement of tire inflation pressure should be made at least once a month. The proper inflation pressure is located in the owner's manual and on the Tire Placard. Because of slow leaks or changes in weather or other conditions tire pressure may occasionally have to be corrected, usually via the valve stem with compressed air which is often available at service stations.
Under-inflation of tires can also cause premature tire wear. Many modern vehicles have tire pressure monitoring systems; older cars typically equipped with indirect monitoring systems while later cars are typically equipped with direct tire pressure monitoring systems
Direct TPMS
Direct TPMS, or direct tire pressure monitoring systems refers to the use of a pressure sensor directly mounted on the wheels or tires of a vehicle. The pressure inside the tire is measured using a pressure transducer with the pressure information being subsequently sent to the vehicle to warn the...
.