Did you know? Oops. Seven people got flat tires in the time it took you to read “did you know?” Flat tires are most probably the most common roadside emergency. The sinking feeling you get when you see a flat tire comes with the question, “What causes a tire to go flat?” Well, then you might curse every possible factor that remotely comes close to causing a flat tire.
This blog cannot help you fix that tire, but it can surely help you identify all the possible causes of flat tire and provide you with cautionary measures that will help you prevent flat tires in the future.
What Causes a Tire to Go Flat Without Warning?
What can cause a flat tire? Nails, screws and whatnot. Many reasons exist that can cause a tires to go flat and some might be surprising.
Let’s the most common out first, the notorious nails and devilish screws. No one knows how they end up on the streets, the construction sites, maybe, open trailer trucks, might and might not. They might be someone’s mischief sprinkling nails all over the place. Driving over potholes can be another reason for increased tire damage and eventual blowout. Over inflation, yes this might be surprising but over inflation is one of the most common cause of flat tires. Let’s not forget under inflation, which makes the tire easier to get punctured.
All these are probable causes of flat tire but fret not as we can take some precautions and considerations that will allow us to evade the misery and the tension of facing a flat tire situation.
How to Prevent Flat Tires Before They Happen
Everyone who has ever been in a situation where he is standing helplessly looking at a flat tire thinks one thought. “I wish I could prevent this before it happens”. Well, let me take you out of this misery and tell you how you can prevent flat tires before they happen
- Cheap tires = more hassle
The first thing when it comes to flat tire prevention, buy high-quality tires and stay away from low-grade tires as they tend to wear out faster resulting in flat tires.
2. Checkup:
Just like a human being a tire also needs a checkup probably more often than a human. A monthly checkup of your tires is important for tire health. One must look for uneven wear, bubbles, and cracks.
3. Tire pressure:
Keeping the tire inflated as per the owner’s manual is critical for tire health. Over inflation and under inflation, both can cause uneven wearing out of the tire resulting in frequent flat tires.
4. Avoid the obvious:
Try to keep away from construction sites and avoid choosing the route where construction is taking place as debris and nails may lie on the driveway causing flat tires.
5. Spare is Spare:
Many make the mistake of considering the spare tire as a permanent fix and not replacing the damaged tire. This ignorance is what can cause a flat tire and your next flat tire would require a towing service and not a quick tire change.
What to Do If You Get a Flat Tire on the Road
Prevention is for the fortunate, but what should the slightly unfortunate do when they are at the site of a flat tire? First, what tells you that you have a flat tire, it’s simple you will feel that steering your vehicle is difficult and the vehicle keeps pulling to a side. Driving with a flat tire can cause wheel and rim damage. That being said if you know that a service station or a tire shop is nearby you can drive your car at a slow pace, do not drive far. Once you feel your car moving to one side and suspect a flat tire then what you must do is signal the indicator to move towards the hard shoulder cautiously and stop the car as soon as possible.
Now, that you’ve stopped at the side. You’re now thinking about changing the tire. Some points should be taken into consideration. First, only change your tire if it’s completely safe to do so, secondly, never change the tire in the dark or in the middle of the lane keep your car at the hard shoulder side. If you’re certain that you’re in a safe zone then you may proceed towards changing your tire. A list of tire-changing essentials is given below
- Spare tire
- Jack
- Wheel chocks
- Wheel wrench and nut key
- Vehicle handbook
- Gloves
- Torch and reflective jacket (especially at night)
If you don’t know how to change a tire then you must call a roadside assistance service.
When Should You Replace a Damaged Tire?
Every driver should know one basic skill of determining how damaged a tire is and when to get it replaced. This my reader is called the art of tread checking. You must check your tires every month to monitor wear. The tire tread is the patterned surface of the tire that is in contact with the road and the depth of the tire tread is essential for a safe drive, it determines the tire’s health and longevity. The Quarter test is a great way to determine tire wear, it goes like take a quarter coin and touch the engraved surface between treads. If you see the top of Mr. Washington’s head, then it’s time to replace the tire. Secondly one must always keep an eye on cracks, cuts, and bulges. These are indicators of damage.
Even types of tire wear have different meanings, even wearing is better as it is predictable, while uneven wear is unpredictable and more dangerous. Uneven wear is caused by imperfect tire inflation. Over-inflation can lead to uneven wear and under-inflation can lead to easier puncture.
Need Help with a Flat Tire? King Khan Towing Is Just a Call Away
Next time you feel your steering feels tighter than usual, just comfort yourself with the thought that you’ve saved King Khan Towing‘s contact details. If you’ve not yet, then what are you waiting for? Contact King Khan Towing for 24/7 roadside assistance and towing services.