When it comes down to it, car tires are an important part of your vehicle. They do not get much attention, however, until they are inflated properly. Unfortunately, there is no set way to know if they are already inflated properly or not!
Many people believe that if you can twist the tire slightly then it is correctly inflated, but this is very wrong! This trick will only work for lightweight cars such as the one you drive right now!
In fact, twisting a heavier car tire more than what our professional technicians tell us to be safe could actually hurt the tire!
It is extremely difficult to determine whether a used tire has been overinflated. Some companies create thin layers of air in their products which help them retain profit, so some may claim that their product works better than others. Therefore, try buying new ones before trying to inflate your current ones.
Check your tire pressure regularly
It may sound obvious, but checking your car’s tires for low air is an important part of driving safety.
This will particularly be true if you are traveling anywhere other than home. If your vehicle develops a dull or hollow sound when pressed down hard, it can indicate that there isn’t enough air in the tire.
You should also check your car’s tires for signs of wear-the thinner the tread, the older the tire!
It’s best to bring your car into the shop for a quick inspection as this could signify more serious problems. But don’t forget – even small drops in tire pressure can have disastrous consequences!
Be careful not to overinflate your tires either. This can cause damage to the sidewall or even blowout the tire. Never use heavy tools to press down on a tire such as a hammer– instead, use a soft tool such as a plastic handle or wooden dowel.
Use the correct pressure for the temperature
When inflating your car’s tires, there is an important thing you should note. You must make sure that the air pressure in each tire is appropriate for the current temperature!
As cars gain weight as they age, their engines require slightly more fuel to move the same distance. This means it takes longer for the engine to get going and start moving around or rolling the vehicle.
Because this is happening at lower speeds, people often forget about energy conversion when inflation levels are adjusted.
When driving past a checker box or gas station, you will probably notice some of the vehicles next to yours have higher than normal tire pressures. These individuals likely noticed that their vehicle was taking longer to climb up the hill or go through a corner slowly, and thus, filled their own tank with extra gasoline.
This is not a good idea if you want your car to perform its best. By having lower tire pressure, your car will run better because it will take advantage of the additional horsepower provided by the faster combustion process. It also helps reduce drag, which saves gas money.
Don’t rely on your car’s warning system
There is an easy way to tell if your vehicle’s tires are underinflated, but most people do not use it. The warning systems in almost every vehicle warn you when the air pressure in one of the tire drops below a certain level.
Many of these warnings can be silenced or eliminated, though. That means there is no real reason for you to check that indicator unless you were planning on changing the tire soon anyway.
By skipping this step, you may be leaving your car with dangerously low air pressure and potentially disastrous results. Plus, some cars will even lie about having trouble finding the correct amount of pressure!
Never trust a car’s warning system. Only deflate a tire if you have checked the pressure before and found it to be too little, and only if you have a source of pressurized air close by.
Replace your tires at the first sign of damage
When it comes down to it, if you have to change a tire because it is flat, you will need new treaded rubber bits that stick out of the side of the wheel. These are called wheels or lug bolts.
You also need an adequate amount of air in the tire so it can properly deflect off of any surface while moving. This is referred to as pressure in the tire.
Too little pressure means the tire does not hold up well when rolling and may even blowout due to the lack of support. Too much pressure and the tire risks exploding due to excess force being exerted onto the pavement.
There are several ways to check tire pressure. You can use a gauge with needles inserted into the tube of the car’s current tire and then reading the pressure from there, you can use a computerized tool designed for this purpose, or you can take a look under the vehicle by looking at the backside of the tire using a mirror.
Practice inflating your tires
When your tire is down, it is already too late! You have made enough changes that air has been introduced into the space between the carcass of the wheel and the outer surface of the inflated tread. This process is referred to as rim-to-tread engagement or inflation.
If you are able to hear air hissing out of the tube as the pressure drops, this is desirable. However, if you feel a crinkling or crunching sound, then you have reached the point where the inner wall of the tire meets the metal part of the car frame or wheel. That is undesirable and should be avoided.
The most common source for this noise comes from overinflation. As mentioned before, the goal when deflating a flat tire is to remove all of the internal pressurized fluid so that the bead can collapse onto the rim. If you overdo it at this stage, however, the foam in the casing will break down and compress instead of expanding to allow for such a quick deflation.
This could cause the inner liner of the tire to get stuck against the rim, creating the aforementioned annoying noise. Also, if there is not enough expansion room, then the tire may even blowout, also causing an unpleasant situation.
Use the correct type of tire inflator
There are two main types of tire inflation tools, those that use air pressure to stretch the tube of the tire, and those that actually cut into the inner wall of the tire to achieve this. Both have their pros and cons depending on what you want to do!
Inflation devices that rely only on air pressure to expand the tube work best for quickly changing tires with no risk of over-inflation or under-inflation. They also work well if the damaged portion of the tire is not visible, such as when using GPS to check for traction.
However, these devices cannot be used to properly deflate a flat tire because they will always over-inflate the tire due to the fluid in the tool. This could cause damage to the wheel rim or vehicle collision with another object!
Device inflation kits that contain a small knife can help avoid over-inflation by cutting off the excess air supply, but will not correctly deflate a completely empty tire. These knives may also accidentally hurt someone else if used incorrectly.
We recommend avoiding device inflation products that have either a long lasting stream of liquid exposed when the tool is closed or that require opening via pinching or pulling. Both of these pose safety risks to others around you!
Handheld vacuum pumps are your safest bet if you need to both inflate and deflate a tire. Not only are they safer than liquids, but you can easily control how much air is pulled out.
Inflate your tires properly
When inflating your car’s tires, make sure you don’t overdo it. Too much air in the tire will cause it to lose pressure more quickly, leaving you with an unsafe ride or even dangerous loss of traction.
On the other hand, if the tire is underinflated, it will feel soft and possibly even flat. This could be disastrous if you need extra cushioning for safety or when driving uphill!
Both scenarios are bad so do not perform this procedure unless you know how. Make sure you have all the proper tools and that you have done it before!
Here we will go through some basic information about how to inflate your car’s tires. After reading these tips, you will know just what to look out for while doing it.
Check your tire pressure when you first start driving
Before you hit the road, check that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated. This is an easy thing to forget because after you get into the car, everything seems fine!
Fortunately, most cars now have warning lights that turn on when there’s a low air-pressure condition. Some even warn you via voice!
But what if those warnings never come on? Or what if they do but you don’t believe them until it’s too late?
Before you put additional stress on your vehicles tires by going on a trip, make sure they’re properly inflated!
It will cost you very little time to ensure your wheels are flush with enough air before you leave for a trip.
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