Every motorist knows that a flat tire in a car is rather unpleasant, and in some cases even a problematic situation, which requires an early solution to restore the car’s performance. Today we will discuss in detail issues related to tire puncture, find out why this problem arises, as well as how to solve and prevent it.
Chamber or tubeless tires?
Most modern cars are equipped with tubeless tires. In the case of a puncture, unlike tube tires, they allow you to maintain pressure in the wheel for a while, which is very important from a safety point of view. There are situations when the owner of tubeless wheels rides with a nail in the tire for several months before the puncture makes itself felt. Of course, we are not talking about significant damage. In turn, the chamber wheel during a puncture instantly descends. Imagine how this could be fraught with speed. Therefore, experts strongly recommend that everyone who still has camera tires refuse them.
Why does he lower the wheel
Having seen (or felt) that a favorite car is skewed due to a tire breaking through, each driver is in a hurry to find the source of this problem. The main reasons for lowering the wheel:
- The most common option is to puncture the tire. This happens, as a rule, due to a collision with a nail, wire and other small metal objects. If, due to a puncture, the tubeless wheel is lowered, it is often possible to get to the nearest service station with periodic pumping, and sometimes even without them.
- Another fairly common problem is the cut of the wheel. If the puncture in most cases falls on the tread of the tire, then the cuts are also lateral. A cut of the running part (tread) is rare, since it consists of a rather thick and dense layer of rubber. More often this problem occurs on the side of the tire, which is much thinner. This happens when in contact with sharp objects. This can be the edges of the track, borders (of which metal reinforcement often sticks out) and other protrusions. If the cut does not reach the court, then the wheel usually does not lower. But if the rubber is cut deep, then you will know about it much faster than about a puncture, since the cut surface is larger. Unfortunately, if this problem happened on the side of the wheel and caused serious damage to the rubber, then it most likely will not be able to be eliminated.
- Sometimes the wheel is lowered due to the deformation of the disk, which leads to depressurization of the place in which the tire is adjacent to it. The disk may be damaged either due to poor road surface, or due to the inexperience of the driver (a disk hit a curb in parallel parking and other missteps). Straightening the disk helps to solve this problem without harming the tire itself.
- Depressurization of the spool or nipple (valve) is another reason why the wheel is often lowered. This happens either due to mechanical action on these elements or due to their inaccurate installation. The second reason is more common, since it is quite difficult to hit a nipple with a spool, because it “hides” behind the disk. By the way, spools come in long and short designs. The first option, as practice shows, is more reliable.
How to determine the location of damage
Sometimes it’s quite difficult to find out why the wheel is spinning. And even specialists sometimes get confused when they see that the tire is visually intact, but it does not hold air. There are at least a few solutions to this problem. To get started, try pumping the wheel 1-1.5 atmospheres and listen to where the air comes out. If this does not work, soak it with soapy water and find a place where air bubbles appear. If this does not help, dip the wheel completely in water. It happens that a removed wheel holds air, and if installed on a car, it passes. In this case, it is necessary to disassemble it and run along the inner surface of the tire with a rag. If there is at least a small protruding object in the wheel, the rag must catch on.
What is driving a flat tire
We have already figured out how much the wheel lowers in time, and as you understand, this time can be completely different. If the wheel is pierced by a nail or some other small object, it is quite possible that it will hold pressure for some time. On such a wheel, you can easily get to the tire fitting. You need to drive carefully. On the road, it is advisable to periodically inspect the wheel and, if necessary, pump it up. A pump, or rather a compressor, should always be in the trunk!
But what if the wheel is flat and the pumping does not help? Is it possible to ride a flat tire? Theoretically, of course, it is possible, but such a ride has some unpleasant moments. Firstly, the trip will be extremely uncomfortable. And secondly, both the tire and the drive are likely to become worthless.
Tire repair with a tourniquet
In addition to means for pumping wheels, it is advisable to put a tire repair kit in the trunk of a car. He will save you in the event of a puncture. If you have such a "first aid kit for tires" and the proper skills to repair a wheel, you need less than half an hour. A set of the following elements consists of:
- An awl with a cut through ear.
- Awl in the shape of a spiral.
- Special harness.
- Glue.
The repair operation is carried out in the following sequence:
- The wheel is pumped up and the puncture site is determined. Inflate the wheel not only in order to identify the problem area, but also for the convenience of repair.
- Now you need to carefully screw the spiral awl into the hole. It is necessary to develop a hole and prepare it for a tourniquet. To expand the hole, you need to insert and remove the awl several times.
- When the hole is ready, an awl with an eye is taken. A harness up to 4 cm long is inserted into the eye so that the awl is in its middle.
- An awl with a tourniquet is carefully inserted into the hole until you feel that the bend of the tourniquet has reached the inner edge of the tire.
- It remains only to sharply pull out the tool and cut off the excess pieces of the tourniquet.
When the front wheel is broken, you can carry out such repairs without removing it. Just turn the steering wheel to the side and open access to the tire. But if the rear wheel is flat, you still have to remove it. If after this operation the wheel holds pressure, you can safely go to the service station. However, it’s a sin to hide, most drivers ride such a wheel for several years and do not know the problems. A similar procedure can be done at the tire fitting if the driver does not have time for a more reliable repair.
Tire Repair Using Spray
This is an alternative to wheel repair. A special spray is sprayed inside the tire. Due to the pressure created in the can, the liquid is evenly distributed on the inner surface, filling the hole and creating a sealed layer. If any foreign object sticks in the wheel, it must be removed before using this composition. After splashing the sealant into the wheel, pump up the latter, and if everything is in order, you can go to the service station. Remember that the spray solves the problem only temporarily, and if you do not carry out a more substantial repair, you will soon notice again that it is lowering the wheel.
What to do to prevent a problem
Any problem is much easier to prevent than to fix. As mentioned above, in most cases, a modern tubeless tire breaks through with a sharp object and does not immediately begin to descend. So that the active phase of this descent itself does not take place on the road, when a sticking nail, for example, catches on to something, you need to inspect the tires daily and measure their pressure at least once a week.
In order not to break the wheel, try to avoid dangerous sections (construction site, old tram tracks, badly broken road, and so on). If it happens that you notice an obstacle, but no longer have time to go around it, you should not turn sharply. The central part of the wheel is much thicker and denser than the side, so it is better to go directly to the obstacle.
What should be in the trunk
Be sure to bring a pump and a repair kit with you! The wheel can be lowered at the most inopportune moment, therefore it is better to be prepared for this. Nobody canceled the reserve, of course. If it so happens that you don’t have a spare wheel or tools, a simple self-tapping screw will come to the rescue. It must be tightly screwed into the puncture site. With a self-tapping screw, most likely, it will turn out to get to the tire fitting. You can always find a self-tapping screw in a car, most importantly, do not forget to return it to its place later. Thus, the minimum tool that will be needed to repair the wheel after a puncture is a screwdriver. But it’s better not to mess with such methods.
The tips listed above for quick self-repair of a wheel are relevant only if it is punctured. With cuts and other problems, only a spare can be a salvation. In the garage you can already try to seal the tire with special patches, similar to those that are used when lowering the wheel on a bicycle or motorcycle, but it is better to contact professionals.
How to keep a car on the road in case of sudden breakdown
There are times when on a road for no reason the wheel is lowered. What to do to safely stop the car? Let's analyze step by step:
- First of all, it is worth noting a simple fact - the slower the car goes, the greater the likelihood that its passengers will remain unharmed with a sharp descent of the wheel. Therefore, violating the high-speed mode, think about it.
- If the wheel drops sharply (you will certainly feel it), do not rush to apply the brake to the floor. The subconscious mind in any emergency will make you slow down, but this is the worst thing you can do in this case. If you brake, the car will drive even stronger.
- If you have cruise control enabled, turn it off as soon as possible.
- Do everything to keep the car on a straight path. If it leads to the side, turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction. But do not overdo it, otherwise the opposite effect will turn out.
- Allow the car to drive to the stopping place. The car will brake itself, due to a flat tire. You can help her with light pressure on the brake. It is best in this case to slow down the transmission. If there is no roadside nearby, do not stop on the road, it is better to drive some distance on the drive. Do not forget to turn on the alarm so that other participants are aware of your problem and are careful.
Conclusion
Today we figured out why it usually lowers the wheel by car, how to solve this problem and how to partially prevent it. Do not forget that:
- Tubeless rubber is safer than chamber rubber.
- In the trunk should always be the necessary tool.
- Inspecting the car and checking the tire pressure will partially save you from surprises on the road.
- If the wheel has lowered suddenly, keep your mind.