TIPS ON HOW TO CUT DOWN ON FLAT TYRES WHEN STORING VEHICLES

I have two types, and I filled both with air at the same pressure, I used one for one month and kept the other one aside unused.

Surprisingly, at the end of first month I found that the first tyre I have been using had more pressure than second one that was unused!?

Why is this so?

Why do unused tyres lose pressures?

Have you ever guessed?

Though, there is no sure way to prevent flat tyres, but general tyres maintenance and

an awareness of the underlying causes can help reduce the occurrence.

*THERE ARE SEVERAL POSSIBILITIES AS TO WHY YOUR CAR TYRE LOSE AIR:-

1) PUNCTURE BY SHARP OBJECTS-

One of the most common reasons for flat tyres is also the most obvious – a puncture from a sharp object on the road, such as a nail, piece of glass, a screw, an industrial staple, or other sharp debris.

2) BAD ROAD CONDITIONS-

The worse the road condition, the greater your chances of getting a flat tyres.

Potholes, Uneven roads, or Unexpected debris- can wreak havoc on your vehicle's axles, undercarriage and wheels.

3) DAMAGE TO THE VALUE STEM-

Valve stem issues are another common cause of tyre puncture. The valve stem is the tiny device that sticks out from your tyre -that you unscrew when you need to inflate it. A damaged or corroded valve stem can cause air to leak out of the tyre, making it go flat. Loose or dirt-clogged stems can also cause tyres to lose air.

4) TYRE BEAD LEAKS-

Sometimes, air will leak from the tyre bead, which is the edge of the tyre that rests on the rim. This leak can cause the tyre to become flat over time. To check if there is a problem with the tyre bead, spray your wheels and valve system with soapy water. If tiny bubbles emerges, you probably have a tyre bead leak.

5) DEBRIS ON ROAD-

Avoid puncture blowouts by driving around debris in the road or in parking lots whenever possible.

*HAVING SAID THAT, IT ALSO DEPENDS ON THE TYRE YOU HAVE:-

1) TUBELESS TYRES-

If its a Tubeless Tyre,there would be minimal loss of air when car is in motion but at standstill air would continue to leak at faster rate!

2) RADIAL TYRES-

If its a Radial Tyre(Tube Tyre), the air would escape anyway with or without motion!

Please note: Tubeless tyres wear out faster than those with tubes.

*THE TRUTH-

The tyre pressure difference you observe can be caused by other factors:

When you drive your car, your tyres get heated up. When exposed to sunlight, they get more heated up again.

When you drive the car, both the wheel and the tyres expand due to heat.

The expansion makes the tyre seat and seal around the rim a little better.

Given the (approximately) steady volume of the air inside the tyre, temperature increase would result in pressure increase.

PLEASE NOTE- You can check the table at wikipedia; for example going from 24°C to 38°C could increase pressure by 5%!

Further, Put your hand on one of the tyres and the physical wheel- you'll find that they're warmer than the air around them.

Same way, If the car tyres sits unused, the tyres doesn't fit concealed enough on the rim to keep the air inside.

The truth is that tyres always leaks a little bit.

Rubber is, to some degree, porous but it's more likely that most air is escaping at the bead of the tyre.

Yes,The air can actually pass through the skin of the tyres itself!

Further, If you inflate the tyres with Nitrogen, the natural leak will be diminished,

but if the tyres really isn't fully seated on the rim, it will still leak out.

Air loss is also worse with alloy wheels -

the alloy is often slightly porous and the wheel rim has to be given a smooth,

glossy finish at regular intervals to maintain the seal.

HOW TO MINIMIZE "FLAT TYRES" WHEN PARKING YOUR VEHICLE FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME- UNUSED:

Tyres can go bad when sitting in storage for long periods. They can develop dry rot and flat spots. Have tyres checked for leaks and have them repaired before storage.

While there is no way to completely avoid Flat tyres, knowing what to expect under different conditions will really help you to minimize its inconvenience.

NOTE: It is important to check and reset tyre inflation pressures to those recommended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle (driver's side door) or owners manual when taking a vehicle out of storage.

1) ENGINE WARM UP-

When storing a vehicle for more than a Month, it is best to drive the vehicle until it is thoroughly warmed up.

2) LIFTING UP ON THE BLOCKS-

Soon after this, immediately put it up on "BLOCKS" after arriving at the storage location.

You can place wooden blocks, or thick plywood or thick rubber for this. Doing this takes the load off of the tyres completely.

Flat spotting happens when a tyre is compressed against a hard surface while the car is parked. In order for tyres to maintain their shape in long-term storage the weight of the vehicle must be lifted entirely off the tyres or evenly distributed over the tyres.Not doing this on a vehicle that will be parked for a few months runs the risk of permanently flat-spotting the tyres.Tyre flat-spotting would be most noticeable when beginning to drive a vehicle that has been stored incorrectly (with the weight of the vehicle pressing down through the tyres to the ground).

However, these types of flat-spots will usually disappear during the first few kilometres of driving!

3) LIFTING UP ON JACK STANDS-

Or the best way is, you can put it up on jack stands (Jacky)for motionless safekeeping. Jack stands also work if you don't feel like removing the wheels or you live in an area that have a heated garage.With stands, there's no load on the tyres, so no fear of flat-spotting.

I would recommend to jack the vehicle up and use jack stands instead of blocks. Even the cheapest jack stands would be safer than stacked wood. If it is only sitting for a month, the jack stands on the axle tubes will be fine. If it will be in long term storage then I would put the jack stands on the frame. By supporting it by the frame the suspension will be unloaded also. Be sure to place the stands securely under a solid mounting point, and use good judgement while lifting the vehicle.

4) STORE IN A COOL PLACE-

When it’s time to park your car, make sure you store it in a cool, dry place like your basement, climate-controlled garage, or workshop with ventilation. Avoid storing car outdoors, or in a standard garage– basically, any place that could be very hot, wet, humid, or cold (yes, tyres can actually freeze).

5) FILL WITH NITROGEN-

Nitrogen runs cooler because normal air has moisture and other contaminants which turn into gas when tyres heat up thereby increasing tyre temperature. Nitrogen does not have any of these issues and therefore runs cooler.

Remember, Having less oxygen and water in your tyres can help tyres maintain tyres pressure longer. That’s what nitrogen Gas Filling will do for your car tyres. As such, pure nitrogen has bigger particles and is much drier than oxygen. Consequently, less corrosion to the inside of your vehicle’s tyres. Nitrogen is chemically a non- flammable, non- toxic inert gas. Heated tyres tends to burst after long hours of running. Nitrogen reduces tyre burst chances by 90%.

6) PARKING IN NEW AREA-

Be careful when you park in some new area which is not frequently used by other cars – give the area a quick check before you park your car to ensure that it wasn’t a construction waste dump or similar potential puncture inflicting area. If you have the choice, do not park in such areas but park a bit further away.

Remember, the 2 minute trouble in checking is worth the huge amount of time you could lose after returning from vacation, if you do get a flat tyre.

7) INCREASE THE AIR PRESSURE-

As a general rule, it is better to have at least 1 to 2 psi more than recommended pressure at all times.Over inflate the tires slightly to 37 or 38 psi to prevent flat spots.

8) AVOID TYRE SPRAYS-

Avoid using products to give your tyres a shine as they will dry out the tyres and increase dry rot.

9) USE TYRE WITH "H" RATING-

Tires with an “H” rating or higher will do best in storage.

PLEASE NOTE: Most family cars will have a tyre speed rating that is much higher than the car's maximum speed. For example, smaller city cars tend to have a T rating (118 mph); most common on family cars are H-rated (130 mph) and V-rated (149 mph) tyres.

10) ARRANGE SOMEONE-

And if none of above sounds like your cup of tea, you can arrange someone( friend, brother or relatives) to just move the car occasionally, provided you have a car shed. Roll the car back or forth every couple of weeks so it's not sitting on the same patch all the time. After all, this is better than nothing.

Remember: It is the air in the tyres that supports the vehicle's weight, not the tyres themselves. Healthy cars need healthy tyres, so be sure to keep your tyres well maintained. Take the tyres off the rim and clean up the area on the alloy wheel where the bead of the tubeless tire sits. Check your tyre air pressure, ensure tyres are inflated to the manufacturers specifications, rotate them, and check your wheel alignment regularly. For every 5.5°C increase in temperature, the tyre pressure increases by 1 PSI, similarly, for a 5.5°C fall, tyre pressure decreases by 1 PSI. Punctures significantly increase during the last 20% of a tyre’s life, so if your tyres are 80% worn, have them changed asap.

Happy Motoring! 

this article is dedicated to Uncle,KUMARAN K., who had suggested this topic...