Crack in Tires: Consequences That Can be Life-Altering
Any vehicle, regardless of the performance and engine, is useless without tires. These few square inches of rubbers connecting to the pavement help vehicles keep moving. For car owners, witnessing crack in tires on vehicles may not be surprising. However, taking the tire cracks for granted can be life-altering.
What Is Crack In Tires
As we all know, tires are made from “natural material” which is rubber. So that, by the time, the tires start to decay. In some cases, even if the tires are not used a lot, they still decay whilst they still have plenty of tread left. The UV from the sun is another reason which is also very damaging to tires, and excessive exposure can really speed up the decay process.
Crack in tires is what happens to the tires when they decay. It is also known as dry rot. As the term suggested, dry rot is primarily characterized by cracks in the tire rubber. If one or more of your car tires has developed dry rot, there are some signals which you can discover easily. You may notice that the tires are more brittle or the crack on the tread or crack on the sidewall. If the damaged tires are not fixed soon, you may need to replace the whole car tirer.
Before going to know how to fix dry rotted tires, let’s find out the grim truth about crack in tires.
Crack in Tires: The Grim Truth
Tires have a very rough life; they go through harsh conditions such as cold, sunlight, and climate changes. Taking the chance of riding a vehicle with cracking in tires may seem like a harmless idea. After all, we often tend to neglect small things in our lives.
Unfortunately, the problem of crack in tires or tire cracking on sidewall is not something that should be taken lightly. Replacement of the tires becomes quintessential to avoid dangerous situations.
Let’s discuss what causes tire sidewalls to crack!
Tire Age
Alike anything, tires have a limited life span because they lose flexibility over time. Oxidation is the primary cause behind tire sidewall cracking. Anti-aging chemicals might help extend life, but most of the tires start showing the alarming signs within ten years. Vehicle owners are always suggested to read the maintenance tips for optimum performance of their vehicles.
SEE MORE
- When Should I Get New Tires For My Car?
- How To Know If It Is The Time To Put Air In Tires Of A Vehicle?
Sunlight and Ozone
Regular exposure of the car to the ultraviolet rays of the sun can deteriorate the tires. And it causes crack on tires. Indeed tires are designed with anti-ozone protection, but detergents and harsh solvents are highly likely to strip the clothing of tires. Many people associate ozone with the atmosphere, but the gas can also be produced by static electricity from machines. This is why tires that are stored in a garage can still get tire cracks: electric motors can create ozone that degrades the rubber in tires. This type of tire sidewall cracking is sometimes called ozone cracking or weathering. As a result, tires are vulnerable to hazards. Besides, fluids, oil, and salt on the roads can cause tire cracks.
Chemicals
Chemicals are another reason which causes crack in tires. As you usually wash your car, and the wrong use of cleaning and dressing products can damage the rubber in tires. Cracking appears when the polymers in the rubber start to break apart. So why and when are cracks in tire sidewall unsafe? Sidewall cracking is dangerous because it reduces a driver’s ability to handle dramatic increases in load when taking corners and increases the possibility of a tire blowout. Be careful which products you choose for tire care.
Wrong Driving
Daily driving can affect the tires of a vehicle, especially when driving at top speed, drifting, and stopping a vehicle suddenly. All these things cause tires to age very quickly. Tire manufacturers often suggest replacement of the tires within the first ten years. Also, premature cracks on the side of tires may result in reducing the lifespan of the tires to the half. Without replacement cracked tires and continuous driving, it will cause tire rubber cracking.
Prevention is always better than cure!
How to fix Cracked Tires
Most people when faced with a cracked tire will think about replacing a new tire. But it’s worth trying to fix crack in tires first as it will save your spending on them. With some simple steps of how to fix cracked tires, you will have good repair tires which may cost a lot if you take it to the garage.
There are some methods that you can try at home. We will introduce to you from the least aggressive method to the most aggressive method.
Method 1: The Helpful Sealant
When can you use this method?
This method will be effective for the smaller cracks that are hard to see since it is more like sealing a puncture. An important note is checking the sealant before applying if it is suitable for the tires you have or not. The wrong sealant could damage your tires more.
What Do You Need?
You will need:
Tire crack sealant
Pressure gauge
Tire inflator
How To Do?
Step 1
Firstly, it is important to let the tires cool down, crack in tires are small and hard to see so you need to let them be at room temperature before applying the sealant. Otherwise, it will destroy your work.
Step 2
The next step is to remove and examine the tire. It will be difficult to seal the crack if the tires are on your car. So remove them from the vehicle before the examination. You need to examine the tires thoroughly to determine the extent of the damage and hence come up with an appropriate plan to tackle the problem. At this step, you will define if you need to replace the entire tires or you can seal them.
Step 3
After checking the tires and making sure that you can seal the small crack on the tires, mark where the crack is, now time for applying sealant. You should apply it to the tire’s interior following the included instructions. For most types, this will involve inserting the nozzle or injector into the valve stem.
Step 4
It is time for reinflating tires. Remember to use pressure gauge to ensure you get the pressure level right. Reinflation is important because you will likely lose air when working on the tires.
Step 5
The last step of this method is to reinstall the tires and drive around to see if you are successful or not. A drive around is important here as it will ensure that the sealant circulates inside the tires to seal all the cracks.
This method is kind of easy for most people. You just need to find where the crack is then crack on tires is not a problem at all.
SEE MORE:
- How To Know When To Replace Tires In A Car
- How To Clean Your Car Tires
- Top Reasons For Your Car Tires Wearing On The Inside
Method 2: Sealing Crack External
When Can You Use This Method?
For the bigger crack in tires, sealant is no longer helpful or just for a short time. Therefore you need to use a protectant to seal cracks externally. This method will also be great when you want to rejuvenate the tires rubber and also give it protection from UV rays.
What Do You Need?
Water hose
Large sponge
Tire protectant
Water based tire degreaser
How To Do?
Step 1
Same as the first method, you need to let the tires cool down or until the tires are not warm to the touch to ensure safe operation before sealing.
Step 2
The next step is to remove the cracked tires and inspect them. Like with the interior sealing method above, you cannot work effectively when the tires are still in the vehicle. Once the tires are removed from the vehicle, you need to inspect them thoroughly to determine the location and size of all the cracks.
Step 3
So you already identified the extent of the cracks, the next step is to degrease the tire surface. Each type of degreaser comes with each own instruction so check it before you do. In general, you need to apply a little degreaser on a sponge and then spread it generously over the tire. And you need to scrub the tire and concentrate more on the areas with the cracks.
Step 4
After applying degreaser, move to the next step which is wiping down and rinse the tires. Using some clean rugs to wipe down the surface of the tires. Then, rinse the tires with the hose carefully and leave then dry for a while.
Step 5
The most important step is applying the tire protectant. You will need to spray or apply the tire protection on the surface of the tire depending on the type. Keep in mind that you need to cover the entire surface and not just the areas with cracks. After that, leave it for a few hours to cure.
Step 6
The last step, same as the above method, we need to reinstall tires after degreaser. But if you are not satisfied with the tire, you can repeat the process again until you feel it’s okay.
This method requires more time than the sealant method so do it on the day off or any day which you have at least 2 – 3 free hours.
Check it out how to do protectant to your cracked car tires!
Tip To Prevent Crack In Tires
Safe Driving
The chances of blowout rise because of tire cracks. It is essential to take the necessary measures to prevent such things from happening. Safe driving is the best tip that everyone ought to consider while driving a vehicle. High-speed braking and skidding around the corners lead to an increase in the temperature. It further makes the minor cracks worse in no time.
Necessary Care
Tires are the only thing between people driving vehicles and the surface of the road. Therefore, purchasing tires from the best tire companies put mind at ease. For tire protection, using covers during the climate changes serves the purpose. Besides, keeping the tire pressure correct helps reap the maximum benefits.
The Epilogue
That’s the scoop on crack in tires on vehicles! Tires are among the critical components of vehicles. Therefore, proper care and inspection regularly become essential. Before riding your vehicle, make sure to check the tire pressure and the surface for cracks and cuts.