If you spend enough time behind the wheel of a car, there is a very good chance that you’re going to get a flat tire eventually. It comes with the territory when you spend a ton of time out on the road.
Studies have shown that about 60% of people admit to not knowing how to change a flat tire on their own. If you fall into this category, you should do whatever it takes to change that.
You should also learn about some of the other tire problems that you might face when it comes to your car. There are all sorts of tire issues that can throw you for a loop and potentially even put your life into danger if you’re not careful.
Don’t let a tire problem knock you down. Here are some of the most common tire problems that you might encounter at some point in time.
Cracking
Every so often, you should take a good, long look at the tires on your car and see if any of them are cracking on the sidewalls. If they are, this can turn into a major issue if you don’t do something about it.
Often, car tires will crack when they’re either underinflated or overinflated and you hit something like a curb or a pothole. It’s why it’s so important for you to keep your tires inflated properly and to avoid hitting anything with your tires when you’re driving around.
Your car tires might also begin to crack if they spend a lot of time sitting out in the sun or being exposed to other weather elements. If this is the case, you should apply tire protectant to them to prevent the elements from doing damage to your tires.
Whatever the case may be, cracks in your tires are not a good sign. They’re some of the most dangerous tire defects around.
Cupping
Your car contains a bunch of different suspension components that are designed to stop your vehicle from bouncing around while it’s out on the road. These components keep your tires safe by preventing your car from coming down violently on certain parts of your tires and not others.
But over time, these components can begin to wear down. And when they do, they’ll stop doing their job and allow your car’s weight to come down harder than usual on various parts of your tires.
This can cause cupping in your tires. As you’ll see when you look at tire cupping pictures, it won’t take long for your tires to get worn out when your suspension components aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do.
By maintaining your car the right way, you can stop cupping from taking a toll on your tires. You won’t have to worry about your suspension components doing irreparable damage to your tires when they’re well taken care of at all times.
Feathering
Every two to three years, you should have a tire alignment done on your car. This will ensure that your car’s tires are aligned properly when you’re driving your vehicle around.
If you don’t make an effort to keep your car’s tires in constant alignment, you could experience something called feathering. Feathering occurs when the tread ribs that are on your tires are sharp on one side and worn down on the other.
You can usually spot feathering simply by looking at your car’s tires. But you should also run your hands and fingers over your tires now and then to see if you can feel feathering taking place.
You’ll usually need to replace tires that have been affected by feathering. You’ll also need to have an alignment done to prevent feathering from affecting you again in the immediate future.
Squealing
Have you noticed that your car’s tires make a squealing sound almost every time you take a turn in it? Several specific tire problems could be causing this to happen when you’re turning your car.
Squealing sounds could indicate that your tires aren’t inflated enough. It could also suggest that the front end of your car is misaligned. It could also mean that you have worn down the tread on your tires.
Regardless of which of these tire issues is causing your car to squeal, you should do what you can to remedy the situation ASAP. That might mean going to pump up your tires or it might mean getting rid of your tires and replacing them with new ones.
Vibrating
There are few things scarier than driving down the highway and having your steering wheel start to shake on you. It can make it feel like you’re losing control of your car in some cases.
Fortunately, the vibrations that you’re feeling are usually not a sign of a serious problem with your car. Rather, it’s usually a sign that your tires are out of balance and need to balanced to bring them back up to speed.
You might be able to get away with balancing your tires on your own if you know what you’re doing. But more than likely, you’ll want to take your car to a mechanic and have them look at it to see if balancing your tires solves the issue you’re having.
There could very well be another issue with your car that doesn’t have anything to do with your tires that’s causing it to shake.
Keep an Eye (and Ear!) out for These Common Tire Problems
As you can see, getting a flat tire should be the least of your concerns about tire problems. There are more serious tire issues that you could face while driving your car.
If you see or hear anything that seems to suggest an issue with your tires, pull over and investigate it further. It could stop a small problem from turning into a big problem over time.
Interested in finding out more about your car’s tires? Browse through our blog to read informative articles on tires and other subjects.
