Tire Trouble ?

by DoItYourself Staff

"I can't believe we made it to Texas and back on that tire," the horrified car owner told the tire salesman. "It still looks good, but it belongs on the scrap heap."

The owner admits that, even before starting out on the 2000 mile round trip, she had noticed a whining sound but had put off looking into it. The noise came from a tire distorted because of a structural defect known as tread separation, easily detected by a professional. The result could have been sudden tire failure and an accident for the Texas traveler and her family.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports there were 41,471 fatal crashes last year. In an estimated 3.56% of these incidents, a total of 1,476, failure of a vehicle component was a contributing factor.

In most cases it's not known whether the component was defective or the driver was negligent. Either way, maintenance goes a long way toward preventing an accident.

Because of the critical role tires play in vehicle safety, motorists should be aware of the signs of tire trouble and take precautionary measures, says the Car Care Council, who lists several other signs and causes of tire trouble. The most common of these is shaking or vibration, caused by an out-of-balance condition. If the tire remains unbalanced, flat spots will wear into the tread. This is called "cupping", accompanied by the sound and sensation of thumping, most noticeable on a smooth road surface. A tire that's out-of-balance can be ruined in just a few thousand miles.

Incorrect wheel alignment is another condition that leads to uneven tire wear. This can occur from an encounter with a pothole or curb or it can be due to worn steering or suspension parts. Erratic steering, wandering or pulling to one side or the other are the early warning signals. Eventually the results show up as rapid, uneven tread wear.

That's a case for periodic under-car examination and wheel alignment. On many front wheel drive cars this requires four wheel alignment.

Improper inflation, one of the leading reasons vehicles fail inspection in National Car Care Month check lanes, is another cause of premature tire wear. Overinflation causes more wear at the center of the tread; underinflation causes wear at the edges. In both cases handling characteristics are affected.

Keeping tires properly inflated costs little or nothing, nor does a tread depth measuring device we carry around in our pocket or purse. It's a penny. If you can see the top of Lincoln's head when the coin is inserted upside down into the tread, the tread is worn thin.

And if you don't have a penny, look for the wear bars. These are bars running horizontally across the tire, become visible and audible when the tread wears down to 2/32" deep. That's the tire's way of telling the driver it's time to begin shopping for a replacement.

The Car Care Council offers a free, informative brochure entitled Tires, How They Affect Your Car. For your copy, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Car Care Council, Department WE0-TIRE, 42 Park Drive, Port Clinton, OH 43452.