In a vehicle, only tyres touch the road surface directly. While they run on roads, they create friction and heat to face deformation. Similarly, tyres have to function on roads against bad weather conditions. Not only road and weather conditions but a lot of other factors are responsible for wear and tear in tyres. Due to these factors, tyres face several issues, such as tread wear, sidewall damage, aging, and poor performance.
In this article, we are going to talk about cracks. This issue is a common type of sidewall damage. It means cracks occur on the sidewall but they reach the tread part after increasing their size. Continental Tyres Corby is unable to perform well after the occurrence of this issue. So, car owners usually change their cracked tyres.
Changing the tyre is essential because sidewall is an essential part of car tyres. After the development of visible cracks on this part, you should drive your car on the same set of tyres. The sidewall provides structural support to the tyre. Any type of damage in the sidewall will make your tyres weak and inefficient. Therefore, you must replace your tyres with a new set.
Sidewall cracks occur on the sidewall because of several factors. Let us have a look at some of these common factors:
Heat and friction:
Rubber material is sensitive to heat. When tyres move on roads, heat and friction take place to deform car tyre rubber. When you drive your car in the same driving conditions for a long time, tyre rubber becomes old and brittle and shows cracks on the sidewall.
Ageing:
Aging in tyres takes place without the involvement of any factor. Rubber faces degradation because of its biodegradable nature. Therefore, tyre manufacturers recommend a certain time to change car tyres. After this time, rubber material becomes hard and brittle to affect the gripping ability of car tyres.
Overloading:
Overloading can be a prime reason for the presence of cracks on the sidewall. The sidewall of tyres has to function under extreme pressure because of overloading. As a result, cracks may occur on this part after some time.
Ozone:
Ozone is a common part of air pollution. This harmful gas promotes cracks in car tyres. When you store your tyres, you have to keep your tyres from ozone.
UV rays:
You cannot avoid sunlight while you drive your car. Sidewall cracks occur on tyres because of UV radiation as well. You have to park your car away from direct sunlight to reduce the negative effects.
As you see, multiple reasons are responsible for sidewall cracks in car tyres. You can easily observe cracks on the sidewall with the help of the naked eye. You will observe minor cracks in the initial stage. Minor cracks are not harmful but they will create problems after increasing their size in the future. Therefore, you have to keep an eye on the minor cracks.
Major cracks may reach the tread part to increase risk factors for your car tyres. Usually, the following risks are associated with car tyres:
Blowouts:
Blowouts may occur in car tyres because of several reasons including tyre cracks. Overloading and high speed usually increase the risk of blowouts if your tyres already have cracks on their sidewall.
Reduced strength of car tyres:
Cracks on the tyre sidewall affect the structural integrity of tyres. Therefore, the sidewall becomes weak and it is not able to bear the pressure of driving conditions.
Air leakage:
Tyres may lose air pressure steadily or quickly because of minor or major cracks. As you know low air pressure is a common cause of poor handling, deformation, and inefficiency.
Poor traction:
Tyre rubber is vital for grip and traction on wet or dry roads. Cracks on the sidewall mean the rubber material is not able to hold the road surface effectively. This condition is responsible for poor handling and responsiveness.
Because of these risks, you cannot drive your car in the same condition for a long time. Therefore, you have to take some necessary steps to deal with the situation.
Experts advise car drivers to take the following steps in the case of sidewall cracks:
First of all, you have to see a professional mechanic to check your tyres. The mechanic will check your tyres for internal strength and efficiency. If your mechanic advises you to change your tyres, you have to follow the instructions.
Change your tyres as soon as possible because cracks are not favorable because of the reasons we have talked about.
If you have to drive your car on the same set of tyres for a limited time, do not increase the speed. Drive your car slowly and try to replace your tyres as soon as possible.
Can you repair sidewall cracks?
These questions may come to your mind when you read about sidewall cracks. You cannot repair sidewall cracks because the presence of cracks is a sign of aging. You cannot replace the entire rubber of your car tyres. Therefore, only changing the set of Car Tyres Corby should be your next step after observing cracks on the sidewall. Covering minor cracks is possible with aesthetic ideas for a limited time. However, these ideas would not change the internal condition of car tyres.
