Car tyres bear the most weight and undergo harsh conditions. The constant exposure to sunlight, corrosion and surface irregularities deteriorates the tyres’ health. In some cases, car tyres begin to crack. These cracks develop over time and put car safety at risk.
That said, we have compiled the reasons for this problem and how to prevent car tyres from cracking.
Why do Car Tyres Crack
The different types of car tyres are designed to withstand heat and corrosion. However, the constant wear and tear and ageing affect their strength. Certain factors such as the impact of chemical reagents cause cracks in tyres. Also, driving over curbs and bumps causes the degradation of tyres.
Here are the common causes of cracks in car tyres and how their performance is affected.
HEAT AND UV RAYS
Direct exposure to sunlight and change in temperature causes the tyre rubber to break down. As a result, you will observe cracks in the tyres in a cobweb pattern. The ozone from the electric motors causes the tyres to deteriorate. This process is known as ozone weathering or cracking.
Also, the UV rays speed up the degradation process, weakening the bonds of the tyre rubber. To prevent this, use UV-resistant paints and sprays for your car tyres.
TYRE PRESSURE
There are many reasons why tyres lose pressure, which affects their performance as a consequence. Driving with over or underinflated tyres also impact their longevity.
When an underinflated rotates, the excessive pressure causes a bulging in the sidewalls and cracks will begin to appear. If a tyre is underinflated, the increased area will generate more friction and heat, causing deformation in tyre tread patterns.
CHEMICALS
Tyre cleaning products, motor oils and other industrial chemicals wither the coating of car tyres. Due to their corrosive nature, rubber tyre is left exposed to external factors such as oxidation, sunlight and brake dust. These elements with the tyre rubber, cause cracks on the surface.
OXIDATION
When a tyre is exposed to air for a long time, oxygen and ozone impact its strength. They cause the tyre rubber to come brittle and rigid. The rigidity intensifies to such an extent that cracks are developed on the tyre’s surface.
TYRE AGEING
Apart from the above-mentioned reasons, tyres crack as they age. The wear and tear increases over time and the elasticity of the tyre decreases. Such factors add to the symptoms to change your car tyres to avoid any inconvenience.
Now that we have gone through the reasons, let us discuss how to prevent tyres from cracking.
How to Prevent Tyres from Cracking?
There are several easy ways to prevent car tyres from cracking. From proper cleaning to adequate storage, these preventive measures will help you to retain the car tyre’s health. These methods will help you with such common car tyre problems.
PROPER CLEANING
Properly cleaning the car tyres ensures long-term protection and is an easy way to prevent tyre cracking. Dust off the mud and dirt from the tyres. Scrub off the grime on the rims with microfibre towels. This helps prolong the tyres’ health. Moreover, avoid using tyre cleaners containing chemicals that skim the tyre’s antioxidant protection layer.
AVOID HARMFUL PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS
To clean tyres, any petroleum-based chemical will degrade the tyre’s health. Therefore, it must be avoided to prevent tyres from cracking. Also, petroleum wipes away the protective coating of the tyres, exposing them to external factors such as heat. This interaction of the tyres with such elements leads to premature cracking.
MAINTAIN TYRE PRESSURE
Uneven tyre pressure is one of the main reasons for tyre cracking. Tyres should be inflated at proper levels and the tyre pressure must be checked regularly. To maintain stable pressure, you can use a tyre pressure monitoring system. This will prevent the strain that is caused by uneven pressure on the tyres.
PROPER TYRE STORAGE
When you prepare your car for long-term parking, use a car cover to reduce UV rays exposure. Also, if you want to remove and store tyres for the long term, place them in climate-controlled areas. Put the vehicle on a jack stand to divide the weight that puts the strain on the tyres.
Clean and dry the tyres before storing them since excessive moisture weakens the rubber’s strength. Moreover, use air-tight tyre covers to prevent a reaction from oxidation.
PARK IN SHADED PLACES
Park your car in shaded areas, away from the sunlight to keep tyres from dry rotting and cracking. Long exposures to UV rays cause sidewall weathering.
These were the different causes and methods to prevent car tyres from cracking. To maintain the health and safety of tyres, make sure you follow these preventive measures. Also, if you are facing such tyre issues, you can go through these car tyres for sale in the UAE.
Moreover, check out these used cars for sale in the UAE if you’re planning to get a new ride.
Stay connected to dubizzle’s auto blog for more information on car maintenance.
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