Driving on damaged or worn tires is one of the quickest ways to turn an otherwise safe and reliable vehicle into something that presents a hazard to yourself and other drivers. Your vehicle's tires are its only connection to the road, providing the contact necessary to allow you to accelerate, brake, and turn effectively. Without good tires, none of your vehicle's other components can live up to their potential.
Unfortunately, not everyone has the budget to afford new rubber when one of their tires suffers damage. While tire damage may sometimes seem minor, it can often be challenging to determine its true severity. If you have a tire that's been losing air or that looks a little bit worse for wear, here are three potential reasons that you may need a replacement instead of a repair.
1. Multiple Punctures
How many punctures is too many? The answer depends on their location and size. While multiple punctures might seem like astonishingly bad luck, it's easy to pick up a few if you unknowingly drive over construction debris or junk that fell out of the back of a truck. Multiple nails, screws, and other scraps can easily become embedded in several locations around your tire.
A tire technician must evaluate your tire's condition and confirm that none of the damage overlaps. If any of the punctures are too large, too close, or in an unacceptable repair location, you won't be able to repair the tire. While this means spending more money on a new or used replacement, it's a necessary step to keep your vehicle safe to operate.
2. Punctures in Unacceptable Locations
If you look closely at your tire's tread, you'll notice three fairly distinctive areas: the main tread area and two shoulders. The main tread area consists of tread blocks (the raised portions that touch the road) and grooves (the indents that go around the entire tire). The shoulders come after the final groove on the inside and outside edges and smoothly transition into the sidewall.
The safe puncture repair area is typically limited to the main tread portion of the tire. Damage to the shoulders, sidewall, or anywhere else on the tire can compromise its structural integrity and lead to premature failure. You'll need to replace your tire if you have damage in one of these areas.
3. Sidewall Damage or Bubbling
Bubbling is an innocuous-sounding term for a severe problem. Tire bubbling typically occurs when an impact or other event damages your tire's internal structure without damaging the exterior rubber. The bubbles that form on your tire's sidewall can range in size from relatively small to very large and apparent.
Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do once you notice bubbling. This symptom indicates a severe underlying problem with your tire, and even small bubbles aren't a problem you can ignore. If you spot sidewall bubbling, you should replace the tire immediately to prevent a potentially catastrophic failure.
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