Tires are not meant to function forever so either they will wear out or experience defects over time. However, problem arises when a tire blows out completely. You can not fix this situation right away. But, considering can I leave a flat tire overnight is an important concern to understand.
Although it is not the best idea, you can leave your flat tire overnight. The flat tire should be changed as soon as possible ideally. If you are just unable to do so for whatever reason, at least check whether the automobile is not placing most of its weight on the flat tire.
Scroll down for more details if you want to know about leaving a flat tire overnight. You will also learn what harms it can do and things you should keep in mind if you plan to leave the vehicle for over 24 hours in this condition.
Can You Leave Flat Tire Overnight
If your tire or the wheel are designed to withstand such damage, it is ok to leave a flat tire overnight. A run-flat tire is an excellent demonstration of such a tire.
But the majority of tires are not run-flat tires. This is the reason why they cannot support the whole weight of the car if there is a puncture. You are taking the risk of irreparable harm to the tire if you choose to keep a flat tire on your car overnight.
The most effective approach is to jack your car up so that it is not resting its weight on the tire. If you wish to do that, you may just be able to save your tire and your wheel. This is much better than just not jacking up the car and paying for a new tire and a wheel.
How Long Can a Car Sit on a Flat Tire
It is a common misconception that it is fine to leave a car with a flat tire parked for the whole night. Well, it would be true if you jack the car up safely. It is a matter of just a few hours when a flat tire can harm the wheels of heavier cars.
You should know that fixing a carbon fiber needs a lot of time and effort if your car has carbon fiber wheels. It is also important to be aware that you need to jack the car up right immediately if the tire becomes loose from the wheel or if the wheel is in contact with the ground.
Tire material is limited in low-profile tires which makes them totally incapable of giving any wheel cushioning. Magnesium is far more vulnerable to corrosion than basic alloys. So, if you own a supercar having magnesium wheels, even the smallest scratch may quickly make them worthless.
What Happens When You Leave a Car on Flat Tire For Too Long
It damages the wheel and causes the tire to degrade, crack, and have metallic components corrode.
1. Damage To Wheel
The kind of wheel the tire is installed on will decide the answer. The probability that the wheel will become misaligned is high. This is because the majority of wheels are not designed to withstand the whole weight of the car.
Today, a very little percentage of wheels are specifically designed to support the total weight of the car. In contrast to basic consumer passenger cars and trucks, some commercial as well as heavy-duty vehicles come with these rims from the manufacturer.
Using low-profile tires lowers the amount of tire material which will cushion the wheel whilst the whole weight of the automobile rests on top of it. Thus increasing the risk of wheel damage.
2. Tire Deterioration
No matter whether they become flat or not, tires need proper care and maintenance as they are far more vulnerable to different kinds of damage. The inner tire layers are just so much simpler to expose when the wheel strains the tire, which has the effect of making tire deterioration more worse.
It is already bad enough to leave a car working with a flat tire, but it is much worse to do that in bad weather.
That is why, there is a fair chance that leaving a car with a flat tire in an area where the moisture and temperature levels fluctuate regularly will fasten the natural degeneration of the tire.
3. Sidewall Cracks
As far as the tire’s usefulness is concerned, the sidewall is the region which is most susceptible to the damage. Therefore, you must know how to keep an eye on sidewall damage.
This indicates that depending on the location, some kind of damage is either greater or less worse. Well, tire tread cracks are not catastrophic, but if they are on the sidewalls, they can be! (If you are new to this, don’t forget to read our guide on when are cracks in tire tread unsafe)
The sidewall of a flat tire is compressed when a wheel presses it against the ground. Here, however, irrespective of whether the tire is flat or not, the tread area is consistently pressed up against the ground.
Whereas, the sidewalls of the tire continue to be perfectly vertical, indicating that when the tire is flat, they are not in their original form or position. This results in irreparable damage.
4. Corrosion of the Metallic Parts
Car tires also have unique metallic compounds which help the tire retain its shape and keep all of its layers strongly cemented with each other at all times. Given that, tires have steel belts and metal beads made up of steel, copper, or brass that serve the purpose.
The metal parts of a tire may be exposed to the outside moisture if it is squeezed strongly, that would probably make them rust.
As they were not meant to protrude from a tire, they are not shielded against corrosion. But if the tire is pressed for a very long time, they may come directly in contact with the outside environment.
What More Should You Know?
What To Do If You Get a Flat Tire
Everybody who spends some time behind the wheel experiences it, but not everyone is thoughtful of what to do in these situations.
Step 1: You must first stop your car and make an exit from the area to a safer location before going further. Especially at night, turn on your warning lights to alert nearby people that something is wrong.
Step 2: Some cars come designed with tire repair kits instead of spare tires. Call the roadside help and let them tackle the situation if you are not totally sure.
Step 3: Mount the space-saving spare tire (donut) if your car owns one, and adhere to all of the given instructions.
Step 4: You would not want the donut tire to harm your car. So you should not drive faster than 50 mph or for more than 50 to 70 miles on it.
Step 5: The time has come to get rid of the spare tire from your trunk. But before that, make sure that only one of your tires is flat.
Step 6: Contact the roadside help if more than one of your tires is flat. Swap out the flat tire with the spare tire if just one of your tires is at damage.
How To Fix a Flat Tire
Many people would immediately switch their flat tire with a spare if they find it on their car. Can you leave your flat tire overnight, though, if you do not own a spare tire, tools or expertise changing it?
Leaving your flat tire overnight is not the best way to proceed. The flat tire should practically be changed as soon as possible. You must at least check to see if the car is not putting most of its load on the flat tire.
Long-term pressure from the weight of your car pressing against a flat tire would cause weak spots to form. The tire would suffer from early wear and tear as a result of this.
Moreover, a tire blowout is the most probable thing to happen due to weaker sections. Changing the flat tire when you have a backup is the best option in the given case.
If not, the next smartest thing to do is to contact a 24-hour roadside assistance for your assistance. If the tire is complete dysfunctional, it would be great to book an appointment at Costco or other stores that sell tires to buy new ones.
How To Avoid Flat Tire In Future
Although you cannot completely prevent it, you can alter the way you drive. Take care of your car so that only outside factors can make it occur. Use tires and wheels of proper size and inflated to the specified pressure as per manufacturer’s guidelines before any other thing.
Drive vigilantly, keep a focused eye on the road, and attempt to steer clear of potholes. Avoid using tires that are not designed for off-road driving while you are off-roading.
Wrap Up
Leaving a flat tire overnight is ok sometimes. But it is always recommended that you jack up your car. Since so many factors might affect the result, there is no right or wrong solution in this particular scenario.
You can use run-flat tires for short-distance driving along with overnight parking. Never leave a heavier car, with low-profile tires, or equipped with premium carbon fiber and magnesium wheels which are standing on a flat tire.
We hope that now you have got to know if you can leave your car with flat tires overnight. Hit the comment section if you still have any confusion. We would love to serve you with the needed guidance!
