When it concerns safety, understanding when to let tire cracks go becomes very important. Tire cracks usually form on the sidewall and cause damage or in the tread region of a tire. The tires are simply not designed to last forever, regardless of how amazing they may be. So, when do the cracks in the tire tread become unsafe? Let’s find out!
The structure of the tire may be at risk if the breakage between the treads is visible. A professional tire inspection is required at this point. A tire with cracks which is only just a few years old may also have a manufacturing fault which needs to be fixed immediately and replaced.
Keep scrolling as we will let you know all the necessary stuff you need to know about the safety concerns regarding tire cracks!
When Are The Tire Tread Cracks Considered Unsafe
Most of the tire cracks begin on the sidewall of the tire and gradually spread into the tread region. Bigger sidewall tire cracks are in fact more concerning because they cause the tire to get destroyed more quickly. This is when the cracks in tire tread are unsafe.
Make sure you have an expert evaluation for your tires and do not be afraid of spending money on new tires if needed.
You are secure and there is no need to get concerned if your tires have little cracks on the tread area. It is best to replace the tire immediately if the cracks are more significant and are present at the full area of the tire.
What Are the Reasons For Cracking Tires
The possible major reasons for cracked tires would be that you drive on seasonal tires the whole year, airflow pressure, age, low-grade tire polish, and UV radiation, heat, and humidity. All are briefed below:
1. Use of Seasonal Tires
The common practice of using seasonal tires throughout the year is one of the most usual causes of tire cracks. The stiffer compounds used to create summer tires only work efficiently in warm weather.
Note that the summer tires are susceptible of seizing up if the temperature drops below the average of 44 F. The end results of this are frequently occuring tire sidewall and tread cracking. The same goes for winter tires in the summer as they are not designed to tolerate higher temperatures.
2. Air Pressure
Overinflation of tires can cause tire bulging, blowouts, cracking, and other problems due to the stretching of the inner materials of a tire. Also, it is necessary to note that different PSI ratings are needed for most of the tires in the winter and the summer both.
Alternatively, underinflated tires would give a lot more heat, expand, and contract more, eventually causing premature cracking. You can easily avoid this if you just properly inflate your tires.
3. Effect of UV Light, Humidity, and Heat
If it is possible for you, place your car in a garage or under a cover. Water is probably going to seep from any little cracks in the tires and fasten the cracking process even more if there are cracks already present.
Fluctuations in the temperature cause tire expansion and contraction, eventually resulting in early breaking. Most people who usually keep their tires in unfavorable locations with frequent temperature fluctuations should worry about this. Keep a check that your tires should also not have exposure to UV radiation if not necessary.
4. Use of Low Quality Tires
There would be no tire cracking when you are using a high-quality tire shine product which is certified to use in the cars.
Yet, there are a lot of hard tire shining products present in the market that can dry out the car tires. Most of these are hydrophobic, making your tires feel dry and cracked.
5. Age of Tires
The life of a tire is not limitless. Your tires can only last for a limited time, even if you handle them with the best possible care. Due to their growing age, older tires have weaker structure, thus increasing the chances of a blowout in combination with cracking. So, make sure to change your tires immediately if you have older tires and doubt that they have got cracks in the tread or sidewall.
Can You Repair a Cracked Tire
You can improve the appearance of tire cracks, but structural repair is not going to be possible. No matter whatever anyone else says to you, there is only one solution to fix a tire! Either patch it or plug it. The tire cannot be made more efficient or younger in any aspect in this case.
How To Prevent Tire Cracking In Future
Replace your tyres at the spot and get yourself a new pair of rubber tires if they have major cracks. Fortunately, there are a few handy steps you can follow to make your tires the most durable against cracking so that there is a very least chance of it happening again:
- Invest in tire conditioning treatments that are of automotive grade, have undergone testing, and will not only enhance the appearance and performance of the tires but also increase their lifespan.
- Avoid using any tire cleaning or aggressive tire shining products that are hydrophobic or harsh as they can cause your tires to lose their life sooner.
- Avoid letting your car’s tires bake quickly if it is not required, the reason for this was just outlined above.
- After a drive, clean the tires of any snow or mud.
- Keeping your tires as far from the elements as you can is the greatest strategy to stop them from aging and cracking.
- Avoid leaving your car idle for a long period of time. You should still drive your automobile once in some days to rotate the tires, even if you don’t use it much.
- If possible, keep your vehicle out of the sun’s direct rays by parking it in a garage.
- Keep your tires out of any water that may be standing.
- Keep your tires at the recommended pressure at all times and avoid overloading them.
Do New Tires Crack Easily
It is a rare site that a brand-new set of tires will get cracks because these usually develop over a course of time. Some users did have remarks though, that their brand-new tires began to break just some months after buying them.
This can be due to one of the two aspects. First, there is a chance that a manufacturing defect is to blame for this issue. Perhaps, there is a relief for the people that the majority of tire manufacturers provide a warranty worth a few years!
So we would advise you to make sure to ask your dealer for more details. Alternatively, you should always check for the tire production code before buying them, because the tires may have been on the shelves for a long time.
Wrap Up
Tire sidewalls and tread surfaces both frequently develop cracks over time. If you need new tires right away, it will probably depend on how severe the cracks are and where they are located. You have to judge when cracks in tire tread are unsafe correctly.
There is no need to worry if the cracks are minor and superficial. On the other hand, it is a must to replace the tires right away if there are several cracks which are huge and long in size. Along with that, cracks on the sidewalls are a little more concerning because the sidewall plays a remarkable structural role than the tread region.
We hope that now you have got yourself familiar with whether the cracked tire treads are safer to drive with or not! Hit the comment section if you still have any confusion. We would love to serve you with the needed guidance!
