Why it is necessary to maintain the right pressure for tires? What are the disadvantages of under-inflated or over-inflated tires? In the following sections we will answer these questions and look at the benefits of maintaining optimum pressure for your tires.
Main Benefits of Maintaining Right Tire Pressure
Avoid Premature Damage
Under-inflated tires tend to wear out a lot more quickly. When the tires are under-inflated, it puts more pressure upon certain sections of the tires, causing significant premature damage. In addition, if right pressure is maintained, it assists in keeping internal rubber, steel, and other composites from over-flexing, which is in-excess of their limits.
When the tire pressure is low, it makes the internal parts of the tire weak due to excessive strain the tire has to bear and the tire eventually fails.
Improve Gas Mileage
Many experts suggest that tire pressure should be maintained in the 32-35 PSI range. If required PSI (pounds per square inch) rating is not maintained for tires, the tires are not fully round and need more energy for movement as well as to maintain speed, known as rolling resistance.
Thus, if the tires are under-inflated, the vehicle consumes more gasoline to run the vehicle and hampers gas mileage of your car. This results in unnecessary increase in your gas bills.
Bring Down Harmful Emissions
Engine must work harder when tire pressure is low since more power is required to drive the car. Such extra effort causes increased harmful emissions. You can prevent such a thing from happening by maintaining the right tire pressure.
Reduce Risk of Accidents
Inadequate traction is the result of insufficient tire pressure. Poor traction means the car will take more time to come to a halt. This could well be the difference between a serious accident or a miss by a whisker. Moreover, if the tire pressure is low then the tires will be skidding on rainy and wet roads.
Similarly, blowout risk increases manifold for under-inflated. Due to low pressure, sidewalls of tires flex more than required, causing generation of heat. If moderate amount of heat is generated, then it expedites tread wear. But, if considerable amount of heat is generated then it can cause tread segment loss or in more extreme cases, a blowout.
Avoid Uneven Wear
Similar to under-inflation, over-inflation causes problems for your tires. For instance, if the tires are over-inflated, they have lesser amount of contact with the surface. Moreover, it causes bumpy rides and tire tread experiences uneven wear. Additionally, the tire becomes susceptible to damage because of the rough spots present on the road, requiring more frequent replacement of tires.
As we can see, it is very important to keep the tires properly inflated. It helps in improving fuel efficiency of your vehicle, gives your better control over your car, and reduces risk of accidents while you drive.