When your tyres are powerful and healthy, they perform excellently on roads. They hold the road surface appropriately and they are very responsive when you accelerate your vehicle. You cannot say the same about old tyres. Old tyres are not very responsive on roads.
Old tyres have an old and worn internal structure. Proper maintenance of tyres however helps but you cannot compare your old and worn tyres with new Tyres Reading. Old tyres usually show some common signs to make it clear that they need a change.
These signs are tread wear, bulges and cracks.
In this blog, we are going to concentrate on tyre cracks!
Cracks are not favourable for your tyres. You must change your tyres after observing cracks.
This guide looks into what you should look out for, the causes, and whether it is legal to drive with cracked tyres. Your efforts of repairing the tyres are useless because cracks take place when tyre rubber is in a vulnerable condition.
Prime reasons for tyre cracks:
Tyre cracks may take place on the sidewalls. Moreover, the presence of cracks on the tread part is also possible.
If you are experiencing cracks on the sidewall or tread part, there must be the following reason for this danger sign.
Weak rubber polymers:
As you know tyre rubber is the main component of tyres. After your tyres roll on roads to cover larger distances for many years, it is natural that tyre rubber polymers become weak. In this condition, the outside of the tyres becomes hard and brittle. Cracks are outer signs of these conditions of tyre rubber.
Please note that this condition is not only a result of the movement of car tyres. Tyre rubber is going to lose its strength even if you keep your tyres in a garage. Degradation of rubber is a natural process that you cannot stop completely.
Air pressure:
Air pressure is vital for the performance of car tyres. At the same time, a proper inflation level is necessary for the structural wellness of your tyres as well. If you drive your car with underinflated tyres for a long time, a larger contact area will create a higher level of heat. Heat and friction together may cause cracks on the sidewall of your tyres.
Water:
Tyres come with waterproof rubber to show optimum endurance in wet conditions. However, water can degrade rubber material if tyres run on standing water for a long time.
Temperature, sunlight, UV rays:
The lower and higher range of temperature is also responsible for rubber degradation. A hot environment expands the rubber and the rubber will contract because of cold months. This process will create cracks over time. Moreover, existing cracks on the sidewall will increase their size because of the same reason. The same effects take place when you expose your tyres to sunlight and UV rays.
Overloading and over-speeding:
If you overload your vehicle, tyres will run on roads creating excessive heat and friction because of the pressure of the load. As a result, they may develop cracks on the sidewall or even on the tread part.
The same story happens with tyres if they run on roads at a high speed. Over-speeding will increase the risk of cracks.
Risks of cracks on sidewall and tyre tread
Minor cracks on the sidewall are not risky in the initial stage. In the next stage, these cracks will increase in size to reach the tread part.
You have to deal with these cracks instantly to reduce the risks.
The extra rigidity of tyres is always unfavourable for car tyres. Hard tyres cannot make proper grip and traction on roads. In this condition, they are not safe on roads.
Moreover, wider cracks on tyres may reveal the internal parts. This is indeed a serious condition that you should not ignore even for a single day.
Cracks on tyres are responsible for issues like punctures and blowouts as well.
Is it illegal to drive on cracked tyres?
No, driving on tyres that have cracks is not illegal. However, it is very dangerous because of the issues that we have considered above.
Tyres are surely illegal if they have an illegal tread limit. If your tyres are running on roads with cracks and low tread depth, they are extremely dangerous because of this risky combination. However, only below minimum tread depth makes them illegal for roads. Cracks are dangerous but not illegal.
Can you repair your faulty tyres?
No, repairing cracks on tyres is not beneficial. Cracks on tyres show that the entire rubber is old and brittle. You cannot change the nature of old rubber material.
Masking is surely an option but this idea only hides the problem. Cracks will increase in size gradually to increase risks of punctures, and blowouts.
Are there some preventive tips for cracks?
Surely some golden tips will save your tyres from cracks.
First of all, you have to consider the level of heat in tyres. You must keep your tyres cool to reduce the natural process of rubber degradation. Park your car away from sunlight to avoid sunlight and UV rays.
Moreover, consider the air pressure in tyres. Check the air pressure every week because of its importance for tyres.
Never overload your vehicle because tyres are unable to bear the pressure of overloading. Additionally, over-speeding is also a bad habit. You must respect the speed limit if your car to reduce the number of cracks on your tyres.
Buy rain-friendly tyres that can displace rainwater effectively in the rainy season.
As the last tip, change your cracked tyres as soon as possible because they are not favourable for your vehicle. Buy effective and efficient new tyres to achieve your driving goals.
