BY THEIR TYRES YOU SHALL KNOW THEM By reason of my daily business as a safety expert, I listen to accident tales a lot. Not all the tales would interest you. In fact, some would annoy you, especially where the narrator (who usually is the main actor in the story) attempts to present the story to exempt self from blames. Learning becomes difficult when you cant see where you went wrong. Some of the most scary of such stories come from TYRE BURST. Tyres are the only part of the vehicle in contact with the road, so every thing depends on them. I am almost sure you have got some tales on tyre blow out as well. Thats how common it is. Depending on a number of factors, it could be serious and even fatal. Lets see some of such factors: A. Speed of the vehicle - this is a big determinant. B. Location of the tyre (front or rear wheel) - front wheels are usually worse when they burst. C. Experience of the driver - how the driver manages the vehicle to bring it to a halt matters a lot; it is advisable not to attempt BRAKING by the brake pedal at all, hold the steering wheel very firmly, braking by counting the gears skillfully and by using a barrier may help and above all, do not panic and dont use hand/park brake if your speed isnt very very low. D. Scene/location of the accident (i.e., geography of the location - slope, bridge, junction, bend, ditch, etc) E. Other vehicles/road users present - this could be most unimaginable as the previous point above and thats where safe speed becomes very useful, it could reduce impact/severity. BUT WHY DO TYRES BLOW OUT? To clarify this, may be we should look at some questions? 1. Is your tyre designed for the temperature of your environment/country? - many of us buy TOKUNBO/fairly used vehicles from cold Europe and North America and expect the WINTER tyres to be able to handle this burning heat of sub-sahara africa; you need tyres that are made in/for Nigeria or Ghana or anything close. 2. What design/construction is your tyres? - this may no longer be a common problem if you use your vehicle in the cities where you have good roads because observations show that most tyres in our tyre markets are RADIAL PLY(tyres that have iron wires/in a particular structure in them). The sad part is that these tyres are not meant for bad roads/pot holes but smooth, long distance and high speed (100km/h) because its not flexible. So may be the other tyre design made for farm use or rugged roads would be good for our roads but because it is meant to be flexible, it has only twines/nylon threads in it and may burst on long distance/high speed/high temperature. Can you see the challenge? Many of our urban centre roads have the features of farm roads and that kills the tyres, (whatever type you choose). 3. How do the importers handle the used tyres? - if youve been to tokunbo tyre markets where the containers are, you would observe that these rigid tyres are forcefully squeezed and tucked inside each other. That spoils the radial ply structure in it. 4. How old are the tyres even before you buy them? - age should not matter really if other factors dont contribute but for the stress, temperature and abandonment some vehicles/tyres suffer. Note that only manufacture dates are written on your tyres and not expiry dates, so there are other factors than age that may weaken or expire your tyres, the makers formula (or chemistry) being one of them and so may vary from maker to maker, just like any other products. The earlier points made above will help you a lot in thus area. But buying tyres that have long years on it already is not what you want to do ( less than 6 could be a smart one). 5. How well do you anticipate potholes and bad roads - I remember years ago driving along Ibadan/Ife/Ilesha road and bumping in a large pot hole that appeared not so obvious at about 7pm. I lost too tyres instantly at about 100km/h. Good the tyres lost pressure like gradually within minutes rather than explode. The sharp edge of the tar cut/imparted on the 2 tyres on the right side and the deflation was gradually, one tyre first and then the other. The point is, some of us underestimate potholes and bad roads. The pothole might not impart enough to burst your tyre at the time but sure weakens it and the burst may later happen on smooth motion when you think all is well. 6. How rough is your braking and acceleration? - the wear pattern on your tyres can tell if you are rough and this weakens your tyres as well. 7. Do you park or stop on big stones, curbs, bricks, etc? This also cuts into the structure. 8. The last time you had a flat tyre, how long did you drag it before you could stop in a safe place? - if you couldnt stop when you had a flat tyre and drove on it for some time, that could be a safer option for you at the time, but you must also know that the tyre becomes weak and may burst later so be conscious of it and avoid putting it on front wheel. 9. Do you climb sharp edges or shunt traffic jams using bad sharp edges of the tarred road? You are as well weakening the tyres. It may burst much later. 10. How many times have you patched/repaired your tyres? You can try to be financially prudent with tires but not at the expense of your safety. May changing the tyre to rear wheels will refuse risk. What drivers must know is that front tyres are more burdened and multitasked due to engine and gearbox weight especially of front wheel drives as well as maneuvering. BY THE WEARS Some tyre wear pattern may be linked to handling and some other vehicle conditions. The following will shed some light on tyre wear and other issues. A. When the tyre pressure is less or more than should be - Tyre wear on the edges result with time when less, and at the centre when more. But the tricky thing about this actually is what makes drivers make the mistake - they depend on roadside vulcanizers to decide their tyre pressures. The vulcanizers tell all drivers/vehicle owners the same things, 40, 45, etc. Question is, how does he know or how are you sure his gauge/instrument functions well? Some manufactures recommend different pressures for full load and light load, front tyres and rear tyres, etc. B. Any link between alignment problems and tyre wear? Yes, any suspension issues should affect tyres. The tyre wears on one edge only, depending on what side is affected. But what leads to that? Partly, when drivers bump into potholes severally or bad roads. Undulating or irregular wear patter also reflects a drivers rough driving in terms of harsh braking and over-acceleration. This will, however, not rule out the fact that there is too much of substandard tyres in the market nowadays and we cant really boast that anybody is doing anything about that. C. Where should you confirm tyre pressure? On drivers doors pillar, inside fuel flap for some cars and in the owners handbook. Relying on that written on tyres is wrong as weight of your vehicle is key. Remember many vehicle makes share same tyres but at different pressures. D. When the tyre wear is even, all is going as should be; correct tyre pressure, your driving skill and attitude, attention to details with your vulcanizers, application of knowledge, discipline with maintenance and vehicle handling. E. Over-inflated tyres can easily lead to accidents especially in the front tyres. It could bounce off and get uncontrollable. F. When your tyres are changed, may be by someone helping you or vulcanizers, be sure to double-check. If you are temporarily short of bolts/nuts, consider diagonal/opposite nuts and travel on low speed. G. When you hear shaft or suspension sounds and alignment or wheel balancing problems, solve them fast. H. Anything that heats up or adds pressure on your tyres can hasten expiry or spoilt it and cause a blow out. I. Tyre bulges or cuts are negative indicators you could have a blow out. J. Your spare tyres and jacks/tools are equally important, check them. K. When last did you pick out a stone stuck in the tyre. L. Truck tyres blow out may lead to another due to weight. M. Tyre issues can pose security threats, take preventive measures. The stud on the tyre thread marks the 1.6mm standard depth limit recommended (see the pictures), try your best to keep to it. DRIVE SAFE! You may share your experience with tyres here, and TELL US THE MANUFACTURE DATE on the sidewalls of the 2 tyres shown. Please indicate your phone network if you wish to get the prize attached to this question.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 09:49:28 +0000
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