Tyres are the only point of contact of the car with the road and help with the balance of the car. No matter its summers or winters, tyres need your attention for safe trips. Summers can be harmful to the car tyres as heated roads impact the tyre health and increase the chances of flat tyres and blowout. Moreover, summer heat also weakens the car tyre rubbers. The intense summer heat impacts the rubber of tyres and if you drive a lot, it affects the tire health. You can buy car tyres Dubai, particularly for summers for a safe and comfortable ride. There are special summer tyres you can get from authentic tyre dealers.
How Heat Affects Car Tyres
The cold makes things contract while heat expands them. The same goes for tyres. For every 10°C change in the environment, temperature leads to an increase in pressure by 0.1 bar even when the car is sitting idle. It might not sound like much, but even a few bars of extra air pressure can make a big difference and lead to a blowout. Moreover. Over-inflation of tyres interferes with braking and leads to premature wear and tear.
There are three factors at play:
Friction
Tyres rub against the asphalt when you drive which generates a great deal of friction. This creates heat that makes the tyres hot and this heat increases in summer.
Rubber
The rubber in tyres is designed for high resistance to prevent abrasion, cracking, and low heat build-up. But since everything has a breaking point. Think of a rubber balloon. It can hold a certain amount of air only. The same is the case for tyres.
Hot Molecules
Tyres contain compressed air. All materials are made of atoms and molecules. When they get heated, it leads to intense vibration, and as a result, expands. That’s why tyres expand in the heat.
Signs of an Overheated Tyre
Here are a few signs that will allow you to spot an overheated tyre. In case you identify any of them, stop the car and let the tyres cool down.
Tyres are hot
The most obvious sign is that the tyres are hot to touch indicating they are overheated.
Extra Air Pressure
Use a tyre pressure gauge to check the over-inflation of tyres.
Also, see that you do not rely completely on Tyre Pressure Monitoring System Alerts. TPMS warns you if one or more tyres are majorly inflated. You won’t get an alert in case of high pressure.
Preventing Tyre Blowout in UAE Heat
If you live in the UAE, there is little you can do about the sweltering summers. However, you can follow some steps to prevent a car tyre blowout while driving in the hot dry weather, especially on long trips:
- Keep your tyres inflated to recommended levels. Do not confuse recommended with the maximum amount mentioned.
- Regularly check tyre air pressure. Check again after driving 160 kilometers.
- Pull over when your car tyres get overheated.
- Avoid long drives in summers as road heat can cause flat tyres.
Follow these summer care tips for car tyres Dubai and ensure safe rides in the heat.