On a hot summer day, go outside and put the palm of your hand against the pavement (or worse yet, the blacktop). Chances are you won’t be able to hold it there for more than a few seconds!
Seeing how hot the pavement is, you know it’s got to be worse for your tires. First, tires are black so they will naturally absorb more heat from the pavement and the ambient air.
Second, tires generate a great deal of friction and rolling resistance as they carry your vehicle down the highway. That means a lot of heat buildup, and heat is your tires’ enemy. One of the worst things you can do with your tires, then, is to drive around with them underinflated.
Low tire pressure means even more rolling resistance as your vehicle goes down the highway. That’s really bad for fuel economy, as it takes more energy to stay at highway speed, and really bad for your tires’ internal structure. Think about when you take a paper clip and flex it back and forth until it breaks from metal fatigue.
Notice how the metal of the paper clip heats up right before it snaps?
That’s not unlike what happens with the steel belts of your tires. When tire pressure is low, the belts have to flex more than they are designed to; along with the heat generated by the underinflated tires, they will eventually cause the tires to fail.
The moral of the story? Invest in a tire pressure gauge, check your tires’ inflation once a month or so and don’t let your tires overheat! If you’re in need of a set of tires, a tire rotation or just have any questions, make an appointment with us at Auto Tread of Birmingham, AL!
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