The tires of a car are the only element of a vehicle that connects it to the road. Often car owners forget that rubber is the most important element of a car, which directly affects. But when the tires wear out, every driver is saddened to realize that it's time to spend money on buying new tires. ... Indeed, sometimes rubber wear can indicate possible vehicle malfunctions. In this case, replacing the rubber with a new one may not help. For example, with some types of breakdowns, your new rubber may wear prematurely in a short time. Let's take a look at the ten most by which, it is quite possible to determine the cause of this wear, eventually finding out the technical condition of the vehicle.
1. Wear of the rubber tread in the center (in the middle)
What it looks like: With this type, as a rule, the tread in the middle of the tire is most worn out (example in the photo).
Cause: If the tire wears the most in the center of the wheel, then this indicates that the center of the tread has had the most contact with the road surface, compared to the tread closer to the edges of the rubber. Consequently, the car on which this rubber was installed did not have sufficient adhesion to the road surface. Accordingly, the traction of the car was insufficient.
Most often, this kind of wear indicates that the tire was not inflated correctly. That is, the tire pressure did not match the pressure recommended by the car manufacturer. This type of wear indicates that the owner of the car did not check the pressure even with sharp changes in temperature outside, at which the pressure in the tires can change significantly.
The fact is that while the tires are cold (for example, after a frosty night), the tire pressure may be lower than the manufacturer recommends. But after the start of the movement, the pressure in the tires begins to rise from the heating of the air in it. As a result, after a certain distance traveled, the tire pressure may exceed the maximum permissible rate recommended by the automaker. As a result, the pumped up unevenly adheres to the road surface, as a result of which uneven tire wear in the center of the tread will be observed.
Some car enthusiasts often advise pumping the wheels to improve handling and reduce fuel consumption. But this is not justified. Yes, in this way you can slightly reduce fuel consumption and even slightly improve handling, but in the end you will pay for it with rapid tread wear.
That is, by saving a little money on fuel, you will pay a lot more.
2. Herniated tires (bulging) and cracks in the sidewall
What it looks like: Cracks and bulges on the tire sidewall.
Cause: This usually occurs from hitting a pothole (hole) in the road, curb, etc. The tire is usually well protected against such impacts. But if the tire has insufficient pressure or is inflated, then as a result of the impact, there is a great danger that the tire will be damaged. Large cracks on the sidewall of the tire, which run along the wheel rim, indicate that it has been operated with insufficient pressure for a long time. Small cracks on the lateral surface of the rubber indicate external damage or the age of the rubber (due to old age, the rubber composition begins to chemically decompose, as a result of which the tire begins to crack).
A tire hernia looks like a bulge on the rubber surface. Most often, a bulge (hernia) appears on the side wall of the tire. A rubber hernia is associated with an internal injury (a layer of rubber). This usually occurs in connection with a side impact on a curb, post, etc. Most often, after an impact, a hernia (protrusion) of the wheel does not immediately appear. That is, after a stroke, you can see a hernia only after a week or even after a month.
If you notice cracks or a hernia on the tires, then you need to buy new tires as soon as possible.
Remember it is very dangerous to use hernia rubber.
3. Dents in the rubber
What it looks like: According to long-term observations, rubber with dents looks like in the photo. That is, the tire has the shape of bumps and dents.
Cause: This type of tire is usually associated with (wear or damage to the chassis of the vehicle). Insufficient shock absorption on bumps due to suspension malfunction. As a result, the tire experiences overload from impacts taking on the maximum load. But the load is distributed unevenly over the entire tread surface. As a result, some areas of the tread take on more stress than others, which contributes to the formation of dents and bumps on the tires.
Most often, this appearance of used tires is associated with poor shock absorbers. It is worth noting, though, that any suspension parts that fail can cause this kind of wear.
We advise you, in the event of a similar deformation of the tires, to make a complete suspension and struts of the car in the technical center. We do not recommend dealing with a similar problem for tire fitting, i.e. in order to determine the cause of the change in the shape of the wheels. It is not uncommon when tire workers do not know what can cause irregularities (dents, bumps) on the tread surface.
Most often, tire workers claim and believe that this is the reason for the wrong camber. But this is not a fact. As we have already said, this reason may be associated with the failure of the shock absorber (s).
4. Diagonal dent with signs of tread wear
What it looks like: Diagonal indentation in the tread surface with uneven wear on the tire surface.
Cause: Most often, this problem occurs on the rear wheels, where the camber is incorrectly set. Also, such a deformation of the wheel can be associated with an insufficient rotation interval, and also, sometimes such a change in the appearance of the tire can be associated with the frequent transportation of heavy loads in the trunk or in the car.
Heavy loads can change the geometry of the suspension, resulting in a diagonal deformation of the rubber tread surface.
5. Excessive wear of the tread along the edges
What it looks like: The inner and outer tread has increased wear, while the middle of the tread is significantly less worn.
Cause: This is a sure sign of not enough. That is, the pressure does not correspond to the rate recommended by the car manufacturer. Remember that this is the most dangerous condition for tires. The fact is that with a reduced tire pressure, it is subject to greater flexion. According to the laws of physics, this means that as the wheel rotates, the tire will accumulate more heat. As a result, the rubber will not adhere evenly to the road surface and, accordingly, we will get uneven rubber wear.
Likewise, insufficient tire pressure will lead to the fact that the rubber will not sufficiently mitigate impacts on the road, which will naturally directly affect the suspension. Over time, this harsh impact on the suspension can lead to its premature failure, as well as affect the camber.
How to avoid the problem of not inflated tires (insufficient pressure): We again return to the fact that every driver must regularly check the air pressure in the wheels, that is, every month or every time after a sharp temperature drop outside. Also remember that cold wheels (when parked at night) may show pressure lower than recommended by the car manufacturer. But during a long trip, due to the heating of the air, the pressure may exceed the norm.
The fact is that this system, as a rule, warns you about a change in pressure in the wheel either with a sharp fluctuation in pressure (for example, a sharp drop in tire pressure by more than 25 percent), or with a significant decrease in pressure for a long time.
In other words, the tire pressure warning system can only be triggered when the tire pressure is significantly less than necessary. This means that you run the risk of traveling on wheels with insufficient air pressure for a long time.
6. Convex side protector wear
What it looks like: Side tread blocks are usually similar to the plumage of birds have. The lower edges of the tread blocks are rounded, while the higher edges of the blocks are sharp. Please note that you cannot visually notice this type of wear. This can only be understood by looking at the tread from the edge and by touch, i.e. using your hands.
Cause: For this type of tread wear, check the ball joints and wheel bearing first.
It is also necessary to check the stabilizer bushing, which, in case of failure, can lead to improper operation of the suspension stabilizer, which will ultimately lead to this type of rubber tread wear.
7. Flat wear spots
What it looks like: One spot on the wheel has more wear than another.
Cause: Single spots of increased wear on the surface of the tire are often encountered when forced hard braking or skidding, or when pulling out of a situation in order to avoid an impact (for example, if a moose or other animal did not suddenly run onto the road). Especially such wear will be seen after hard braking with simultaneous skidding, if there is no car.
The fact is that during sharp braking and taxiing in order to escape from an impact, a car without ABS is more susceptible to skidding with locked wheels, which will lead to approximately this type of worn out stain on the tire tread.
Similar stains can also appear in cars that have been parked for a long time.
Remember that when you park your car for a long time, you risk tires, where wear spots will appear on the tires of your car due to the uneven distribution of the car's weight to those. The fact is that during parking, the rubber protector does not fully contact the surface and, as a result, a certain section of rubber is deformed from prolonged parking.
8. Wear of the leading edge of the tread
What it looks like: The leading edge of the tread block is worn and the rear of the tread has sharper corners. Please note that this type of wear may not be visible on visual inspection. Therefore, check the edge protector with your hand. If you notice that some of the tread edges are sharper (like hacksaw teeth) than other tread edges that are smoother, then this is real wear and not the norm, as many drivers usually assume.
Cause: This is the most common tire wear. Since this type of tire wear is very common and many car owners think this is the norm, it is not. In fact, this wear indicates that the wheel is not spinning enough. Therefore, it is necessary.
Most often, the reason is associated with the wear of the suspension elements (saleant blocks), with the wear of the ball bearings, and also due to the wear of the wheel bearing.
9. One-sided tire wear
What it looks like: One side of the tire is more worn than the other.
Cause: Usually, this type of wear can be caused by improper camber. This type of uneven wear of the rubber tread is associated with the fact that it is not even on the road surface due to improper camber.
In order to set the wheel exactly in relation to the road surface, it is necessary to adjust the camber.
Similar wear can also occur with damaged springs, ball joints, suspension bushings. In particular, one-sided uneven wear of the tread may appear when transporting heavy loads by car.
In addition, some models of powerful sports cars have a special camber, which leads to such uneven tire wear. But this is rare.
10. Wear of tires to the indicator
What it looks like: Many tires have wear indicators between the tread. As a rule, these are special inserts that help you determine when to change tires for new ones. Usually the height of these inserts is lower than the tread height. As soon as the tire tread is equal in height to the wear indicators, then you need to purchase.
Cause: Generally, the rubber should be changed after the tread height is lower than the tire manufacturer recommends. It is not always easy to determine this by eye. Therefore, many tire manufacturing companies install wear indicators on the tires (between the tread). As soon as the tread height wears out to the height that the indicators have, then it's time to replace the wheels with new ones.
A rubber tread with a certain depth is necessary in order to drain water from the tire and prevent the car from aquaplaning on wet roads.
If your tires do not have a wear indicator, then you can measure the tread depth yourself, in order to understand if it's time to buy new tires. To do this, you need to use a coin, which you need to insert into the protector with an edge and measure the depth with it. You can read more about traditional tire wear here or see our infographic.
Attention! For summer tires, the minimum tread depth must be at least 1.6, 2 or 3 mm (depending on the rubber manufacturer).
For winter tires, the minimum safe tread height must be at least 4-6 mm
Tires are one of the most wear-prone parts of a car. But what if they wear out unevenly. First, you need to correctly identify this uneven tire wear in order to determine its causes. How does rubber wear unevenly:
- in different places of the circle - at certain points of the tread it is worn out strongly (spots),
- on different sides of the tire - the outer, inner side of the tire or its central area along the entire circumference,
- one tire wears out much faster than the rest,
- a pair of front or rear tires deteriorate faster.
Let's now give the reasons and consider the tire wear pattern for each cause. Let us consider these reasons from the most common to the least common.
The tire is worn in the center or on the sides. Cause - insufficient or excessive tire pressure
Incorrectly exposed will certainly lead to the fact that their abrasion is uneven. It is a waste of time to try to identify this cause for specific worn wheels. The pressure can vary in each wheel in different ways, even if you always inflate only all four wheels.
But this reason can be determined by the nature of the wear of the tread itself. The fact is that an under-inflated tire, as you know, sags, and therefore the sides of the working surface wear out faster. But the pumped-over tires wear out faster, on the contrary, the central part, since with excessive pressure it is this pressure that pushes out the most, as a result of which the greatest load falls on the axis of the circle.
The result of riding on inflated (top) and under-inflated (bottom) tires
Only certain areas of the tire are worn out. The reason is a deformed disc or imbalance of the wheels
A deformed (dented, "figure eight", etc.) disc can also often cause uneven rubber wear. In this case, wear will occur in certain places (spots) of the tread. If the disc is "eight", then the wear will be in the form of two spots: one on one side of the tire in a certain place, and the second - in a diametrically opposite place of the tire and on the opposite side. When the disc deforms, the tire wears out very quickly, depending on the degree of deformation, of course.
The tire is subject to similar wear in the case of wheel unbalance. Although, this happens much more slowly than with a deformed disk.
And in both cases, an additional symptom is beating on the steering wheel or throughout the car. A visual inspection of a worn wheel will help identify this deformation.
Sometimes the cause of increased wear can be the rubber itself - its marriage in the form of a bursting metal cord. The cord may burst if the rubber is already significantly worn out.
Only the inside or outside of the front wheels is worn out. The reason is wheel alignment
If the front wheel alignment is out of order, it means that your two front wheels are not parallel to each other. They either "clubfoot" - they look forward, slightly to the center by the projection of the direction, or they are inclined to one side or the other relative to the vertical axis.
As a result, you get excessive wear on the rubber only on the front wheels, either from the inside or from the outside.
If a similar situation has occurred with the rear wheels, then there is a bent beam (if any) or one of the failed (possibly also bent) suspension elements.
The outer side of the tires can also wear out due to a faulty silent block or ball.
Only one wheel wears out. Cause - something happened in the suspension or brake wedges
If any component in your suspension is worn out or loose, such as a leaking strut, it can cause excessive wear on the tires on that particular wheel. If any part of the suspension is not working properly, the wheel will bounce more or it will harder to pass bumps in the road. This creates additional friction on this tire, which causes a significant reduction in tire life and tread condition.
Here, as a rule, uniform wear occurs only on the tires on only one wheel.
Now imagine that you are driving around all day with a little brake on your foot. This is what it is like if a brake component such as a caliper (its piston) wedges. This usually only happens on one wheel, and because of this it wears out faster (even wear occurs).
Only the front wheels are worn out. Cause - something happened in the helmsman
Almost every part of the steering system can also cause tire wear. But here we will only talk about the front wheels, and the nature of wear can be completely different: both by spots and along one side of the tire along the entire circumference of the tread.
Rubber is used in many household structures: various hoses, seals, adapters, car parts. Over time, products made from this material fail, dry out, lose elasticity, and become inconvenient to use. It's not worth buying new elements right away, you can try to soften the rubber at home.
Reconditioned rubber part using kerosene method
Under the influence of external factors, rubber elements lose their original properties, become less elastic, and harden. Their further use will not bring the desired effect; seals, for example, will not be able to make the system completely sealed. Buying new rubber elements is sometimes difficult due to the lack of products of the required size or their overpriced.
The following substances can soften rubber:
- Kerosene. Allows you to make rubber parts soft by affecting the structure of the material. After processing, the rubber element is fully elastic. The recovery technology is as follows:
- fill a small container with kerosene (choose the size of the container depending on the size of the product to be restored);
- place the part in a container with kerosene for 3 hours;
- after the specified time, check the product for softness, if the result is satisfactory: remove the material and rinse with warm running water;
- dry the material in a natural way, without using a hair dryer or battery.
- Ammonium alcohol. The process of restoring old material is as follows:
- dilute the indicated alcohol with water in a ratio of 1: 7;
- place the rubber material in the resulting solution for half an hour;
- after the specified time, remove the part and rinse with warm running water;
- let the parts dry completely before using.
Please note: you cannot keep rubber in a solution of ammonia and water for more than an hour. If the material does not become elastic after 30 minutes, use a different recovery method.
- Rubbing alcohol followed by glycerin. Reanimation technology for rubber parts:
- fill the container with medical alcohol;
- place in alcohol the part that needs restoration for several hours;
- after the specified time, check the condition of the product, if it is soft enough, remove the element from the solution and rinse with warm soapy water;
- rub glycerin into the surface of the part using a sponge (cloth);
- remove the remains of glycerin from the surface of the product.
Instead of glycerin, it is allowed to use automotive oil, it is rubbed into the surface of the product, then the parts are kept for half an hour before use. During this period, the rubber becomes sufficiently elastic.
- Castor oil and silicone. Let's make a reservation right away - this method allows you to quickly "reanimate" the old rubber, but the effect of restoration will not last long, after a few days the product will become hard. For this method, follow the sequence:
- smear the part with silicone;
- wait 10 minutes;
- after the specified time, the part can be used.
Note that a similar effect is achieved with castor oil. It is rubbed into the surface of the part, after which it becomes soft and elastic.
Heating is an effective method
Container with prepared water for boiling rubber products There are situations when the rubber element, due to its hardening, is difficult to remove from structural parts. To achieve the desired result, you can heat the rubber with a stream of hot air using a hair dryer. When exposed to high temperature, the material will become softer, it will be possible to pull it off the part.
Too "hardened" element is softened by boiling in salted water. The technology is as follows:
- fill the container with salted water;
- let the liquid boil;
- place the rubber element in boiling water for 10 minutes;
- remove the rubber and quickly use it for its intended purpose.
This method is quite effective, but has a short-term effect. Cooling down, the rubber will become hard again.
Conclusion
You can soften the rubber using the methods described above. In this case, it is necessary to take into account: a long-term effect after recovery, has a method with kerosene. Rubber, after its application, remains soft and elastic for a long time, because the structure of the material changes. Other methods do not allow achieving this result.
From my own experience I know that not all rubber products can be restored, i.e. give them their former elasticity and softness, after it has become callous. In general, a small part of rubber can be brought back to life if we are talking specifically about rubber, and not about the latest polymers, which do not lose their physical properties at a certain operating temperature.
The only difference is that rubber products, namely the material "rubber" itself, in the process of their manufacture undergoes such a process as vulcanization, when the base of the rubber, the rubber, turns into rubber when interacting with certain substances at a certain temperature. Rubber was a new material in which rubber molecules created a single spatial network, and it is due to this single network that rubber has its physical properties.
It will not be practical to talk about all rubber products in one recommendation, since there are a lot of types of rubber and each rubber has its own intrinsic properties, as well as the degree of rubber saturation, the ability to crystallize and orientation, the strength of the chemical bond chain and the flexibility of macromolecules.
There are 5 main factors that affect aging and loss of elasticity:
- light exposure, in which an irreversible process of photo-oxidation of rubber occurs.
- ozone exposure, which results in cracking of stressed rubber.
- thermal effect destroys the spatial grid.
- radiation exposure destroys the bond of molecules.
- vacuum action tears apart individual areas in the product.
All this negative influence leads to the fact that the rubber becomes hard and / or brittle. If the product crumbles, then it will not work to give it elasticity, since the bond between the molecules is broken.
But if the rubber has become hardened, but has not begun to deteriorate, then it can be brought back to life.
One of the misconceptions is that many advise to dip or spray on the product with solvents, gasoline or alcohol. This cannot be done, because, firstly, there is oil-petrol resistant rubber, which simply will not accept these liquids, and secondly, other rubber products simply dissolve partially or completely in these solvents, and the elasticity effect will only be temporary.
But one of the actually effective solutions that can "revive" rubber products is ammonia solution with 5% concentration.
In this solution, the product should be held for no more than 15 minutes, then, if possible, knead it by mechanical pressure and process it with the following composition.
After softening, place the product in water-glycerin solution with 5% concentration.
The product must also be held in this solution for no more than 15 minutes.
The temperature of the solutions should be within 40-50 degrees.
It should not take long between the two solutions, since ammonia destroys rubber with prolonged exposure, and glycerin on water slows down this process.
Ammonia solution 5% is not on sale, for this reason you will have to buy 10% and dilute it with distilled water according to the formula (see the chemical formulas, I personally can make a mistake)
5% water-glycerin solution is also not on sale, there is only pure glycerin or 85%, it must also be diluted to obtain the appropriate concentration.
