It is usually a smooth ride around Salem, but tire troubles can ruin your day quickly in the middle of nowhere. It could either be the rainy season and slippery roads or a hot summer day when the roads get hot enough that your tires have to handle it all. You would expect the road conditions to be tough on your tires, starting with potholes on Liberty Street in Salem and debris on Market Street.
This blog is going to cover the 7 most common tire problems that Salem drivers face from time to time. Being an automotive repair shop, we saw our customers facing problems like uneven tire wear, punctures, and blowouts. We thought it would be a good idea to share this information with you guys and let you know why they occur and how to prevent them.
Is uneven tire wear something to be concerned about?
Yes, it is one of the most frequent issues with tires. Whenever your tires do not wear out evenly, it could be due to: bad tire pressure, misaligned tires, or worn out suspension parts. In a city like Salem where the roadways can change from smooth highways to quirky side streets, uneven tire wear is one routine affair.
But it doesn’t mean it is not serious. It can compromise the handling and safety of your car over time. For instance, improper alignment can make your car pull to one side, making steering hard to handle or maneuver and also making your journey tiring. Similarly, wrong tire pressure—too high or too low—can accelerate wear on your tread, eventually shortening the life of your tire. This is rather dangerous during rainy days.
So, what seems like just a little uneven wear is actually a pretty complex issue that deserves your immediate attention. That’s why we never compromise when doing those regular checks and maintenance when you visit us for car service.
Why does your tire have a flat every other tuesday?
Do you find yourself replacing or repairing a tire very often? You might be dealing with tire punctures.
A small puncture might not seem like much, but it can lead to slow air leaks that compromise your tire pressure and, eventually, your vehicle’s handling and fuel efficiency. Worst cases may bring a sudden deflation that will cause dangerous driving situations and surprise pit stops.
In addition, frequent punctures can weaken a tire’s overall structure, making it more susceptible to serious blowouts.
Are cracks in your tires a road to disaster?
Cracks in your tires may seem like just another quirk of vehicle aging. But here in Salem, those tiny cracks can spell big trouble. Just because the rubber is getting old and losing its flexibility.
Cracked tires are less effective at maintaining proper traction, especially on wet roads. As any Salem driver knows, rain is a frequent companion, and losing grip during a sudden downpour can be as unsettling.
What’s behind those sudden tire blowouts?
Tire blowouts usually occur when a weakened or underinflated tire is pushed beyond its limits.
The root causes of blowouts – simple neglect: ignoring low tire pressure, skipping routine inspections, or driving on old, worn tires. These factors alone can stress your tires, but combine them, and you’re practically setting the stage for a blowout.
Blows out are dangerous in that it makes you lose control of your car that could result in swerves or collisions. In addition, loss of air pressure can jerk you to a sudden halt in not-so-great locations.
Is that bulge on your tire a time bomb?
Tire bulges occur when the tire hits a curb too forcefully or drives over a pothole, which damages the internal framework of the tire. The bulges thus indicate that the internal frame of the tire has been compromised.
This is a dangerous weak spot because it may suddenly fail on you while you are driving. Imagine a balloon blown up to its limit; not much more pressure is required to pop it. This leads to unpredictable steering, which can be a particular issue if you drive on wet roads—a common problem in the fairly soggy climate of Oregon. What does it mean when your tires are ‘cupping’?
Just saw those weird, wavy patterns, almost like they’ve been chewing on Salem’s rugged backroad gravel? This wear pattern is referred to as tire cupping or scalloping; it is an alarm bell.
This results in the phenomenon of ‘cupping’, where portions of the tire do not touch the ground continuously. In most cases, it’s due to issues with the suspension system of the vehicle. Worn shocks or misaligned wheels will bounce the tire up and down in your travels, each landing a little more wear onto those high points.
This problem is not only peculiar in appearance but also problematic for your driving experience. Each cupped section of the tire can cause your ride to become rougher. This can lead to a jittery, vibrating sensation that feels like your car has developed a sudden aversion to smooth traveling.
This noise can become much more than a mere nuisance when it occurs on your tires. Some potential sources for noise from tires could include aggressive tread patterns, misalignment, or uneven wear on tires. Such issues might make your tires hum or whine because they rub against the asphalt.
For example, misalignment makes your tires push against the direction of travel. Uneven wear, for its part, may also lead to irregular surfaces on your tires, and as these rotate, they create weird resonance.
DriveTime Automotive, one of the best auto shops in Salem, Oregon, offers a wide scope of car repair services; this starts from full service tire care. At DriveTime Automotive, we serve with our tire installation, tire repair, and tire maintenance, among other wheel balancing/alignment services for you. We have now become one of the prominent service centers with excellent customer service while using ASE technicians on board.
