A Healthy Tire and a Safe Ride Requires Proper Inflation
Touted as the most critical factor in tire maintenance by Michelin, tire inflation ensures the correct profile for full contact with the road, promoting traction, braking capability, and safety. Further, driving on any tire that does not have the correct inflation pressure is not only dangerous, but will cause tire damage as well, i.e. sudden tire destruction, improper vehicle handling, irregular wear to name a few.
Best Practices to Ensure Proper Commercial Tire Inflation
- Pressures on all new equipment should be verified for the application/operation prior to the vehicle being placed in service, and any pressure monitoring or inflation system should be correctly set for your fleet application upon delivery of said equipment.
- The correct inflation pressures for your tires must incorporate many factors including load, speed, road surface, and handling. Consult the manufacturer’s data books for the proper inflation pressures for your application.
- No tire or tube is completely impervious to loss of pressure, and driving, even for a short distance, on any underinflated tire builds up excessive heat, causing pressure to increase that may result in sudden tire destruction. To avoid the hazards of underinflation, lost tire pressure must be replaced.
- Overinflation can cause an increase in road shocks and vibrations transmitted to the vehicle as well as an increase in tire failures from road hazards. In no case should the manufacturer’s recommended capacity of the wheel be surpassed, and never bleed hot tires as your tires will then be underinflated.
- Inflation pressures, including spares, should be checked weekly and always before long distance trips, ideally in the early morning before driving when tires are cold, especially when the vehicle is used by more than one driver.
- Use an accurate calibrated tire gauge to check pressures, and unless otherwise recommended by the tire manufacturer for optimized tire performance, use the tire inflation pressure shown in the application data books for the particular axle load. Exceeding this pressure could result in reduced traction and tread life.
- Never inflate to cold pressure beyond the rated capacity of the wheel. However, for steering tires, it is a common practice to use higher inflation pressures than necessary to carry the axle load to reduce free rolling wear.
- Make sure to check that both tires in a dual fitment are the same with the maximum allowable difference between dual tires or between axles no greater than 5 psi.
- Always inspect valve stems for proper installation and torque, and verify there is a good tight seal by use of a leak detector type spray such as a water/soap solution applied from a spray bottle. It is also a good practice to periodically check existing fitments for slow leaks with this method.
- Also, more frequent checks may be required during cold weather conditions. However, outdoor pressure checks when the temperature is below freezing should be avoided as ice can form in the valve stem, thus promoting leaks; check inside a heated facility if possible.
As your always by your side road partner, Bauer Built Tire & Service wants to ensure your safety and that of the motorists around you. Always employ Best Practices for tire maintenance, including systematic inflation checks as recommended above.
Learn more about how our Value Added Services make it easy to gauge your fleet’s tire health.
Categories: Bauer Built Blog, Tire Care Tips
