Tyres are not only necessary for the movement of your vehicle but they function as safety components of your vehicle. Your tyres keep your car stable on roads to prevent crashes. Moreover, tyres provide optimum driving comfort by absorbing shocks on bumpy roads. Tyres are essential to scatter extra water and snow in wet and snowy conditions.

Conclusively, Tyres Reading always enhances the level of safety on roads.

Tyres come with a specific design and mechanism to perform their essential functions.

The design and mechanisms of tyres is incomplete without proper air pressure. Air is not a part of your tyres but it plays a vital role in their performance and efficiency.

Drivers usually have a lot of questions about air pressure. However, carmakers provide a user guide to help the car driver but still, they have several confusions and misconceptions about air pressure.

In this blog, we will tell you about common things that you must consider about air pressure in tyres.

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What is the recommended tyre pressure for your car?

This is a very important question. Correct air pressure is not the same for vehicles. If you check your user manual, you will find the correct air pressure for your car. Experts determine the level of air pressure for a vehicle after several tests.

Correct air pressure for your vehicle is necessary for its performance and efficiency. In other words, a vehicle will lose its strength in the absence of the correct inflation level.

How should you check the correct air pressure?

Once you have found the correct air pressure for your vehicle, you have to maintain it to sustain the level of performance. You have to check the air pressure every week to keep air pressure at the correct level.

You need a tyre pressure gauge, and air compressor along with a pen and paper.

Always check the air pressure in tyres when they are cold. Your air pressure gauge may provide the wrong reading because of heat.

Note down your readings in a notebook and adjust the level of air pressure according to the recommended level.

Add more air if you find low air pressure in your tyres. Remove some air if the inflation level is higher than the recommended level.

Suppose you do not check the air pressure in your car tyres regularly. If you avoid the correct level of inflation, low/high air pressure may cause several negative issues.

Effects of low air pressure

A larger size of tread will touch the road surface because of low air pressure in the tyres. As a result, the level of heat and friction will increase to promote the rate of degradation. Moreover, a larger size of contact patch will increase rolling resistance. As a result, your car engine will consume more fuel to move your tyres on the road.

Low air pressure in tyres is not favourable in wet conditions. More water will accumulate underneath the tyre tread because of a larger contact area. This condition leads to hydroplaning, a dangerous phenomenon during the rainy season.

Low air pressure is not good for the health of car tyres. They face tread wear in both sides because of flexing sidewalls.

Effects of high air pressure

High air pressure increases pressure on the wall of tyre. As a result, a tyre blowout can take place at any time. The tyre with high air pressure is more likely to face a tyre blowout if a bulge is present on the tyre sidewall. Moreover, high speed is also a considerable factor in causing a tyre blowout if the tyre is already overinflated.

Overinflated tyres would not perform well on wet roads due to a smaller contact area. Hydroplaning is more likely to take place in this condition because of the low level of frictional force.

Tyres with high air pressure will face tread wear in the middle part of the tread. As a result, your tyres will serve your vehicle for a limited time.

Air pressure in tyres and effects of temperature

Several factors are responsible for incorrect air pressure in tyres. Temperature is one of those factors. High temperature in the summer season increases the air pressure in tyres. Similarly, low air pressure is the result of winter conditions.

Molecules of air move rapidly in the summer season. Therefore, air expands and increases its pressure in tyres. Similarly, molecules of air move slowly in the winter season and cause low air pressure in tyres.

Air pressure and gripping power

Tyres maintain proper grip and traction with the help of a contact patch between the tyre and the road surface. Low air pressure will increase this area and high air pressure will decrease it.

A larger contact area improves the gripping power but increases the rolling resistance at the same time. Therefore, you have to compromise with the fuel efficiency of the vehicle to enhance the grip and traction.

A larger contact patch due to low air pressure will cause a serious condition. We know this condition as hydroplaning in which a layer of water between the road surface and tyre’s body will eliminate the level of friction to affect grip and traction.

Tyre pressure monitoring systems

Modern cars come with tyre pressure monitoring systems. This system warns the driver when they sense the loss of air pressure in any of the four Tyres Bucklebury. These systems warn only in the condition of low air pressure. Even if your car has a tyre pressure monitoring system, you have to check the air pressure in the tyres manually. Do not leave this good habit to use your tyre pressure gauge.