Dry rot in tires or sidewall weathering simply means cracks in the tire rubber. Once you notice it, you have very little time to repair it before the tire becomes actually unsafe for driving.
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Here’s How You Can Prevent Dry Rot in Tires:
- Don’t let direct sunlight fall on tires
- Inspect your tires at least weekly
- Don’t overload the tire
- Don’t keep your tires unused
- Avoid driving with underinflated tires
- Clean your tires before storage
- Keep away from using harmful chemicals and products
- Store the tire with proper care
- Never buy old tires
Read on to find more about each of these tips in more detail!
Don’t Let Direct Sunlight Fall on Tires
Don’t expose your tires to too much direct sunlight. The UV rays from the sunlight specifically in warmer climates are a primary reason for premature sidewall weathering.
The oils and resins that keep the tires moist degrade because of the UV and can leech out of the tire surface. So if you keep your tires in direct sunlight the chances of your tire getting tire rot increases.
If you think that your vehicle will get exposed to heat and sunlight then it is suggested to park your car in more shaded regions.
Inspect Your Tires at Least Weekly
Tires inspection at least once a week is not a big deal. And when I tell you to inspect the tire I’m referring to looking at the tires carefully, feeling them, and being aware of your tires while you are driving.
You can look at the sidewalls and treads of your tires to know their overall condition and look for signs of cracks, bulges, discoloration, etc.
You can listen to the things, check if the steering of your car is changing, check if you are feeling the pull to the left or to the right, and kind of inspect the whole tires, wheels, suspension system, etc.
And it only takes a few minutes to do such inspections but it is really important to do so to keep an eye on your tires, prevent issues of tire rots, and make sure everything is in the good condition.
Don’t Cross The Load Capacity of Your Tires
Remember that your vehicle tires are made and designed specifically to fit that particular vehicle.
Also, they have a defined and recommended load capacity that includes the weight of the vehicle along with the additional weight carried by that vehicle.
If you overload your car and put extra weight on your tires that crosses their recommended load capacity mark, then it places stress on the tires. Moreover, this overload can also result in cracking or tire failure.
Avoid Letting Your Tires Sit Unused
Try driving your vehicle often. And avoid keeping your tires remain unused.
When you use the tire regularly, it will help in ensuring that the wax protectant constantly moves to the surface of the tire where it helps in protecting against ozone damage.
Avoid Driving With Underinflated Tires
If you drive with underinflated tires then it can cause tire failures. When you keep your tires underinflated and drive, then there is increased wear on the tire tread, which causes excessive heat and can result in severe cracking.
You should check the recommended level by your vehicle’s manufacturer and inflate your tires accordingly. You should also check your tire inflation pressure monthly.
If you clearly notice cracking in your tires then keeping your tires properly inflated will actually be more difficult or maybe even impossible because air loss can happen from the affected areas.
Clean and Dry Your Tires Before Storing Them
Note that if your tires are muddy then they will be more prone to tire rots. The reason behind it is that as the moisture in the mud gets evaporated, it also lifts away some of the important oils that help in keeping the rubber moist.
Hence, it becomes necessary to clean the tires properly, remove the mud and dirt before you actually put the tires in long time storage.
Warm water, along with a little quantity of kitchen detergent and hand soap can be used to clean the tires.
Keep Away From Using Harmful Chemicals and Products
Do not use any kind of special tire cleaning products about which you are not sure whether or not they are safe for your tires.
These cleaning products are usually petroleum-based. And these products have to be basically rubbed into the tires as you drive on.
But if you don’t drive tires immediately after you apply these cleaning products then they will actually cause the tire to dry out even faster.
Store Your Tires With Proper Care
You can remove the tires from your car if you decide to store your car for months. Tires can be restored only if the dry rotting didn’t give rise to any cracks in the sidewall of the tire
However, if the tire has to hold the weight of a stationary vehicle in the storage, then the chances of cracks in the sidewall increases.
Hence, you should consider removing the tires from the vehicle if you have planned to keep the vehicle in storage for a long time.
Keep your tires in a climate-controlled region where the temperature remains constant. Note that regular rapid temperature swings can cause dry rotting as it can speed up the evaporation from the tire.
Never Buy Used Tires & Always Buy A New Ones
The last and the final tip to prevent dry rot is to never buy used tires. In the case of used tires, there’s is actually no perfect way to tell whether or not the used tires are safe for your vehicle.
It may also happen that the tire you are about to install in your vehicle is actually already beginning to dry rot itself.
Therefore, it would be best to buy new tires that have undergone all quality and safety checks.
And not just new tires, I would also encourage you to buy good quality tires. Good quality tires may cost you a bit more but it will be really worth it to invest in such tires instead of cheap and poor quality tires.
Conclusion
In short, if you avoid exposing your tires to sunlight, inspect your tires, use your vehicle often, don’t overload, avoid driving with underinflated tires, clean your tires, avoid harmful chemicals, store them carefully and use new tires, then you will be able to prevent the tire rots.
Hope you found the tips in this article helpful. Thanks!