[ramesh]

My experience is similar. Earlier there used to be many punctures later it stopped , it seems purely a luck factor than anything else.

[BlackPearl]

Is it true that bald tyres get less punctures or is it just a myth? I was going through this thread - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...tyres-dry.html

[WasavaTyres]

Originally Posted by Thebat

This may be OT. Do those tiny stones lodged between the threads affect tire life in any way?

The threads / tread pattern / grooves are present to deaden road noise as well as to let air pass to cool the tire from rolling resistance as it goes over the road surface. In absolute terms I doubt if the presence of the small stones will reduce the tire life significantly.

[harpreetkanwar]

Ideally - big or small, high performance or not, change your tires when they hit the 35k mark (or 40k if you want to really save money). Or in other words when they are about to meet the tread wear indicator. Key here is ABOUT TO, not already met.

Avoid shops that tell you - abhi 2-3000 chal jayega. You may think they are being honest and would have lied to get business and they know about what they are saying, but in 99.5% cases, they do not know. They do know you will come back to them since you MAXED out on their advice. Plus they are running a business, they are not technically inclined. They sell your old tires to make money. They employ chotus to do the jobs. They don't know sh*t.

Almost all luxury car manufacturers equate a punctured tire to a replacement necessary tire. A side wall puncture, please - buy a new tire. Two or more punctures anywhere else -> make PLANS to change two tires. Make plans, don't freak out, but do make plans.

The fact is simple -> at high speeds, I'm not talking 250 kms/hr - odds are you can't do that - high speed meaning what the car you are driving is not meant to be driven at, yes the Beat at 130 kms/hr, or the swift at 140. These are high speeds for these city cars. Do not be under the impression this is a normal thing, your wheels are downsized as it is (OEM, indian, cut costs, more mileage, fool customers) - and if you have a puncture - your tire is more prone to burst - if it has crossed the 35k mark. Just like if you had a heart attack, you would be more prone to another.

Now why 35k, thats because most people do not realize that their tire is subject to Indian road conditions, which aren't really great roads, and that the visible tread to the eye stays after the tire has crossed the tread indicator too. Yes, it does not have to be F1 car's tire like flat to be called worn out - (read aloud 50k tire mark claimers).

Maybe you would save 10-20k over the course of 5 years by running your tire to 50k, but is the enhanced risk to life, worth it ? 10-20 k? really ? Buy a Moto G.

Google -> tread indicator. All guy riding on 40k and above - 90% would come back and say - where's the tread indicator can't find it.

[Dodge_Viper]

What about the condition of new tyres which suffered the puncture scam? 16 punctures in one?

[blackasta]

Older bald tires would pick up more punctures, as the distance a nail/screw has to travel is lesser. Underinflated tires too are puncture prone.

Now a days I fix punctures myself. It's a 15 minute job (5 minute for front tire as you do not need to even take it off), and I do it to my satisfaction using good quality 'slime' brand repair plugs and tools.

I use Yoko ES 100s (soft compound tires) from day 1 on my i10, and replaced my first set at 45000 kms. I am on my second set now.

[haria]

Originally Posted by Lalvaz

Our roads are full of stuff that should not be there. Sometimes its a miracle we do not have more punctures.

People scattering nails on the road (typically the puncture repair shops) is making to the news frequently - especially in Bangalore - I don't know whether it is the same in other cities

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/...cle8403637.ece

in 3 months, from one stretch of road, this gent has collected 4.5KG of deliberately scattered nails What this will do to tyre life requires no guesses

[hserus]

Old thread - but there was a pretty thick / sharp nail that holed the road contact surface of a tyre (jammed between two treads) on my wife's older i10, causing a slow puncture - the air leaked out around the bolt very very slowly. The tyres are Bridgestones and about 40% used.

Usual roadside puncture repair, pushing a rubber plug into the hole. The tyre should still be good to go for quite a while right?

[theMAG]

Originally Posted by hserus

..
Usual roadside puncture repair, pushing a rubber plug into the hole. The tyre should still be good to go for quite a while right?

All things being equal and if the repair has been done effectively, yes. That said, the age of the tyre also has a role to play, not just tread depth.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by theMAG

All things being equal and if the repair has been done effectively, yes. That said, the age of the tyre also has a role to play, not just tread depth.

The tyre is about 1.5 years old. No significant wear and tear on the tread.

Yes that is what I figured too, thanks for confirming. The repair was reasonably well done.

[King_pin09]

In my case a screw was trapped within the gaps of the new tyre and eventually managed to pierce through causing a large puncture. My new tyres that have clocked less than 5k kilometers have faced more than 3 punctures at an average on each tyre (14 in all), whereas the ones on my old car suffered only 4 (all on the same tyre) during their entire life span of 40k kilometers.

In my opinion it is a matter of pure luck and nothing else.

[King_pin09]

Originally Posted by Thebat

This may be OT. Do those tiny stones lodged between the threads affect tire life in any way? The reason I ask. Is because the MRF ZVTVs on my Polo pick up a lot. Of stones which I didnt see on my previous car which was shod with accelere. I have made it a habit to remove as many as possible frequently but they seem to be getting stuck at a rapid pace, am I being paranoid and should I take it easy? Or is there any other solution for this? Sorry if I am deviating from the thread but I have had this doubt from a long time so couldn't resist asking.

Well, I believe it is the design of the surface that attracts many sharp elements. My Ciaz comes with stock MRF ZVTV and these ones are magnets to stone fragments. These small fragments make way into the groves and eventually pierce through causing punctures.

Perhaps these MRF’s are built to cost, as the thickness at base of the grove is also too low, thus making it easier for the trapped fragments to penetrate through. Problem is further compounded as hard material is used for construction which does not close in quickly after a puncture and lets the air escape out faster. I have faced multiple situations amidst a highway trip where these small fragments of stone pierce through and the tyre would turn flat within minutes.

The Goodyear GT3 on my earlier car was great when it came to handling punctures. Their soft compound closed in on the punctures quickly and firmly, and did not let air to escape easily, thus allowing you to reach your destination safely. For once, I remember having travelled 110 km’s with a large bolt stuck and the tyre not losing any pressure. The downside of GT 3 being high road noise as compared to the ZVTV.

[RijuC]

Need a help. Yesterday I had a puncture in rear left tyre. A thick screw (not sharp end), or rather a bolt of 8 mm size got struck in between the treads. I could run the car for about 10 km before understanding and finding a puncture repair shop. When the puncture repair guy pulled out the bolt from tyre, the air was coming out like a jet. He repaired it with a normal kit (Rs. 50/-). After completion of job, no leakage was detected using water. I had another 25 km run on extremely bad broken no tarmac roads.

The tyres are 5 years old, run for 18500 km. Apollo 3G brand. Treads are otherwise good.

Now, tonight I am scheduled to go for a trip 315 km each way. Can I expect this tyre worry free? I mean it won't fail?

[adisan]

Originally Posted by ramesh

Earlier there used to be many punctures later it stopped , it seems purely a luck factor than anything else.

Quite an old post.

Vandalism could be a possible reason.

- Especially if someone objected to the car being parked at a place which inconvenienced them.
- If the number of punctures dropped sharply after a move of home or office.

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by RijuC

Now, tonight I am scheduled to go for a trip 315 km each way. Can I expect this tyre worry free? I mean it won't fail?

Since you have already driven this tyre on a rough road after repairing the puncture, I think it is good to go. To be sure, check if the air pressure has dropped.

And another solution is to put this tyre as spare for the upcoming trip. That will give you peace of mind.

Edit: Noticed just now that yours is an old post. By the way, what did you do finally?