Your experiences - Punctured Tyre

ravradha · 22nd December 2006, 09:15

It was after one of those client calls we were returning on the busy inner ring road, when the tyre got punctured.

I was busy on a con call and my friend had to do the changing job. He always keeps his spare tyre well maintained. Hands on guy, he is, got the wheels moving in 10 mins.

Not a bad experience, we had to listen to just a couple of swearings

hvkumar · 22nd December 2006, 09:55

A few things which I do and have t make the job easier:
- I have a trolley jack, and a 4-pronged spanner
- I also have a second screw jack in case I have problems in hoisting teh tyres in certain uneven terrain
- I carry the tyre gas cans for emergency use

I also have spare tubes that can be used if tehtube needs to be changed - I am perticular about branded tubes and the roadside mechanics have only local brands. I even had one ocasion when they put in the wrong-sized tube since they did not have any other

hydrashok · 22nd December 2006, 10:06

I rarely had tyre punctures with my old car (an M800). I drove it for about 4 years (Dad drove it for 6 years before that) and I had just about 3 or 4 instances. Used to get the spare changed by roadside tyrewallahs then.

I've been using my current car (Palio 1.2) for 4 years now, and it has had at least 8-10 punctures. But then I've driven this car for at least 40% more distance than the old one, so that is ok. The first one was the day after I bought it (caused by a nail). All these punctures I changed the tyre myself. I always keep the spare ready for use. I also keep a small plastic mat in the car that I can use to kneel on, etc. without messing up my pants. The last time I had to change the tyre was the worst. Empty highway and heavy rain. Luckily it was daytime, and not night. I was soaked by the time I finished. Grrr...

I changed my tyres to tubeless about 5 months back. I haven't had a single puncture yet. (Keeping fingers crossed).

sreenivass · 22nd December 2006, 10:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by ravradha

It was after one of those client calls we were returning on the busy inner ring road, when the tyre got punctured.

I was busy on a con call and my friend had to do the changing job. He always keeps his spare tyre well maintained. Hands on guy, he is, got the wheels moving in 10 mins.

Not a bad experience, we had to listen to just a couple of swearings

I had one puncture in two years out of 12K KMs driven. It was caused by two nails, got the spare fixed by a driver, got the punctured tire repaired by a roadside tire fix guy leaving scars on my alloys, swore will never get it fixed from those folks again.

I did help fixing a spare on boss's car ones, not too difficult because it was in parking lot. We found the tire was flat when we were about to start.

rapideffect · 22nd December 2006, 14:18

What a coincidence, I'm reading all these posts with a punctured car at home. Since i have no time to change the tyres and getting late to office the only way is to leave the car at home.

esteem_lover · 22nd December 2006, 14:33

i ripped the steel belting out in my 1000. it had MRF Zigma tyres. (Remember that stupid ad ??). when the tube started being literally exposed, i had punctures every other day & kept myself fit by changing the tyres. ever since i changed tyres on that car & then the next car, ive not had the chance to keeo fit & i have put on 15 kgs because of that. lol

@hvkumar... you are tyre god/guru. i hate carrying even the near essential jack.

rks · 22nd December 2006, 16:05

In my first 6 months that I was at Pune (from May 2005) I was checking my tyre pressures at petrol bunks and also flyover construction was taking place on my daily route to my workspot. I had 3 punctures during this period within 8000 kms, all due to nails penetrating my tubed S322 tyres. Since about Nov 2005, I have been regularly doing Pune-Mumbai-Pune every week and also maintaining my tyre pressures at about 33-34 psi using my own compressor/gauge (3-4 psi above company recommendation). Since then I have not had a puncture, for about 15000 kms with the tubed tyre and in the last 3 months, about 6000 kms with the S322 tubeless tyres. The high pressures give an uncomfortable ride, but I have not seen uneven wear, probably because I do about 70% of my driving on the highway at high speeds (I don't bother to reduce tyre pressures for city driving). So I would say that maintaining tyre pressures -- I check at least once in two weeks -- is the key to a happy punctureless life. Hope I haven't tempted fate here, though.

Sideways · 22nd December 2006, 16:44

@ RKS, 33-34 Psi cold or warm. If cold then I urge you not to maintain such high pressures especially since you travel at such high speeds. When the tyres get hot the pressure inside also increases by about 3-5Psi. Running such high pressures at high speeds is very dangerous. You need to understand that manufacturers have recomended tyre pressures after intensive R&D. Higher the pressure the contact patch also becomes smaller which can lead to severe unstability not to mention uneven ware etc. Just a word of caution.

turbofreak · 22nd December 2006, 16:48

Whatever happens i dont trust these JK tyres which were given with my Alto...Worst tyres ever seen...they get puctured almost once a month...shifted to bridgestones then my life was peaceful.

iraghava · 22nd December 2006, 17:52

Oh I've lost count of how many punctures I've had!! Started from our trusty Maruti 800 on JK cross-plies remember those days?? Punctures were common place especially when travelling on highways. Then shifted on to MRF Zigma CC's (the cooles tyres available then!) and the punctures reduced significantly. After that have run a string of cars on various brands of tyres MRF, Ceat, Bridgestone, Michelin, GoodYear etc.

Been very happy since I've using Tubeless tyres on the VTEC since they really bring the instances of punctures down & in case of a slow leak allow you to fill up air & drive around till the next good tyre shop.

rks · 22nd December 2006, 18:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sideways

@ RKS, 33-34 Psi cold or warm. If cold then I urge you not to maintain such high pressures especially since you travel at such high speeds. When the tyres get hot the pressure inside also increases by about 3-5Psi. Running such high pressures at high speeds is very dangerous. You need to understand that manufacturers have recomended tyre pressures after intensive R&D. Higher the pressure the contact patch also becomes smaller which can lead to severe unstability not to mention uneven ware etc. Just a word of caution.

I always set the pressures cold, first thing in the morning. I agree that in general it is safer to stick to the recommended tyre pressures of the car manufacturer. But the Bridgestone India website recommends that tyre pressures be increased by 5 psi above the manufacturer's recommendation for high-speed driving. I have been having Bridgestone tyres throughout, so I thought that it would be OK to set about 33-34 psi, since that is within the limits. I haven't had any problems with cornering, epecially after getting tubeless tyres; indeed, the main reason for recommending higher tyre pressures in high speed driving is for improving handling, mileage, safety (against tyre bursts) and tyre life. But the ride on bad roads is bumpy. The car manufacturer's recommendation is generally made keeping various factors in mind, including ride comfort, and not exclusively for high speed driving.

I used to reduce tyre pressures back to 30 psi for city driving, but doing that every week is a real hassle and especially after getting tubeless tyres I am wary of too much meddling with the valve and stem, lest they develop leaks. So I stopped that and check pressures once in two weeks, but I inspect the tyres daily. This should be fine, since 75% of the distance I drive is on the highway (Pune-Mumbai route). But for others who do more driving in the city and do not speed on the highway, my formula may not work out.

rks · 24th December 2006, 18:32

@Sideways, after further thought, I feel that the Bridgestone India recommendation of 5 psi above car manufacturer's recommendation for high-speed driving may work out on good roads, like the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Under conditions where the road is bumpy or muddy, or during the monsoon, I think I would be better off reducing my tyre pressures to at most 2 psi above the recommended pressure of 30 psi. At higher pressures the car may not grip well as you point out. Anyway the speeds will also come down due to wet conditions and bad roads in the monsoon season.

As far as this thread is concerned, I want to emphasize that maintaining tyre pressures via regular checks will help a lot in avoiding punctures, as will changing to tubeless tyres.

sandeep108 · 26th December 2006, 14:56

Even Swift manual says to increase tyre pressure by 5 psi for high speed/highway driving.

byramshroff · 28th December 2006, 02:00

I have had 14 punctures in the last year and the weird part is they have all been post 1 am.
Something that has helped me tremendously is the trolley jack and a mechanized wrench to use on the bolts

kph · 28th December 2006, 07:53

Ahaaa.. Finally a thread with puncture experiences...
Can’t miss to say something here.
I am a victim of the bad roads in dharmapuri- krishnagiri and palakkat stretch.
I haven’t counted the no of times I had punctures. The worst was 3 punctures in one day in 600km.
The worst (unforgettable) pancture experience happened was once while me and one of my friends were on the way to Mangalore from bangalore. I forgot the place, a deserted area with road in its worst condition... had a puncture there in the middle of nowhere, no civilization around and the spare too found deflated. Wow.. time to celebrate.. had to take a lift in a lorry with the tyre to a puncture shop to fix it.. will never forget that experience.

22nd December 2006, 09:15	#1
ravradha BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 231 Thanked: 161 Times View My Garage	Your experiences - Punctured Tyre It was after one of those client calls we were returning on the busy inner ring road, when the tyre got punctured. I was busy on a con call and my friend had to do the changing job. He always keeps his spare tyre well maintained. Hands on guy, he is, got the wheels moving in 10 mins. Not a bad experience, we had to listen to just a couple of swearings
	() Thanks

22nd December 2006, 09:55	#2
hvkumar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 7,369 Thanked: 3,454 Times	A few things which I do and have t make the job easier: - I have a trolley jack, and a 4-pronged spanner - I also have a second screw jack in case I have problems in hoisting teh tyres in certain uneven terrain - I carry the tyre gas cans for emergency use I also have spare tubes that can be used if tehtube needs to be changed - I am perticular about branded tubes and the roadside mechanics have only local brands. I even had one ocasion when they put in the wrong-sized tube since they did not have any other
	() Thanks

22nd December 2006, 10:06	#3
hydrashok Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: In my Office Posts: 2,528 Thanked: 17 Times View My Garage	I rarely had tyre punctures with my old car (an M800). I drove it for about 4 years (Dad drove it for 6 years before that) and I had just about 3 or 4 instances. Used to get the spare changed by roadside tyrewallahs then. I've been using my current car (Palio 1.2) for 4 years now, and it has had at least 8-10 punctures. But then I've driven this car for at least 40% more distance than the old one, so that is ok. The first one was the day after I bought it (caused by a nail). All these punctures I changed the tyre myself. I always keep the spare ready for use. I also keep a small plastic mat in the car that I can use to kneel on, etc. without messing up my pants. The last time I had to change the tyre was the worst. Empty highway and heavy rain. Luckily it was daytime, and not night. I was soaked by the time I finished. Grrr... I changed my tyres to tubeless about 5 months back. I haven't had a single puncture yet. (Keeping fingers crossed).
	() Thanks

22nd December 2006, 14:18	#5
rapideffect BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: mumbai Posts: 147 Thanked: 4 Times	What a coincidence, I'm reading all these posts with a punctured car at home. Since i have no time to change the tyres and getting late to office the only way is to leave the car at home.
	() Thanks

22nd December 2006, 14:33	#6
esteem_lover Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Madras/Py Posts: 7,556 Thanked: 502 Times View My Garage	i ripped the steel belting out in my 1000. it had MRF Zigma tyres. (Remember that stupid ad ??). when the tube started being literally exposed, i had punctures every other day & kept myself fit by changing the tyres. ever since i changed tyres on that car & then the next car, ive not had the chance to keeo fit & i have put on 15 kgs because of that. lol @hvkumar... you are tyre god/guru. i hate carrying even the near essential jack.
	() Thanks

22nd December 2006, 16:05	#7
rks BANNED Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: ?? Posts: 1,238 Thanked: 17 Times	In my first 6 months that I was at Pune (from May 2005) I was checking my tyre pressures at petrol bunks and also flyover construction was taking place on my daily route to my workspot. I had 3 punctures during this period within 8000 kms, all due to nails penetrating my tubed S322 tyres. Since about Nov 2005, I have been regularly doing Pune-Mumbai-Pune every week and also maintaining my tyre pressures at about 33-34 psi using my own compressor/gauge (3-4 psi above company recommendation). Since then I have not had a puncture, for about 15000 kms with the tubed tyre and in the last 3 months, about 6000 kms with the S322 tubeless tyres. The high pressures give an uncomfortable ride, but I have not seen uneven wear, probably because I do about 70% of my driving on the highway at high speeds (I don't bother to reduce tyre pressures for city driving). So I would say that maintaining tyre pressures -- I check at least once in two weeks -- is the key to a happy punctureless life. Hope I haven't tempted fate here, though.
	() Thanks

22nd December 2006, 16:44	#8
Sideways BHPian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Madras - India Posts: 641 Thanked: 31 Times View My Garage	@ RKS, 33-34 Psi cold or warm. If cold then I urge you not to maintain such high pressures especially since you travel at such high speeds. When the tyres get hot the pressure inside also increases by about 3-5Psi. Running such high pressures at high speeds is very dangerous. You need to understand that manufacturers have recomended tyre pressures after intensive R&D. Higher the pressure the contact patch also becomes smaller which can lead to severe unstability not to mention uneven ware etc. Just a word of caution.
	() Thanks

22nd December 2006, 16:48	#9
turbofreak BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: mumbai Posts: 112 Thanked: 0 Times	Whatever happens i dont trust these JK tyres which were given with my Alto...Worst tyres ever seen...they get puctured almost once a month...shifted to bridgestones then my life was peaceful.
	() Thanks

22nd December 2006, 17:52	#10
iraghava Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bhaiyyaland Posts: 8,033 Thanked: 265 Times View My Garage	Oh I've lost count of how many punctures I've had!! Started from our trusty Maruti 800 on JK cross-plies remember those days?? Punctures were common place especially when travelling on highways. Then shifted on to MRF Zigma CC's (the cooles tyres available then!) and the punctures reduced significantly. After that have run a string of cars on various brands of tyres MRF, Ceat, Bridgestone, Michelin, GoodYear etc. Been very happy since I've using Tubeless tyres on the VTEC since they really bring the instances of punctures down & in case of a slow leak allow you to fill up air & drive around till the next good tyre shop. Last edited by iraghava : 22nd December 2006 at 17:57.
	() Thanks

24th December 2006, 18:32	#12
rks BANNED Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: ?? Posts: 1,238 Thanked: 17 Times	@Sideways, after further thought, I feel that the Bridgestone India recommendation of 5 psi above car manufacturer's recommendation for high-speed driving may work out on good roads, like the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Under conditions where the road is bumpy or muddy, or during the monsoon, I think I would be better off reducing my tyre pressures to at most 2 psi above the recommended pressure of 30 psi. At higher pressures the car may not grip well as you point out. Anyway the speeds will also come down due to wet conditions and bad roads in the monsoon season. As far as this thread is concerned, I want to emphasize that maintaining tyre pressures via regular checks will help a lot in avoiding punctures, as will changing to tubeless tyres.
	() Thanks

26th December 2006, 14:56	#13
sandeep108 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,050 Thanked: 302 Times	Even Swift manual says to increase tyre pressure by 5 psi for high speed/highway driving.
	() Thanks

28th December 2006, 02:00	#14
byramshroff BHPian Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: mumbai Posts: 195 Thanked: 0 Times	I have had 14 punctures in the last year and the weird part is they have all been post 1 am. Something that has helped me tremendously is the trolley jack and a mechanized wrench to use on the bolts
	() Thanks

28th December 2006, 07:53	#15
kph BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Manali Posts: 156 Thanked: 13 Times	Ahaaa.. Finally a thread with puncture experiences... Can’t miss to say something here. I am a victim of the bad roads in dharmapuri- krishnagiri and palakkat stretch. I haven’t counted the no of times I had punctures. The worst was 3 punctures in one day in 600km. The worst (unforgettable) pancture experience happened was once while me and one of my friends were on the way to Mangalore from bangalore. I forgot the place, a deserted area with road in its worst condition... had a puncture there in the middle of nowhere, no civilization around and the spare too found deflated. Wow.. time to celebrate.. had to take a lift in a lorry with the tyre to a puncture shop to fix it.. will never forget that experience.
	() Thanks