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-   -   Simple Tips to reduce the probability of Punctures (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-alloy-wheel-section/138740-simple-tips-reduce-probability-punctures.html)

Punctures cannot be avoided completely, but they can certainly be reduced substantially. Just follow a few simple rules that are very effective in reducing punctures and you're home safe and dry. I have had very few punctures and this is mostly due to following these simple rules. The fact is that these simple rules are so effective that there have been occasions when I knew I was going to get a puncture before hand! How? Simple, I had broken the rule!


While Driving Your Car

a. Avoid driving onto the extreme sides of the road where there would be sand / dirt / mud build up as these are sure to conceal nails and other sharp objects. If you have to overtake, do not, in your hurry, get onto that bit of road. Instead, wait until the road is clear, so that you can overtake without getting onto that bit of sand that you will find at the edge of the divider.

b. When taking a U turn, avoid the triangular patch of sand / accumulated mud at the road divider edge which is an area where other cars have not frequented. This area is also sure to contain nails and other sharp objects. So, take the well trodden path used by other cars and drive home safe.

c. Avoid driving into construction areas which are always full of nails / sharp objects. If you have to visit such a place, park a little bit away and walk, it would be less bother than a puncture.

d. Avoid driving on road sides where there are new foot paths / drains being constructed (a continuous activity) as these areas are sure to contain nails. While driving through such an area leave a comfortable margin from the side.

e. The Walk Around: On long distance journeys stop and do a walk around every 2 -3 hours and feel the temperature of your tyres. The temperature of the tyres should usually be as per the following pattern – (i)The tyres facing the sun will be warmer than the other side.(ii) The front tyres will be warmer than the rear tyres unless the car is fully laden. If any tyre does not conform to the above pattern (eg, one rear tyre is warmer than the other 3 in a car with just 2 persons traveling), then it would be an indication that you are losing air and to avoid ending up with a flat, it would be better to either fill up more air in that tyre at the earliest to avoid a potential puncture / damage to that tyre.


Parking

f. Be careful when you park in some new area which is not frequented by cars – give the area a quick once over before you park your car to ensure that it wasn’t a construction waste dump or similar potential puncture inflicting area. If you have the choice, do not park in such areas but park a bit further away and walk.

g. If you are on tour or on a vacation and are parking in a totally new area, get out and take a look to see there aren’t any nails around, the 2 minute trouble is worth the huge amount of time you could lose during your vacation if you do get a flat.


Other Tips

h. Residential Flats: When you are in the parking area, or are taking your morning walk, take a casual look at the route usually taken by your car and see if it is prone to accumulating nails / sharp objects. Residential flats usually have a tendency to accumulate nails on the driveways on account of some construction/ alteration / fitment activity that would be taking place.

i. Punctures significantly increase during the last 20% of a tyre’s life, so if your tyres are 80% worn, have them changed asap.

j. As a general rule, it is better to have at least 1 – 2 psi more than recommended pressure at all times.


Happy Motoring! :)

Good write-up. Shouldn't products like SLIME figure somewhere here?

I fully agree with the above. It significantly reduces the number of punctures I try to follow it but in bumper to bumper traffic it requires a lot of self control to do that

Also one should pay more attention to the left side tyres as they are the ones that go off the road more often than the right side ones and also since the driver sits on the right you may not see the left tyres as much as you see the right ones and thereby miss out on slight under-inflation or other such things. In my case i have noticed that the left side tyres get punctured more (almost twice as much) than the right side ones

Have intentionally avoided Pre-Puncture Sealants etc as they are usually written everywhere as a means to reduce punctures. The points written in this thread are the primary points of care and yet are not written about anywhere.

Nice write up bro. Will surely help get less of them. A few days ago, our basement parking of the apartment was used for a small party where tents were put up. The next day I noticed that they have thrown all the nails used in putting up the tent in the parking itself while taking the tent off. :Frustrati
I had to clean my drive way by manually picking the nails. That was so irresponsible, I felt like doing :deadhorse to the tent house people!

This is something that I do very often !!:)

I have read this somewhere(IIRC in Team bhp itself) never ever fill air in your tire during a long distance drive since your tires are already hot and filling air in a hot tire can cause a fatal tire burst.

I guess what the OP meant is that 'fill air if you experience lower pressure even with the hot tyres.':)

Sane advice. I like the bit, if you are getting punctures more often change the tyres!

I had asked the tyre shop about the condition of one of my cars, he said I can run another 5000 kms, but, alas the frequency of punctures has increased and I decided to change them right away!

Well compiled and comprehensive tips Veyaron, I would like to add two more to this list
When using roads that have just been layered with jelly drive as slow as is possible, some of the jelly pieces have amazing cutting potential

Before the start of your journey ( especially a long one) ensure that you have checked and topped up air in the tyres when they are cold. Under inflated tyres have more surface contact and therefore increase the probability of a puncture

During a long drive when you take a break or when you park your vehicle at the end of the day check the tyres for any embedded debris or stones ( they are usually wedged in the threads) and remove them using a screwdriver or even using the end of your key.

I used SLIME for my car and the experience is not something I would like to write home about. It did prevent one puncture but apart from that after maybe a year when I was changing the tyre I noticed that the rim was rusted and there was no signs of liquid anywhere! :Shockked:

Thanks Veyaron for all the useful tips. Very informative and a nice compilation of points. :thumbs up

Just one more point, I have read this, not sure if its on T-Bhp. Please correct me, if I am wrong.

On long journeys, when the tyres are very hot, we should never pour water to cool the tyre temperature. It can burst the tyre.

Not true at all. What happens if you've been driving on a long journey and it suddenly starts raining heavily - the effect would be more than equivalent to pouring water on the tyre. Absolutely nothing would happen. But you don't need to pour water to cool a tyre, let it cool by itself.

Satshan, tyres do not have such a problem, because as a flexible object the tyre would have expanded during a hot run and sudden cooling will only cause it to contract, but all this is very very minute that is hardly noticeable. the air inside the tyre also behaves in the same way, a hot tyre is under higher pressure so sudden cooling will bring down the pressure a little bit say about 10%. and as Veyronsport mentioned there is no need to do so.

I think you are mistaken, and this particular scenario of sudden cooling causing damage is linked with the engine. Pouring cold water on to a hot engine will crack the engine block or head or both.

Sorry I did not understand your point.