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A tire is essentially an air envelope that has been engineered to support your vehicle's
weight. It has two key parts that connect it to the vehicle and to the road or terrain.
These are the bead structure that connects the tire to the wheel and the belt and tread
package that provides traction with the road. Between the two is a sidewall structure
that changes strength and shape as air is added or reduced. Together these elements
represent eighty years of material science and mechanical engineering advancements
that have been driven by one of the most competitive markets in the world.
To say today's tires are well engineered is an understatement.
But this marvel of engineering is completely dependent on the correct air pressure.
Without air pressure to support this structure, a tire quickly overheats and ultimately fails.
Consider that we have become dependent on tire technology, and that we tend to forget about our tires.
Consider, too, that tires have a requirement that is quite like your gas tank: they require periodic refilling.
But unlike your engine, a tire keeps functioning even though it has less than the required
amount of air. If it were not "over-engineered", a tire would fail much sooner. But, almost
incredibly, the vast majority of tires continue to function until there is almost no air
pressure within the casing (interior volume). Over the years our store employees have seen
cars and trucks come in with tires that have survived almost impossible abuse due to
vehicle overloading and tire underinflation. Yet the tires kept on going. Thankfully,
there is a significant margin for error.
So we should all agree that tires need the correct amount of air to function and last,
as they were designed to do. Most people think they know the correct air pressure for
their vehicle's tires. Recent surveys reveal that the majority of the people who
responded did not know the correct pressure recommendation for their tires or where
to find it, though most thought they knew. There are many places on the Discount Tire Co. website where
you can find this information, but for your convenience, here it is: the recommended
tire pressure is set by the vehicle manufacturer and is in the owner's manual and on
the vehicle door edge, door post, glove box or fuel door.
If you do one thing and one thing only to ensure your safety (with regard to tires)
check the air pressure monthly, and always before a long trip.
All the information above was courtesy of Discount Tire Co.
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