Choosing the Right Castor Wheels

4 Tyre Bead Defects You Should Investigate

20 November 2017

Erika Matthews

You can reduce how often you need to buy new tyres by investigating and addressing the issues that cause your vehicle's tyres to fail prematurely. Below are some of the tyre-bead defects that can shorten the life of vehicle tyres.

Bead Deformation

The tyre bead refers to the edge of the tyre that makes contact with the wheel. This section of the tyre can become deformed, especially if the car is a four wheel drive that is taken through rough roads, to the extent that gaps can be seen between the wheel and the tyre. Rusty tyre rims, bent rims, excessive heat and improper rim lubrication can cause this deformation. It is helpful for you to address these root causes so that the new tyres do not suffer the same fate. For example, you should have a bent rim repaired so that it does not shorten the life of the new tyre that you install on it.

Burnt Beads

Some tyre beads may be discoloured, rough, brittle or hard. Excessive heat exposure causes such effects. This heat can be generated by your driving habits, such as hard braking. Faulty brakes or brakes without sufficient airflow around them can cause the beads to burn. It is therefore wise to investigate why the tyre beads are burnt so that you can take corrective measures before installing the new tyres.

Lubricant Damage

Some tyre beads may have a petroleum odour. Such beads may swell, blister or become spongy. Over time, the beads may become brittle and dry. Such signs are an indicator of lubricant damage. The remedy to this problem is switching to lubricants that aren't petroleum-based. For instance, stop using tyre lubricants made from petroleum.

Reinforcement Separation

Radial tyres have wire ply or fabric that is placed over the turn-up of the ply in order to make the tyre bead stronger. This reinforcement can separate from the bead and cause the tyre to fail. Impact damage, under-inflation, improper rim size and overloading the tyre can cause such damage. The way you mounted or dismounted the tyre while performing a DIY repair may have also caused this kind of damage. It is often difficult to repair such a tyre.

It may be difficult for you to categorise the type of damage that your old tyres have if you lack the proper technical skills in that area. It is, therefore, better to take such tyres to a qualified person for analysis. That professional will identify the cause of the damage and suggest the measures that you can take to safeguard your new tyres.

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