How to prevent flat spot on tires during storage
A flat spot on a car tire is a condition where a part of the tire surface becomes flat/straight due to withstanding high pressure for too long. The most straightforward example that can cause a flat spot on a car tire is parking the car for a long time, more than 30 days.
Yes, parking the car for a long time can cause car tires to experience flat spots. That happens because the vehicle's load will continuously press the part of the tire directly in contact with the asphalt or the floor surface. As a result, the wire braid inside car tires will change from circular to straight.
The effect caused by a flat spot on this car tire can certainly make it uncomfortable or even dangerous when the car is driven at high speeds, such as:
- There was a vibration coming from the tire.
- The car feels unsteady when used.
- Tires are more prone to breaking.
- The suspension works more heavily, so it breaks faster.
This article will share tips on avoiding flat spots on car tires because the car has not been used for long. Check out the information below.
1. Drive the car once a week
The best way to avoid flat spots on car tires is to drive the car at least once a week. Try to warm up the car's engine and changing the parking position forward or backward so that the tires turn around and are no longer in the same position as before.
If possible, it is good to run the car out to the streets so that the tires have a rotation and movement so that the tires are flexible and can retain their round shape. This action aims to shift the car tire pedestal position so that the tire that is the support is not in one spot only.
2. Add more air pressure before it stored
Tips for avoiding flat spots on other car tires: add an air pressure greater than the recommended pressure. Increase the tire pressure by four psi from standard measurements.
Don't forget to recheck the tire pressure and make adjustments according to the standard size when the car wants to be used. Adding this air pressure has the purpose of preventing the tire from being too inflated so that the tire surface does not become straight after a long absence. Read: How to putting air in tires?
3. Use nitrogen to fill the tires
Apart from adding air pressure, we can also fill the tires with nitrogen to avoid flat spots on car tires that are parked too long. Nitrogen is an air gas that has been filtered and has no water content in it.
The difference in composition between ordinary air and nitrogen is what makes tires with nitrogen content believed to have a pressure that does not quickly decrease even if the car is not used for a long time.
Also read :4. Mount the wheels with thick styrofoam
In addition to the method above, propping the four wheels of the car with thick styrofoam can also be used to avoid flat spots on car tires.
Prepare four styrofoam with a thickness of at least 5cm and a width slightly larger than the tread of a car tire. Install the styrofoam under the tire instead of the floor, then add the air pressure as in point 2.
With this styrofoam, the tire tread does not rest directly on the floor but on the styrofoam, which will keep the tread surface from becoming straight when the air pressure is reduced.
5. Use jack stands to support the car, so the wheel does not step on the floor.
If the car doesn't want to be used for a longer time, propping the car with a jack stand so that the wheels don't tread on the floor or road surface is the most appropriate solution to avoiding flat spots car tires.
By supporting the car using a jack stand, the wheels will not be burdened by the car's weight. It will free the entire surface of the tire so that it does not rest on the floor or road surface to avoid flat spot problems.