The flat tyre: it has hounded the automotive industry and the commercial vehicle business since the inception of both. From all the way back in the early 1900’s to today, flat tyres have been stranding people on the side of the road by the thousands. And while everyone has this problem, the ones who have it particularly bad are truck drivers and other drivers in the commercial vehicle business. Trucks have a far more complicated process when it comes to replacing flat tyres, so before they get on the road, drivers are instructed to thoroughly inspect their tyres. If you are interested in commercial vehicle repair in Bideford and would like to know the methods by which they find leaks in tyres, the answers are as follows.
#1. Tyre gauge
Nothing beats the classic tyre gauge. While there are DIY methods such as hitting your tyres with a sturdy stick, that will accomplish little beyond “yes, tyres have air in them”. A well calibrated, accurate tyre gauge will tell you exactly how much, or how little, tyre pressure is in your tyres at the time. Now, this may just be a case of your tyre just needing a little more air, it happens. Which is why this should only be your first step in gauging whether or not your tyre has any leaks.
#2. Thorough inspections
Before leaving, every truck driver is required to look over each of their tyres, for any signs of leakage or impending damage. And during maintenance checks, the same goes for the technicians looking over your truck. The driver and technicians should be looking for “ballooning” areas on the tyre, indicating impending failure, any foreign objects sticking out from the tyre, and of course, any holes or deep cuts into the tyre rubber. This will usually be where the repairs begin, since technicians and drivers are very good at picking these signs up. However, there is one other method, that may surprise you.
#3. Bubbles
Surprised? Well, it makes a lot of sense if you think about it. If a technician thinks that a hole may have formed in a certain part of the tyre, but can’t be quite sure, then the sure-fire solution is to coat that area of the tyre, or even the whole tyre, in soapy water (or even spit if you need to) and see if any bubbles form. If there’s a bubble, then there’s the hole.
If you have reason to suspect that your truck tyre has sprung a leak, or that the truck itself has suffered damage and needs repairs, stop by Nick Sampson Vehicle Repair.
