What Happens When Tires Get Too Hot

When summer heat and friction are combined, the result is a spike in tire pressure which often leads to burnout. Since wear and tear combined with a sudden bump in PSI caused by driving in extremely hot weather increase the likelihood of tires blowing out, it’s best to take the necessary measures to maintain your tires.

What Happens To Overheated Tires?

It’s essential to check your tires regularly for signs of wear. You should also inspect them for signs of cracking, as this indicates that your tires are nearing their limit and need replacement. Below is everything you need to know about driving with hot tires and how to prevent tire blowouts.

The following are the risks that come with driving with overheated tires:

1. Increased Tire Pressure

The temperature outside greatly impacts tire pressure and can either maintain or shorten the lifespan of your tires. During the rainy season or winter, your tires’ PSI level is bound to drop significantly. However, it’s the exact opposite during summer, especially when temperatures are exceedingly high.

When you drive at high speeds under the sun’s blazing heat, your tires will gradually begin to wear out due to the friction generated by the high-speed contact they make with the hot asphalt. The deterioration of tire health in such situations is usually caused by the vibration of tire molecules, which generally leads to a surge in tire pressure, eventually leading to a heat-related tire blowout.

2. High Blowout Risk

The increase in PSI caused by driving in scorching heat combined with the friction generated by tire and hot asphalt contact quadruples the chances of a blowout. Therefore, ensure to check your tires for leaks and worn-out treads when summer approaches. Taking the proper measures to protect your tires is the best way to keep them cool and prevent them from blowing out.

3. Your Tire Rubber Will Begin To Wear

Tires built for summer, known as summer tires, provide superb handling on any road surface and allow excellent traction. Such tires can grip roads and pavements aggressively because of their shallow treads. Although summer tires are the most suitable choice for ambient temperature, they need a fair amount of maintenance to keep them from wearing out.

Winter tires heat up easily and are unsuitable for summer heat due to the soft rubber they produce, making them pliable and susceptible to wear. Driving with winter tires during summer leads to poor fuel management and high traction, which is the reason to reserve them for snowy conditions.

Why Does Heat Cause Tires to Expand and Blow Out?

Even the slightest increase in air pressure can significantly impact tire health over time, even to the extent of causing them to give out unexpectedly while driving. Below are some other factors that cause tires to wear prematurely when driving in the heat.

1. Friction

Whenever you drive on hot roads, your tires rub on the asphalt, generating friction, which causes your tire temperature rating significantly. Unfortunately, the friction generated combined with every ten degrees Fahrenheit increase can make your tires explode.

2. Rubber

Tires are designed with long rubber molecules twisted together and formed into polymers. The polymers vibrate and contract under hot temperatures and due to friction. Tires are made in a way that prevents the polymers within them from coiling. However, the tires are bound to reach their breaking point over time, especially without proper maintenance.

3. Hot Molecules

The rubber used to manufacture tires is composed of molecules and atoms and when these molecules begin to vibrate intensely due to extreme heat, they expand gradually. When drivers fail to notice the subtle signs of deterioration, their tires will likely explode out of the blue.

How To Prevent Your Tires From Blowing Out

Try as you can to avoid driving in the summer heat, you’ll find that it’s practically impossible. While driving under scorching temperatures is unavoidable, there are ways to prevent your tires from blowing out.

1. Watch Out For Excessive Air Pressure

By checking your car’s tire pressure gauge, you’ll be able to know the air pressure condition of your tires and whether they’ve become overinflated due to constant heat.

2. Tires That Are Hot To The Touch

The easiest way to tell if your tires are overheating is to feel them with your hand. A solid overheating indicator is when they’re extremely hot to the touch. Whenever you make sudden stops, always ensure to feel your tires. If you notice that they’re too hot, make sure to wait a while before getting back on the road.

3. Don’t Rely Entirely On Your Vehicle’s Tire Pressure Monitoring System

Newer car models are designed with TPMS, which immediately alerts drivers when their tire pressure has dropped significantly. However, they do not indicate when tire pressure becomes too high. This simply means that your best bet to avoid a tire blowout is by monitoring your tire pressure personally.

4. Clean And Treat You Vehicle’s Wheels

Hot air-filled tires expand and begin to lose traction when they fail to dissipate heat. Such tires will prematurely wear when temperatures soar, and they will also seriously damage when used at high speeds on hot pavement, as friction creates heat.

A great way to avoid tread wear and keep your tires in good condition is by treating them with quality wax-based products that will keep them from drying out when the temperature rises.

5. Swap Out Worn Tires

Overinflation makes tires two times more likely to blow out in hot weather than in cold weather. This is quite similar to a rubber balloon; the most obvious sign is when their treads begin to wear thin. Consider purchasing summer tires from top tire manufacturers to keep this from happening. Such tires are known to fare excellently in high temperatures.

Final Words

While it might seem reasonable to let out some air from your tires when they get too hot, just so you can keep on driving till you get to your destination, it is, however, a terrible idea. You shouldn’t do this under any circumstance because you might involuntarily let out too much air, which translates to an ’under-inflated tire. Instead, pull over in a safe spot, then wait till your tires cool off before you continue driving.