Tire’d and under pressure? Blame the heat!

June 12, 2025

A vehicle doesn’t ride on its tires, it rides on the air that’s in the tires! Rising summer temps serve as an annual reminder to prepare for warm-weather tire safety. Heat is one of the biggest natural enemies of a tire, so it’s worthwhile to take steps that keep you from getting stranded on a sweltering day.

If there’s not enough air in the tires, problems occur no matter what the outside temperature. The problems just happen sooner if it’s hot outside.

The top cause of tire failure

Underinflation is the main cause for most tire failures. Especially when the temperatures are high, underinflation can make the tire run hotter than it should. The underinflation will also allow the tire to flex beyond its design, which can cause the tire to fail.

If the tire is not correctly inflated, it may not stay cool enough to stay together. Another problem is that the tire will not make correct contact with the roadway, generating excessive heat in specific areas of the tire (normally in the “shoulder” or “edge” of the tire).

A rising thermostat is your first cue to start checking on your tires’ falling pressure. Depending on how low your tire pressure is, you can either refill tires yourself or take them to the repair facility to get filled.

Refill the tire yourself:Take the tire to a repair facility:
10-20 percent below normal pressure20 percent or more below normal pressure

Under pressure = unprepared

Any tire that is well below rated pressure (less than 80 percent) is prone to complete catastrophic failure. This is because the extra heat being generated is not getting absorbed by the air inside the tire, causing the tire to chemically break down. This chemical breakdown is what causes the tire to fail catastrophically.

Underinflation may also cause a “zipper” failure. While not as spectacular as a catastrophic failure, the results are the same: The vehicle is stuck with a flat tire.

Time for a tire check

Prevent underinflated tire failure by completing pretrip, enroute, and post-trip inspections that include checking the inflation and condition of the tires.

These inspections are critical during the hottest months of the year. Every driver should know:

  • How to gauge tires while they are cold using an accurate tire pressure gauge.
  • To avoid gauging at hot tire that will lead to inaccurate results.
  • How to “thump” tires during enroute inspections to check inflation.
  • How to check for excessive heat.
  • The correct pressure at which to refill or get tires filled.
  • How to refill tires safely.
  • Which pressure requires a trip to the repair facility instead of a self-fill.

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Publish Date

June 12, 2025

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Industry News

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CMV Parts and Maintenance

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