HOW TO REDUCE THE RISKS OF TYRE DEFLATION

12V AIR COMPRESSOR 

While any form of underinflated-tyre driving has the potential to damage the tyre (especially the sidewall), the most common cause of damage is speed related. This usually happens on a well-graded gravel road (or highway) after driving a 4x4 track. 

 

The user typically postpones re-inflating their tyres, thinking they’ll top up at the nearest service station instead.

The result? Driving an underinflated tyre at speed significantly increases heat build-up and structural damage to the tyre. 

 

Unfortunately, this damage is often difficult to see as it relates to weakening the rubber compound. However, signs of bluing along the sidewall will indicate that the tyres were overheated. 

The solution is to travel with a good-quality air compressor and take the opportunity to re-inflate and give your tyres time to cool down before pumping them up.

A hot tyre will show a higher pressure reading than a cold tyre.   

 

HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU DEFLATE?

Pneumatic tyres are not designed for low-pressure applications. While tyre brands like Cooper and Mickey Thompson have gone to great lengths to develop products for maximum strength – knowing that their customers often deflate – it doesn’t change the fact that significant deflation will expose the tyre to unnatural stress and damage.

 

That said, it’s essential to match your tyre pressures to the terrain you’re driving. If you can comfortably navigate an off-road track that doesn’t require maximum traction and deflation, re-inflate your tyres so that you minimise the damaging effects of underinflation. 

Remember: The lower the air pressure, the greater the tyre damage.

BACK-UP RIMS AND TYRES

Many avid off-road enthusiasts own two sets of rims and tyres. In terms of our customers, they typically run A/T3s for daily use and then a dedicated set of S/T MAXXs or STT PROs for their off-road exploits. 

 

Of course, the A/T3s are also used for off-road holidays where long stretches of gravel road are traversed; however, when it comes to the more extreme stuff, remote locations, and heavy payloads, they prefer to swap the tyres for their dedicated off-road set. 

 

Aside from tyre strength and puncture resistance, they also get the benefit of a quieter, more comfortable, and more economical day-to-day ride. Naturally, the hurdle with this arrangement is cost and storage space. 

 

However, this setup will prolong the use of your tyres, and because Coopers are backed by a 10-year manufacturer guarantee (the industry norm is just five years), you don’t have to worry about your tyres expiring.

Use our Wheel Finder and Tyre Finder to buy rims and tyres direct from the distributor.