If you are wondering how long can I drive with a bubble in my tire, the answer is a clear zero! Tire bubbles are dangerous, and you would be ill advised to let your car move with one. Read on to find out what damage tire bubbles can cause and how to fix the problem.
If you are suffering from swollen feet, you can walk as long as you can bear the pain. But after a while, you have to sit down. This analogy is true for car tires as well.
If you see tire bubble in your car, you should not drive for very long. You must stop the car and send it to the service center. Tire bubbles can create many types of problems in your car.
While you can drive with a tire bubble, there is a big risk of an accident happening. So the wise decision is you have to try to stop the car as soon as you experience the bubble tire.
Why Do Tire Bubbles Happen?
There are many reasons behind why this problem of tire bubble arises. First, let’s understand how car tires are made. Car tires are made with layers upon layers of rubber and ply. Ply builds a solid structure for the tire, providing the tire with durability and power. Rubber glue helps the tire to stick with the ply.
Tire bubbles may occur due to structural deformities in the rubber. Here are some common reasons:
- Manufacturing defects
- Lack of adequate pressure in the tire
- Too much load on the vehicle tires
# 1. Lack of adequate air pressure in the tire
It is important to make sure that your car tires have adequate pressure in them at all times. If you forget to fill air in the tires and let them run for a long time, a gap might get created in the layers on the sidewall of the tire. If air enters this gap, tire bubbles may start forming slowly.
# 2. Manufacturing defects in the tire
You should always buy good quality tires from reputed brands. Cheaper tires are prone to manufacturing defects that will only rear their ugly head after you have driven the car for a few days or months.
For example, manufacturing errors can cause bubbles on the car tire. Some times, the adhesive fails to hold the inner layers of the tire together and creates a gap.
If air enters this gap, tire bubbles may slowly form. However, buying better quality tires will help reduce such problems.
# 3. Other reasons
Excessive load on the car, and road conditions such as potholes on the road may also cause tire bubbles.
You might also like to read: What Should Be The Tire Pressure When Towing A Travel Trailer?
Symptoms of Tire Bubbles
Here are some signs that you need to watch out for:
- If you occasionally feel a jolt in the car while driving, remember this is the first sign of a tire bubble.
- If the wheels of the car suddenly shake, that could be another symptom of a tire bubble.
- If you suddenly notice any deformities on the car’s tire, you need to take proper steps immediately. Tire distortion will quickly lead to leakages and tire bubbles
- Check the tire immediately if you notice that your car is shaking a little while driving.
Is It Safe to Drive When Your Tire has a Bubble?
It is not safe to drive with the tires bubbles; here is why.
If there is any swelling in the tires, you should not ignore it. If you drive with bubbles in the tire, air leaks from the layer inside the tire, making it weak.
The chances of a tire puncture increase. The tire may even burst. If there are any defects on the road, such as speed bumps, potholes, rough roads, etc., the tires may burst or leak.
If the tires leak or burst, you may lose your control on the car and endanger your life or the lives of the passengers. This problem can also cause severe damage to the car’s wheels and suspension system. Thus, a car tire bubble is not only unsafe but also economical.
How Many Miles Can I Drive with a Bubble in My Tire?
Stop in a safe place before the car crashes. Then call a service center. You should not drive even a single mile with this problem.
As we said before, it is not safe to drive a car with tire bubbles for a long time. You can get into a serious accident if your tire hits a single bump on the road.
How far you can drive with a tire bubble depends on the severity of the problem. However, if you experience a tire bubble or other symptom as discussed before, your safest course of action is to stop the car in the safest place as soon as possible.
The best way to get rid of this problem is to send the car to a reliable service center for tire replacement. If a good, reliable tire center is relatively far away, do not take the risk of driving your vehicle in this condition.
You might also like to read: What Tire Pressure Is Too Low
How to Prevent Tire Bubbles
You can never avoid bumps or potholes on the road, but you can do a lot to keep tire bubbles away from your car tires.
To avoid this problem, you need to inspect the tire regularly and see if there is any change in the tire’s air pressure and structure.Tire bubbles happen more often when seasons are changing. Keep tabs on the tire pressure using a pressure gauge. You also need a close look on how the tire looks from the outside.
Newer models of tires are coming to the market with a systems that monitor tire pressure and notify tell you when there is a problem.
Pay attention to any such warning and immediately inflate the tires. If this warning message is seen, again and again, go to the service center and get it checked.
Get an air pump to fill air in your tires yourself. It lets you keep an eye on the tires and also saves you a few bucks.
Frequently Asked Questions
#1. How much does it cost to fix a bubble in a tire?
If you have a road hazard warranty, you might think that it will cover tire bubbles, just like it covers damages due to flat tires.
You cannot repair the damage yourself. It requires fixing the tire’s internal structure, which is not possible at a service center. The tire would need to be replaced, and you will have to spend anywhere between $150 to $600 to fix this problem.
#2. How do you fix a tire bulge?
The proper solution is to replace the damaged tyre. If you decide to fix it, there are several methods to do it:
- First you have to Install an internal reinforced patch.
- Then sew the damaged area of the tire with different material like kapron threads.
- After that, re-fit the inner tube of the tire.
#3. Can I drive with a bubble in the tire?
No, it is not safe to do so. You cannot drive the car with a tire with bubbles in the tire. It can cause damages ranging from an innocuous flat tire to a deadly accident caused by losing control of your car.
You might also like to read: Why Is One Tire Wearing Faster? 4 Reasons Why This Might Be Happening
A Few Final Words
Tire bubbles are a big hazard while driving, you should not attempt to drive if you notice one. The best solution is to immediately go to a repair center and get your tire repaired.
Thank you for reading the article, we hope we have been able to answer most of your questions about tire bubbles. If you still have doubts, you can reach out to us through the comments section.
