Under-inflation causes blow outs?

[Palfrem]

Anyone got any evidence (anecdotal or otherwise) to support the theory I had expounded to me recently that a blow out "is almost certainly due to running the car with under inflated tyres"?

How under inflated would it need to be?

Thoughts chaps?

 

[martyz]

Soft enough to damage the side wall under the weight of the car.

 

[brucemillar]

Anyone got any evidence (anecdotal or otherwise) to support the theory I had expounded to me recently that a blow out "is almost certainly due to running the car with under inflated tyres"?

How under inflated would it need to be?

Thoughts chaps?

The counter to this theory would be that running the car with over inflated tyres could cause a blow out.

Or driving over a line of tin tacks would cause a blow out.

My point being that any number of conditions that are outside of the manufacturers spec could cause blow outs.

 

[moonloops]

They have to be seriously under inflated and run for a while and/or at speed for the side walls to degrade to the point of a breach

all IMHO of course..

 

[whitenemesis]

Under inflation leads to over heating of the tyre due to the sidewalls flexing too much and subsequently failing.
Over inflation simply leads to premature wear (and blurred vision!!)

 

[brucemillar]

A quick Google.....


Tire blowouts can be caused by a variety of reasons. A defective rim may cut into the side of the tire or allow the bead to break and the tire to slip from the rim. This kind of damage would usually be obvious so there are few defective rims out there with an owner crazy enough to drive on it. Another cause is too low of air pressure. This causes the tires to flex more than they are designed to during driving. The belts separate and the integrity is comprmized. Air pressure too high can cause a blowout by stressing the tire beyond it's designed limits. One large bump or a hot day can cause that pressure to exceed the bursting limit. Sometimes tires will be manufactured with defects such as air bubbles or poorly mixed rubber. The great Michelin recall comes to mind. Other causes can be vandalism. If vandals slash the sidewall rubber only half way through, this creates a dangerous situation where the cut rubber will tear if you hit a bump, round a turn too fast, or heat up the tire by driving for a long time. Cut rubber can be detected upon close examination. Running over a small sharp object will cause a puncture which leaks air slowly. Running over a large sharp object can tear a large hole, deflating the tire instantly resulting in a blow ou

 

[Stratman]

You're also more likely to get a puncture during wet weather.

In the dry, a nail trying to penetrate the rubber may well fail due to the friction between it and the rubber. In the wet this friction is markedly reduced, enabling it to enter the tyre.

 

[grober]

According to this article its about 5-6psi below operating pressure. Tire Tech Information - Air Pressure - Correct, Underinflated and Overinflated
as they say in the article its basically when there isn't enough air in the tyre to maintain its round shape. They show a visual example which illustrates how difficult it is to judge this on modern tyres and recommend the frequent use of a accurate tyre pressure gauge. Using their visual example for reference if a tyre suddenly looks noticeably flat in comparison to the others on the car its definitely into the danger zone. The key question i then becomes how long its been driven in that condition?

 

[whitenemesis]

Hence the recent introduction of the EU requirement for TPMS on all new models ....

 

[jaymanek]

when tyres are under inflated the inner rubber gets hot and turns to powder, this makes the tyre weaker and a blow out more likely.