What Should You Do If You Are Constantly Getting a Flat Tyre?
Nobody actually likes to change a flat tyre, and sometimes it can be very difficult to do this by yourself. The task is especially difficult if you are a little frail or if somebody has previously overtightened the nuts on the wheel. Imagine how frustrating it could be to you, therefore, if you are constantly getting a flat tyre on the same wheel. How can this be possible, and what should you do to rectify the issue?
Look at What Is Going On
In the absence of any obvious culprit like a nail or a piece of glass, it can sometimes be difficult to figure out how a tyre assembly lost all its air. Usually, figuring out the source of the problem will require cutting into the tyre so that you can physically see without the need for close inspection. Yet this doesn't seem to be the case when you're presented with another of those flat tyres. For you to find a solution, you need to check two different areas.
Look at the Valves
First, have a look at the valve. While each one of these is made of rubber, these valves are not made from the same type of rubber that makes up the actual tyres themselves. The valves are made from a very different compound that is not meant to stand up to the workload that the tyre does. The rubber in the valves can therefore be susceptible to twisting and cracking and can be impacted by chemicals they encounter on the road. It is advisable that you replace these valves with new ones just to make sure that air is not escaping from them.
Look at the Rims
It's also possible that the wheel rim itself has sustained some damage that may not be immediately obvious. It could be that the inside of the rim facing away from you has a slight imperfection caused by hitting a stone or pothole. It's also possible that a steel rim has started to rust and that therefore the seal is not uniform around the entire circumference. A good way to check whether this is the case, if you can't see anything glaringly obvious, is to put a solution of mild soap and water all the way around the circumference where the tyre meets the wheel itself. With the tyre fully inflated, you should be able to see some small air bubbles generate in any problem area.
Take your car along to a tyre shop in order to get your valves fitted and to see about repairing or replacing a faulty wheel if necessary.
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