How Often Do You Get a Flat Tire?
- Thread starter SubLGT
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Like many others here I usually catch it before the tire is actually flat, but lately it seems like I have found a leak in one of the 3 vehicles about once a year or two.
The Mercury's driver's side rear has a slow leak, but since is due for new tires anyhow it's not a big deal.
The Mercury's driver's side rear has a slow leak, but since is due for new tires anyhow it's not a big deal.
I had gone many years without a flat, then had 2 in a week on the same car last summer.
Yup-dad was right. OE tires back in the 60's were 2 ply unless you upgraded=quite a few flats and also blowouts weren't rare. Years ago, people tended to generally litter more and more of everything on the roads=more flats. These days with better tires and less litter, it's much better. People will often give the ocasional litter bugs the 'business'. Alot of the third world folks living here now haven't caught on tho.
JHZR2
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Last spring something got thrown from a truck, bounced across the road, and snagged my tire.
Back in 2012, I had a shard of metal in a tire.
Before that was around 2004, and before that was around 2001.
So they come in waves...
I drive at least 25k a year.
Back in 2012, I had a shard of metal in a tire.
Before that was around 2004, and before that was around 2001.
So they come in waves...
I drive at least 25k a year.
The Rubber Manufacturers Association did a scrap tire survey and found that about 15% of the tires either had a repair or a puncture. While this sounds a bit high to me, I can not argue with the data.
So trying to put some more meat to this, if I assume the average motorist drives 12K miles per year, and the tires average 48K (4 years life), then the average motorist would experience about a flat about every 14 months. This also seems a bit high to me.
- AND -
I want to point out that Chaos Theory says that things come in clumps - that is, that in reality, discrete things (like getting a flat tire, or rain, or traffic accidents) don't occur evenly, but are random and tend to come in groups.
Case in point: I hadn't experienced a flat tire in years, but this year, I had 3 in a month. 3 Different vehicles, so it couldn't be blamed on anything other than just blind luck.
Oh, and the statistic I cited above can be extended to prove that some poor individual could experience 4 flat tires in a month - based purely on luck. You'd never convince that individual of that, but it is true.
So trying to put some more meat to this, if I assume the average motorist drives 12K miles per year, and the tires average 48K (4 years life), then the average motorist would experience about a flat about every 14 months. This also seems a bit high to me.
- AND -
I want to point out that Chaos Theory says that things come in clumps - that is, that in reality, discrete things (like getting a flat tire, or rain, or traffic accidents) don't occur evenly, but are random and tend to come in groups.
Case in point: I hadn't experienced a flat tire in years, but this year, I had 3 in a month. 3 Different vehicles, so it couldn't be blamed on anything other than just blind luck.
Oh, and the statistic I cited above can be extended to prove that some poor individual could experience 4 flat tires in a month - based purely on luck. You'd never convince that individual of that, but it is true.
Things seem to come in threes for me. Took my sons saturn apart to replace dash led lights and a broken heat/ac damper, next morning my wifes elantra has an ses and then a dead battery at work. This last night my avalanche blows all the power steering fluid though a hole in the power steering cooler. Threes, I should be good for a while now!
Originally Posted By: CapriRacer
…...Case in point: I hadn't experienced a flat tire in years, but this year, I had 3 in a month. 3 Different vehicles, so it couldn't be blamed on anything other than just blind luck……………….
At this point, I would start feeling jinxed.
CapriRacer, can a completely flat tire be damaged internally if the car is parked for 2 or 3 days with the tire being squeezed between the pavement and the wheel? I realize a flat tire can be destroyed by driving on it, but what about a scenario in which the tire goes completely flat while the vehicle is parked?
…...Case in point: I hadn't experienced a flat tire in years, but this year, I had 3 in a month. 3 Different vehicles, so it couldn't be blamed on anything other than just blind luck……………….
At this point, I would start feeling jinxed.
CapriRacer, can a completely flat tire be damaged internally if the car is parked for 2 or 3 days with the tire being squeezed between the pavement and the wheel? I realize a flat tire can be destroyed by driving on it, but what about a scenario in which the tire goes completely flat while the vehicle is parked?
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Capri Racer, based on the information you presented of 15 percent of tires having a repair, assuming 1 repair per tire, at 48k miles per tire, wouldn't the average motorist see a flat once every 72K miles....or once every 6 years and not every 14 months?
I just had one last week, and sadly, I am not sure it could even be chance, and I am thinking sabotage/vandalism.
This is because it was a 5/64ths, 5" long drill bit in the (almost new, 9/32nds left on the tread, installed this past February) BFG G force Super Sport all season.
It was all the way into the tread block, about 1 inch from the sidewall, AT AN ANGLE (it actually scraped the paint off of middle of the wheel)!!
According to all of the experts, this tire CANNOT be repaired, regardless of how many speed ratings that would bring it down.
Even if I ignored them and actually got a plug repair to hold air (the angle is WAY too severe {~10*} for a plug-patch to ever work), it would be unsafe at anything over city speeds.
Luckily, I have the DTD road hazard warranty on these, and I will get one free, and have to buy one more to run an even setup on the rear axle (for limited slip/ABS reasons).
THANK YOU Discount Tires Direct!!!!!!!!!!
Has anyone ever tried to claim tires under their comprehensive policy??
I have $0 deductable on mine, but IF it could even be claimed, would this jack up the premium to more than the cost of the new tire (~$150.00 installed)??
This is because it was a 5/64ths, 5" long drill bit in the (almost new, 9/32nds left on the tread, installed this past February) BFG G force Super Sport all season.
It was all the way into the tread block, about 1 inch from the sidewall, AT AN ANGLE (it actually scraped the paint off of middle of the wheel)!!
According to all of the experts, this tire CANNOT be repaired, regardless of how many speed ratings that would bring it down.
Even if I ignored them and actually got a plug repair to hold air (the angle is WAY too severe {~10*} for a plug-patch to ever work), it would be unsafe at anything over city speeds.
Luckily, I have the DTD road hazard warranty on these, and I will get one free, and have to buy one more to run an even setup on the rear axle (for limited slip/ABS reasons).
THANK YOU Discount Tires Direct!!!!!!!!!!
Has anyone ever tried to claim tires under their comprehensive policy??
I have $0 deductable on mine, but IF it could even be claimed, would this jack up the premium to more than the cost of the new tire (~$150.00 installed)??
Failures requring putting the spare on?
Probably half a dozen over the past forty years.
Stuff through tires requring repair, but not requiring mounting the spare?
Probably about once every 100K or so over the extended family fleet of seven vehicles.
ATM, the BMW and the '12 Accord both wear one repaired tire.
I've put 45K on the BMW over the past five years and the Accord has 27K.
The '99 Legacy has something in the right front, but it's getting new tires in the next couple of weeks.
Nothing else has any tire problems ATM, but that can change without notice.
Probably half a dozen over the past forty years.
Stuff through tires requring repair, but not requiring mounting the spare?
Probably about once every 100K or so over the extended family fleet of seven vehicles.
ATM, the BMW and the '12 Accord both wear one repaired tire.
I've put 45K on the BMW over the past five years and the Accord has 27K.
The '99 Legacy has something in the right front, but it's getting new tires in the next couple of weeks.
Nothing else has any tire problems ATM, but that can change without notice.
Originally Posted By: Pokermatters
Capri Racer, based on the information you presented of 15 percent of tires having a repair, assuming 1 repair per tire, at 48k miles per tire, wouldn't the average motorist see a flat once every 72K miles....or once every 6 years and not every 14 months?
Don't forget there are 4 tires to a vehicle.
Capri Racer, based on the information you presented of 15 percent of tires having a repair, assuming 1 repair per tire, at 48k miles per tire, wouldn't the average motorist see a flat once every 72K miles....or once every 6 years and not every 14 months?
Don't forget there are 4 tires to a vehicle.
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
.....CapriRacer, can a completely flat tire be damaged internally if the car is parked for 2 or 3 days with the tire being squeezed between the pavement and the wheel? I realize a flat tire can be destroyed by driving on it, but what about a scenario in which the tire goes completely flat while the vehicle is parked?
Assuming the tire is not damaged by the wheel or the pavement, No. Rubber is pretty tolerant of compression (tension, too!)
.....CapriRacer, can a completely flat tire be damaged internally if the car is parked for 2 or 3 days with the tire being squeezed between the pavement and the wheel? I realize a flat tire can be destroyed by driving on it, but what about a scenario in which the tire goes completely flat while the vehicle is parked?
Assuming the tire is not damaged by the wheel or the pavement, No. Rubber is pretty tolerant of compression (tension, too!)
When I worked at the refinery in Canton, OH they were a regular occurrence for all of us who worked there. There was a lot of processing of scrap steel in that area and the trucks hauling it were never covered, so every bounce along the road they tended to leave random little sharp gifts behind.
I haven't had one since transferring away from there in 2005.
I haven't had one since transferring away from there in 2005.
Originally Posted By: CapriRacer
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
.....CapriRacer, can a completely flat tire be damaged internally if the car is parked for 2 or 3 days with the tire being squeezed between the pavement and the wheel? I realize a flat tire can be destroyed by driving on it, but what about a scenario in which the tire goes completely flat while the vehicle is parked?
Assuming the tire is not damaged by the wheel or the pavement, No. Rubber is pretty tolerant of compression (tension, too!)
Taking it a step further;
About how far can a totally flat (non-runflat, conventional type) tire be driven before the sidewall is broken down to the point of being unusable/dangerous??
(Let's say one had to drive on it to get off the road to a safe place/shoulder, and not be hit by a semi going 80 mph!
)
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
.....CapriRacer, can a completely flat tire be damaged internally if the car is parked for 2 or 3 days with the tire being squeezed between the pavement and the wheel? I realize a flat tire can be destroyed by driving on it, but what about a scenario in which the tire goes completely flat while the vehicle is parked?
Assuming the tire is not damaged by the wheel or the pavement, No. Rubber is pretty tolerant of compression (tension, too!)
Taking it a step further;
About how far can a totally flat (non-runflat, conventional type) tire be driven before the sidewall is broken down to the point of being unusable/dangerous??
(Let's say one had to drive on it to get off the road to a safe place/shoulder, and not be hit by a semi going 80 mph!
Between the RV & Mobil home industry and the Amish, I get a flat at least every other month. It's either a sq. head screw or a horse shoe nail that's at fault.
I'll bet the article Capri racer referenced had a typo and it was 1.5 percent of all tires end up with a flat of some type.....or on average every 140 months....which still amounts to the average person having 4.286 flats over a 50 year span. I'm 50 years old and I think I've had 2 or 3 flats due to puncture, but it's been a long, long time.
*touch wood*
I've never had a puncture in a car. Seem to get one every time I go out on my bike, though..
I've never had a puncture in a car. Seem to get one every time I go out on my bike, though..
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