The benefits of tubeless tyres and how to repair a punctured one

The dread thought of a new car driver is a punctured tyre, especially so if no one is traveling with it. Moreover like Murphy’s law, punctures happen when you least expect them and moreso when you are actually in a hurry. Owning a SUV means that changing tyres is more difficult than handling a new born’s soiled diapers with only one hand. The experience for a puncture is usually a giveaway that there is a loss in pressure and the steering wheel suddenly feels more heavier to maneuver. There is also the temporary loss of control in the vehicle’s handling. There is however a work around through this ordeal and it comes in the form of tubeless tyres. Tubeless tyres, as the  name would imply, means that there are no separate tubes inside it to hold the air. Instead they feature a inner lining which is made of butyl compound and one which holds the air inside along with an air tight joint between the wheel and tyre.

When one is driving at high speeds, the tyre of the wheel and its tube have a friction. This leads to generation of heat and heat build up starts. In this event, if a sharp object happens to enter the tyre, then it would lead to rupture of the tyre tube. This would be a dangerous thing to happen at high speeds. If the loss of air is a sudden event, it can lead into a catastrophe. The benefit of a tubeless tyre is that the release of air is gradual and hence chances of a blowout are far less. Tubeless tyres are also slightly lighter than the ones with tubes. This contributes to a slight edge in the fuel pumps. Handling and ride quality are also raised a bar above. However when going for tubeless tyres, ensure that you have fitting alloy wheels for them. A steel rim might bend on impact which would create a gap between the tyre and rim, which allows the air to escape and thus spoiling the very purpose of going for a tubeless tyre.

The parts which make a tubeless tyre are the sidewall which bears with the weight of the car and is marked with all the information of the tyre. The rubber lining is the tread on the tyre and this provides grip on different road surfaces and situations. Bracing piles of metal which support the structure of the tyre. Casing ply of textiles which support the inner rubber lining. Bead zone which helps keep the tyres mounted on the wheel. Inner lining of butyl which forms an airtight skin and this in turn helps maintain the air pressure in the tyres and hence it is inflated the whole time. Bead wire made of metal which is used to mount the tyre on the rim and hence keeping the tyre airtight.

Well, how to repair a punctured tube is another thing. A tyre which has got tubes is an alright thing since it would be repaired at most of the puncture outlets. For a tubeless tyre, be ready to invest in a kit which costs Rs 250. This kit should have atleast 5 rubber plugs. Though tubeless tyres aren’t a safety guard against punctures, they are safe from the perspective that they lose out air at a far lesser clip than what one can think of with tubed tyres.

First of all, remove the offending wheel and then pull out the mischievous nail. Locate the area of puncture and clean the surrounding puncture. Gently thread the plug in needle tool from the puncture kit so that the center of the plug is in the eye. Next up, push the needle firmly into the puncture  on the tyre till just about one third of the rubber plug is outside the tyre.

With a clean jerk, pull out the needle leaving place for the plug and thus the puncture would be fixed. A small part of the plug can be cut so that it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.