Are Tubeless Tyres any better

While a vast majority in the motoring world rides on Tubeless Tyres coz of the various advantages they offer over Tube types, the disadvantages of TLTs in the present Indian scene are that they require:

i) Special puncture repair techniques – though simple if not simpler.

ii) Mechanised tyre mounting/dismounting machines, to save their special rim/beading from permanent damage if done with the conventional ‘hammer and tongs’.

iii) High-pressure compressed air, to suddenly inflate them and upto 2x the recommended pressure to begin with, to ensure their proper seating, so as to be able to quickly and effectively 'seal with the rim'.

iv) It is inadvisable to put in tubes inside once punctured TLTs - for high speed applications - as they wld run hotter than their tube type eqvts coz of greater friction between the tubes and the TLT's inner surface.

As we all know, most of above pre-requisites are not yet available in every nook and corner of the Country. For more information on TLTs, you're invited to Surf the 'Infobank' Pages of our Site <indiacar.com>.

So what’s the moral of the story?

i) Have your own and reliable Tyre pressure Guage and if possible, also a Tyre Inflator.
ii) Check/reset TP’s when ‘cold’ – as defined by the book/above.
iii) Ensure all the 5-wheels have dust Caps on them all the time.
iv) Inflate to (+) 10% when cold while going on a long trip with full load.
v) Never deflate once on the road.
vi) Rebalance your 4-road wheels every 5000 kms, if nor ‘SOS’.
vii) It’s a myth that only the front wheels need balancing.
viii) Reset your Wheel Alignment every 10 kkm like wise.
ix) A puncture-repaired wheel must be rebalanced forthwith before it can be put on road again.
x) Check/reset your Tyre Pressures atleast once a fortnight – earlier if tubeless types – coz they are more prone to slow leakages in the event of embedding a nail – as compared to tube types – a classic case of an advantage becoming a disadvantage – if at all!

If you can discipline yourself to follow the above Ten Commandments meticulously, rest assured you can go ‘Around the World in 80-Days’ - without a flat tyre!