Description
Cupping on tyre inspection
How this system works:
Your tyres are the only part of your car that comes into regular direct contact with the road. As such, their quality directly impacts how well your car drives, how safe it is to drive, and how gracefully your vehicle steers. A cupped tyre occurs when a tyre develops a divot in it, which makes it look as though a scoop has been taken out of the tyre. This scoop prohibits the tyre from turning perfectly, which in turn makes your vehicle less easy and safe to drive.
Common reasons for this to happen:
There are four common reasons for tires to cup:
- Faulty suspension system: Your suspension system is what allows your car to drive smoothly. The impact of the road is absorbed by the suspension, primarily the struts and shock absorbers, so that your car does not have to be subject to all of the force of the road. When your struts and shock absorbers break, your suspension becomes stiff, rather than flexible, and that means that your tyres take on the brunt of the impact. If you’ve ever seen a car driving fast over a bumpy road, while looking completely in control, you’ve witnessed the power of a good suspension system. When the shock absorbers and struts fail, your car becomes more like a skateboard, rattling and bouncing over every imperfection in the road. This results in the tyres bouncing up and down with regularity and force, which can result in cupping.
- Poor quality tyres: Cupping can sometimes be the result of new, low-quality tyres. Low-quality tyres do not have the thickness, strength, or durability of standard-issue tyres. As a result, they’re far more likely to experience permanent damage, such as tyre cupping.
- Underinflated tyres: If your tyres do not have enough air pressure in them, they may be damaged and cupped. Underinflating your tyres weakens them and makes them susceptible to potholes, rocks, and other debris or abnormalities in the road.
- Misaligned wheels: Wheel alignment is one of the most important facets of car maintenance. Wheel alignment makes sure that all of your wheels are at the perfect angle so that your car drives the way it was designed to. Wheels that are at an incorrect angle are subject to extreme wear and tear, such as cupping.
What to expect:
A top-rated mobile mechanic will come to your home or office to determine the cause of the cupped tyre, and will then provide a detailed inspection report that includes the scope and cost of the necessary repairs.
How it’s done:
A mechanic will assess your cupped tyre to help determine the cause of the damage. The mechanic will always check your suspension system, as that is the most problematic potential cause of cupped tyres. Cupped tyres cannot be repaired, only replaced. The mechanic will replace the damaged tyre and fix whatever was causing the issue by either replacing the struts, the shocks, or all four tyres; or setting you up with a wheel alignment.
How important is this service?
Driving with a damaged tyre is not safe. You will not have as much control over your car as you should, and your tyre is more liable to blow out. Furthermore, a cupped tyre is often the result of broken struts or shocks, which means that continuing to drive your car could cause severe damage to the suspension system. When you notice a cupped tyre, you should immediately set up an inspection with a mechanic.
