Tire sidewall damage can be caused by curbs, random foreign bodies, incorrect tracking, or wheel balancing. It ensures that the tire firmly grasps the wheel rim. Then there’s the bead core, which is a steel wire sitting in the rubber. The bead reinforcement and apex make driving smoother and more comfortable, making the driver feel more in control of the car. The bead is what connects the tire to the wheel. You could think of the sidewall as the tire’s exterior wall.įinally, there’s the tire’s bead. The sidewall is part of this structure, protecting the interior of the tire from outside conditions. It seals the inner chamber, the bit that fills with air when you pump it up. Then there’s the inner liner – the inner tube of tubeless tires – made of butyl rubber. Around this, you’d find a layer of textile ply acting to protect the tire’s internal pressure. The interior of the tire is called a casing, body, or carcass (cheery(!)). Then, there’s a layer of steel cord belt plies to provide structure and rigidity. They allow the vehicle to travel at faster speeds. First, jointless cap plies wrap around the tire completely without overlapping with each other. Underneath the tread, there are two layers of plies.

The base prevents damage to the internal casing of the tire, called the casing. Underneath the cap, you’ll find the base. The shoulder is the “curved” bit at the edge of the tire, connecting it to the sidewall. The cap of the tread is the part that’s usually in contact with the road. As you might be picturing, sparks would fly, the car would struggle to get moving and to stop, and you’d lose control exceptionally easily. If the tire blows completely, suddenly you’ve got a car connected to the road solely through the bare metal of the wheel. You don’t have any grip, and, straight away, components in the steering and suspension systems begin to get damaged. When a tire goes flat, bursts (or “blows”), or is overinflated (which can be just as dangerous), that’s all lost. Traditionally, it’s made of rubber and filled with air - nothing new there. The reason I feel it’s important to address, though, is that, with this information in mind, it’s much more straightforward to grasp the importance of maintaining good tire “health”.Ī tire is the point of contact between the car and the road, gripping it. Okay, I admit, there’s probably not too much you don’t already know about what a tire does, and it seems like quite a silly question. In this article, I’ll be explaining how the tire’s sidewall is structurally integral and, therefore, why you need to get any damage fixed as soon as possible.

Repair flat tire near sidewall