Bitter cold McCullom Lake days can be deflating for you and your car’s tires

As winter rolls into McCullom Lake, you can

find the bitter cold deflating for your car's tires.

Have you ever had a morning when you wake up feeling great. You’re happy and excited to get on with the day. But then you see the weather report and it’s telling you that it will be frigid outdoors in McCullom Lake. You may find the news a tad deflating.

Did you know your tires may react the same way?

Yes! Your tires can find cold weather deflating.

It’s not that they’re emotionally distraught. Rather, there is a perfectly rational reason your tires may go flat when the thermometer dips outside in and around McCullom Lake.

On the one hand, cold will naturally reduce the air pressure in a tire. According to one report, tires lose approximately one pound of air pressure for every drop in outside temperature of 10-degrees. Of course, when you start driving, and the tires warm up, the pressure will increase. But there are other reasons tires can lose air pressure due to cold air temperatures.

For instance, think about rubber. The warmer the tires, the more flexible the rubber. And the reverse is true – the colder the tires, the less flexible the rubber. Without that flexibility, tires aren’t as forgiving of imperfections in cracks and the seal with the wheels. You may lose a little air pressure this way but, hopefully, not too much.

Another reason tires may go flat in the winter is more common with aluminum wheels that are prevalent these days. The aluminum rims are more susceptible to corrosion that can interfere with the seal between the tire and wheel. This is more problematic when the cold has made the rubber harder and more brittle.

Resolving the problem can be as simple as filling your tires to the prescribed air pressure. But it will take more than that if you have a leak.

If the leak is somewhere in the rubber, you’ll need to have it plugged or sealed. If the leak is between the tire and the wheel, the tire may need to be remounted after the rim and the tire bead are cleaned.

We all know it will get cold in McCullom Lake this winter. Have your tires checked and you may be able to avoid having a flat tire add to deflating any excitement you’re feeling for the day.

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