Broken Belt In Tire – Reason And Fixes

The tires of any vehicle are crucial for a safe ride. Even the world’s most expensive and modern cars are useless if they don’t mount with the correct size of tires. Keeping your vehicle’s tires in good condition is essential to ensure safe driving.

So, tire care is mandatory for a secure and safe drive. If you notice any change in tire shape or your steering wheel starts to shake or feel a vibration, it’s a clear indication of a broken belt in tire.

If you’re curious to know more about broken tire belts, their causes, fixes, symptoms, whether it’s safe to drive with, and more about tires with broken belts, keep reading to learn all that.

What is a Tire Belt?

The tire belt is made up of several layers of steel, rayon, fiberglass, and other materials, all of which are held together by a rubber coating. The tire belt provides stability, and durability and keeps the tread on tires helping them to remain flat alongside the road surface, providing better grip and control.

Broken Tire Belt Symptoms

There are multiple symptoms of a broken belt in the tire. You may experience the following symptoms if your tire belt is broken.

• Bizarre loud noise from tires
• Shaking steering wheel
• Lump on the tire tread
• An abnormal change in tire shape
• Back and forth jerk

If you notice any of the above-listed symptoms, visit your nearest tire specialist to fix or to change with a new tire.

What Does A Broken Tire Belt Sound Like?

A broken steel belt in the tire can make thumping and squealing noises while driving slowly and fast. A thumping sound can be caused by a little tire jumping when a bump or lump is on the tire tread.

The affected area of the tire hits harder on the road and creates a thumping sound. Similarly, a broken or damaged tire belt creates squealing noise.

Squealing noise also indicates other tire issues, but it’s usually a sign that the tire belt is broken. In both cases, you must change your old tires with new ones.

What Causes Broken Belt In Tire?

Multiple reasons can cause a broken tire belt. Manufacturing defects, Overinflation, incorrect tire installation, tire wear, bad pathways, and rough driving can cause a broken steel belt in a tire.

Can Manufacture Defects Cause Broken Belt In Tire?

There could be manufacturing defects while assembling the tire. There are different materials collectively used to make a tire, like steel belts, cords, beads, etc., and more than one stage to completely produce a tire.

So, if anything goes wrong during the manufacturing process, it may cause different tire issues, including a broken steel belt in the tire.

For instance, if the steel belt is not strictly adhesive to the tire tread and tire casing or there is something wrong with chemical procedures, that can lead to an inadequate adhesion between the layers of a tire.

Numerous tire companies offer warranties for tire manufacturing defects. So, if you’ve recently installed new tires and there is a broken steel belt in the tire, you can visit the tire retailer as soon as possible to get compensation if available.

Can Overinflation Cause Broken Steel Belt In Tire?

To avoid a broken steel belt in the tire, never ride with overinflated tires, Because too much air in tires increases their rigidity, decreasing the shock absorption ability, and chances are higher the tire belt may break.

Likewise, if the tires are under-inflated, their softness increases, and their ability to absorb road impact while driving over uneven or bumpy terrains diminishes.

So, it’s recommended to inflate your tires as per company standards. To know about the prescribed PSI, take a look at the sticker on the inside of the driver’s door or the owner’s manual. It’ll tell you exactly how much air pressure your car’s tires need for optimal performance.

Can Incorrect Tire Installation Cause A Tire Belt Broke?

Incorrect tire installation can also indirectly cause a broken steel belt in the tire. The inner and outer sides of a tire collectively work to compete with different pathways.

Therefore if the tires are installed in the wrong direction, it will result in uneven tire wear, also called tire cupping, which leads to the tire belt could break. The wrong installation of the tire is uncommon and wouldn’t be visible for a long distance.

Can Tire Wear Cause Broken Steel Belt In Tire?

Driving with worn-out tires is risk-taking. When a tire completes its life cycle, it loses its traction. Tire steel belts come in contact directly with the ground when a tire is completely bald, and it can cause a tire blowout.

To stay safe on the road, keep checking your tire’s tread depth and replace them when needed.

Can Rough Road Conditions Cause a Bad Tire Belt?

Bad pathways can also cause a broken steel belt in the tire. Driving over rough or uneven terrain can cause the belt to break or be damaged due to the increased pressure on tires to run over bad pathways.

Additionally, the sudden impact of hitting a pothole, road debris, or curb can lead to the tire belt breaking.

How Long Can You Drive On A Broken Tire Belt?

It’s not recommended to drive on a broken tire belt as it could lead to a serious accident and can be a serious risk to your life as well as other people in your car and around you on the road.

If you don’t have any other option and must have to drive with a broken tire belt, you should drive as slowly and cautiously as possible, drive a short distance, and replace this tire as soon as possible.

How To Fix A Broken Tire Belt?

The broken steel belt in a tire can’t be fixed or repaired because the steel belt is added to the tire during the tire manufacturing process.

As discussed above, tire manufacturing consists of different phases, so we can’t fix a damaged tire belt. The only solution to fix a damaged tire belt is to replace the affected tire with a new one.

Is It Safe To Drive With A Broken Tire Belt?

Never, it’s not safe to drive with a broken steel belt in a tire. The tire belt is a crucial part of the tire, providing stability to the wheel as it rotates on the road.

When a tire belt breaks, the tire can no longer provide road grip, traction, and stability. Driving with a broken or damaged tire belt can cause the tire to fail, which could be a tire blowout or a serious life threat to you and the individuals around you.

Conclusion

Tires with damaged or broken belts shouldn’t be used to drive. We have discussed all the symptoms and causes of tire belt broken in detail.

So, if your tire belt is broken, it’s recommended to replace this tire with a new one because a broken or damaged belt in the tire can’t be fixed or repaired.