Nobody likes driving down the road with a noisy set of tires. Tires that are especially loud can wind up being very distracting while you’re trying to drive. If your current set of tires is pretty noisy, then you might be tempted to go out and buy a new set that will be much quieter. If you don’t have the money to go out and replace them right away, then there are actually a few things that you can do to reduce the noise.
Today I am going to take a look at the noisy tire problem and help you out by showing you certain ways to fix it. I’ll also be examining what causes your tires to become so noisy.
Once you have taken a look at all of the information, you’re going to have a much better idea of what you need to do. Simply keep reading and you will have everything that you need in order to combat this problem.
Different Types of Tire Noises
There are actually three common types of tire noises that you need to be aware of:
- Squealing tires
- Humming tires
- Unusual tire noises
Below we are going to take a look at each of them individually. I will then tell you the best way to go about fixing the problem. These are the three most common types of tire noises so learning to fix these issues will likely help you out.
How to Quiet Squealing Tires
What Is Causing the Noise
Squealing tires are typically caused due to your tires having a problem with gripping the road. They can also be caused by a number of other things. For instance, improperly aligned tires might wind up squealing until you fix the problem. Also, tires that are underinflated can often be heard squealing.
How to Fix
Thankfully, the fixes for these problems are going to be very straightforward. If your tires are squealing, you should first check to make sure that they are aired up properly. If one or several of your tires are underinflated, then you need to add air to them in order to fix things. When this doesn’t fix the problem, you will want to go ahead and consider that there might be an alignment issue.
Not everyone has the proper equipment to align his or her tires. If you suspect an alignment issue, then you may want to go ahead and take the car to your mechanics. They will be able to align your tires and this may wind up quieting the tires significantly. It might be worth your time but you could also simply buy quieter tires if you have the money to spend.
You should also know that sometimes your tires will squeal due to fast stops and starts. If you brake suddenly, then it is not uncommon at all to hear your tires squeal. Most people know this already but it is worth mentioning just in case.
How to Quiet Humming Tires
What Is Causing the Noise
If your tires are making an annoying “humming” sound, then there are two likely causes. The first culprit is likely going to be faulty wheel bearings. It could also wind up being that you have uneven wear on your tires. Sadly, this is not going to be an issue that you can fix without help from a professional.
How to Fix
If you’re dealing with humming tires, then it is going to be best to go and see your mechanics. They can check your wheel bearings to see if everything is in order. They will also be able to check whether or not your tires are wearing down unevenly. You might need to have your tires rotated in order to eliminate that humming sound.
It is also possible that the mechanics might recommend going ahead and purchasing new tires. Depending on the severity of your problems, this might be your best bet. Getting a tire rotation may fix the humming sound but it is not a guarantee. If your wheel bearings are having issues, then you definitely want to let professionals get things fixed up for you.
How to Deal With Unusual Tire Noises
Sometimes you will encounter unusual tire noises as well. These can be caused by similar problems to the ones listed under squealing tires. Sometimes tire alignment problems will produce some very worrying noises. This can even happen when the air in your tires is low.
Worn-down suspension parts may also contribute to causing unusual tire noises. The best thing to do in this situation is to take your car in for a safety inspection. You want to make sure that your car is safe to drive and your suspension parts will need to be examined thoroughly. If something is amiss, then you can get things replaced as necessary.
You should also keep in mind that overinflated tires can produce unusual noises as well. The first thing that you should do when you hear an unusual tire noise is to check the air in the tires. Use an actual tire gauge to make sure that things are at the proper level. Sometimes people will air up their tires and sort of guess how much air should be in there, leading to certain problems.
As long as you take the time to look for these problems, you should be able to get things fixed. The only truly easy problem to fix is going to involve tire inflation. Tires with too little or too much air can be adjusted as necessary. If one of the other problems is the culprit, then you are likely going to need professional help.
What About the Tire Noise at High Speeds?
You also need to recognize that some tires are going to produce noises when they are driving at high speeds. If you are going fast on the highway and you hear tire noises or increased road noises, then this is likely due to the speed. Not all tires are capable of being quiet at higher speeds. In fact, many tires can be quite noisy when you are traveling really fast.
If these noises bother you, then you should seek out tires that will be quieter while you are driving fast. There are tires on the market that are designed to be quiet even when you are driving at high speeds. You might have to specifically seek out those tires in order to get the best results.
Taking the time to examine the best quiet tires on the market will give you a chance to see what is out there. There are many different types of quiet tires and some of them will work well for higher speeds. You should also know that these noises are not necessarily something that you need to worry about. Noises such as this might be distracting but it’s just a part of driving fast.
If the tire noises that you hear while driving fast don’t bug you, then it should be fine to keep going with normal tires. You should check the tires to make sure that the air levels are appropriate just to be safe, though. Some people just find noisy tires to be very unnerving. It makes them think that something is going wrong and it might be worth changing them out just for your own peace of mind.
Consider Buying Quiet Tires When You Can
When you have enough money to do so, it’s going to be a good idea to buy some quiet new tires. This is going to be the best solution overall. The above methods will help you to get by for a while. I took a look at some of the best quiet tire options on the market for you already so you can look at the information to see which ones will work best for you.
There are quiet tires out there that will work for most budgets. Whether you are going to try to quiet your noisy tires for now or you want to go out to buy new ones, things should be fine. Just follow the above advice and get new tires when you can afford to. You won’t have to put up with too much road noise and you’ll be able to get where you need to go with your sanity intact.
In Conclusion
Now that you have read up on tire noises and what you can do to remedy these problems, you should be much more confident. Tire noises can be a bit annoying but they do not have to be a huge nuisance. Oftentimes, simply adjusting the air levels in your tires will be enough to get things fixed up. Sometimes you might have a more complex problem such as a tire alignment issue or suspension problems.
It might be necessary to take your car into your local mechanics. If you do not have the right equipment to align tires or rotate them, then you are probably going to need professional help at some point. It also might be more practical to just buy new quiet tires, depending on what is wrong. Regardless, knowing your options is very important.
Now that you know what to do and what the likely causes of noisy tires are, you won’t feel as if you’re being caught off guard. You have the necessary knowledge to troubleshoot your tire noise problems. Simply use the above information as a guide and you will be able to make a determination. It won’t take long to get things fixed and you should be more comfortable on the road going forward.
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- By CarRoar