How Long Can You Drive on a Broken Tire Belt?

A broken tire belt could be one of the frustrating experiences you would ever have as a driver.

So, this article is dedicated to helping you deal with that situation if and whenever it occurs to you.

How long?

The answer to this question is; not long at all! In fact, you are not advised to drive when your tire belt is broken because your tires are bound to fall out anytime from then.

If your tire belt breaks in the middle of the road, there is a high chance that your tires will blow out and you will lose control of the vehicle.

Should your tire belt break while driving, the only safe distance you should drive is to the nearest tire shop and this should not be more than 87-94 miles. If there is not a single tire shop in sight, stop driving.

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Is it safe for you to drive with a broken tire belt?

To some people, a broken tire belt is not as bad as it looks and can be driven upon for a while. Do not be like some people.

It is not in any way safe to drive with a broken tire belt.

As we highlighted above, a broken tire belt is extremely dangerous to the safety of your car and to yourself.

You should not drive when you have a broken belt in your tire because of the terrible damage it could cause to your tires.

A broken belt could potentially lead to a tire blowout, an irreparable flat tire, or even an explosion of the tires – and all these could cause terrible accidents.

When the belts in your tires get broken you should instantly change to a spare tire; especially if you have to keep driving.

If you do not have a spare, stop driving! This is important because driving with a broken tire belt could force you to get a new tire, and I am sure you do not want to spend money like that.

It is pretty simple. Change that tire with a broken belt to a good spare one. If there is not a spare, park that car!

Can a broken belt tire be fixed?

Now that we have agreed that driving on a broken belt is not good, what then do we do when we have a broken belt? Do we fix it? Or get a new tire?

A broken belt is not repairable. If the belts in a tire are ripped, torn, or separated then you are advised to completely replace such tires.

You can only fix the belt of a tire when it is hit with a small puncture. A puncture that goes through the belt of a tire can be patched but if such belt is broken then you better get a new tire.

Belts are parts of the internal structure of a tire and are sealed in the rubber. Belts are vulcanized into the tire carcass and it would take a really serious tire catastrophe for the belts to be damaged.

This is why once you notice that a tire is beginning to separate – which is commonly referred to as broken tires – it becomes unsafe and the only fix that can be done is replacing the tire.

Although, it has been discovered that most tire manufacturers cover broken tires as a condition worthy of a warranty.

It is impossible to repair broken belts in a tire so if you have one, get a new tire.

What happens if you don’t replace the broken tire belt?

It has been established that a broken tire belt can not be fixed or repaired, rather the affected tire should be completely replaced. But what if you do not want to? What happens then?

Again, we will reiterate the importance of replacing the tire and not riding on them anymore but should you stick with it, here are some experiences you will encounter:

Noisy Tires

If you do not replace a broken tire belt and keep driving on it, you will notice that your tires will be making some disturbing noises.

This noise is just a reminder that you should replace the tire as soon as possible.

Vibration

Not replacing your tires could also cause your car to vibrate and your steering wheels to shake uncontrollably.

In very extreme cases, you might as well notice that your tires are bouncing as you drive along.

Tire will lose its shape

We know that a broken tire belt is bad for your tire so if you fail to replace the tire, you will find that your tire will appear to lose its shape.

This losing of shape could mean that your tire will look like it has a big and long bubble inside the tread. To put it better, the tire will ‘swell up’.

This odd shape could, in really bad cases, cause your steering wheel to jerk back and forth while your car also bounces along the road. Your tire will literally not be a circle anymore.

Noisy tires, uncomfortable vibrations, uncontrollable wheel shaking, and bouncing of the vehicle are just a few of the things that would happen if you do not get a new tire or if you do not replace the tire belt.

All these are dangerous forms of tire damage and could lead to a potential tire blowout and ultimately, car accidents.

What to do if you immediately find out about your broken tire belt?

The moment you spot your tires are getting separated or in this case, the tire belts are broken, the first thing and most important thing to do is to get a new tire immediately.

A broken tire belt is irreparable once it is already broken because the damage is deemed to have occurred from the foundation of the tire and therefore, it is very unsafe to drive on.

So, immediately you find your tire belt broken, get a new one fast!

Broken tire belts are a serious condition that signifies the end of the useful life of the tire.

This means that no matter how much rubber tread is left on the tire, once a tire separation has been spotted, the tire is useless.

When the belts of a tire are broken, such tire is thrown out of balance and would result in heavy noises as you drive.

Many tires like this may look normal and okay when they are mounted on the car but you can clearly see that the tire is out of shape when it has been demounted.

Broken tire belts can be caused by many things like; poor quality from the manufacturers, worn suspension parts.

Punctures could also lead to a break in tire belts because even when the puncture has been patched, the damaged cords can still lead to tire separation.

To conclude, it is important that you carry out routine maintenance checks on your tires so that you will not be caught unawares when the belts start to break.

We believe you do not want to experience a tire blowout when you are doing a 140kmph on the highway.

Once you spot the separation in tires, ensure you demount such tires and change immediately.