Will Over Inflated Tires Cause Road Noise?

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Someone may ask, will over inflated tires cause road noise? Yes, overinflated tires can cause road noise. But you will normally hear a noise when driving – it’s normal if the noise is not loud.

However, when the noise is too loud that you could hear it even with your windows rolled up, then it calls for a check.

There are a lot of things that could cause the loud noise; that includes air pressure and how the tires were inflated. Basically, road noise is caused by air trapped in the groves of your tire treads.

Thus, the larger the groove, the more air that would be stored in there, and the more noise you’re likely to hear.

Will Over Inflated Tires Cause Road Noise?

The simple answer is YES; however, it is important to note that road noise caused by overinflated tires is not usually loud.

This is because the spaces/grooves between the treads will be very tiny compared to that of underinflated tires.

When there’s small air retained between the grooves, the noise would be less, and when there’s much space for air between the tire treads, the noise would be much.

Here’s a practical explanation to that:

Normally, air would get trapped in between tire treads/patterns, and as the tire rolls onto the road pavement – with the weight of the car resting on the tires, too – the air is released and that’s when you hear a noise.

Now, when the tire is fully inflated, the space for air is much smaller versus when underinflated.

More so, depending on how your car tire treads are designed, the amount of air that may store in between differs from vehicle to vehicle.

That is to say, while overinflated tires are still liable to cause road noise, the noise is usually not loud compared with when the tires are underinflated.

What Else Causes Road Noise Asides From Tires?

Will Over Inflated Tires Cause Road Noise

Apparently, there are other things that could cause road noise. For example, when you apply emergency brake, you would hear a weird loud sound of your tires sliding hardly on the pavement.

Again, when you’re driving at a top speed and then suddenly swerve to another lane, you are likely to hear loud road noise.

Furthermore, when a car is loaded with more weight than it is designed to carry, most definitely, you’d hear loud road noise as you drive.

This is because, the excessive weight is passed on to the tires and as you drive, the air pressure between the treads can be high; hence, the loud noise.

Uneven tread wear is another thing to suspect for causing road noise. There could be other possible causes – considering the peculiarities of tire treads.

Conclusion

Will over inflated tires cause road noise? Yes, but the noise won’t be loud – you may not hear it if your windows are rolled up.

If the road noise produced by your tires is loud and disturbing, maybe you should check the tires’ pressure, and inspect for tread wear.

Always endeavor to have spare tires so that you can easily replace a faulty one during a long trip.