Wire Sticking Out Of Tire – Meaning, Consequences, & Preventions

While price does not determine quality, I do not recommend buying super cheap tires. When shopping for a new tire, always get one from a brand with a Solid Gold Reputation. They won’t want to pour their reputation down the drain, so they spend time testing their tires to ensure they can withstand perilous road conditions before sending them into the market.

In most cases, wire sticking out of tire is due to the low quality and cheap materials used in developing the tires. The wires sticking out of the tires are the steel materials used in providing the tires with integrity to handle harsh road conditions.

In this article, I’ll explain why wires are sticking out of tires, minimum tire tread depth, how to fix this problem and prevention. By the end, you’ll know how to fix and prevent tire wires from sticking out.

What materials are tires made of?

If you ask many folks what tires are made of, you will get a common answer, “rubber.” But the correct answer is a bit more complicated because the composition of an average car tire goes far beyond rubbers.

In this era, tires are not just manufactured with rubbers. Manufacturers utilize several materials and chemicals to produce tires that improve performance and can withstand treacherous road conditions. Only the third composition of a tire is made with rubber.

Here’s a list of what tires are made of:

Why are wires sticking out of my tire?

First of all, are there wires in tires? Yes, one of the compositions used in manufacturing tires is steel wires. These steel wires help the tire to maintain its integrity in all road conditions.

The most common reason wires stick out of tires is tires that have exceeded their shelf life. As you hurdle down the road and the tires make contact with the road, the treads wear out, and as they come to the end of their shelf life, you’ll notice wires sticking out of them.

Let’s have an in-depth look at other possible causes.

Your Tire Has Exceeded its shelf life.

The main reason wires are sticking out of your tire is that it has exceeded its shelf life. If you keep driving with a worn-out tire, the tread will be completely bad and expose the inner materials used in manufacturing the tire. These internal materials include the plies and steel belts of your radial tire. Hence, get a new set of tires once you reach the lifespan of the tires.

Low-quality material

These days, super cheap tires are massively entering the tire market in the States. I have seen situations where a tire is still good, it has not covered many miles, and metal wire is sticking out of the tire. In such cases, the problem is usually caused by low-quality material used in manufacturing the tire.

I advise buying tires only from big names in the industry to avoid such issues. Avoid brands you haven’t heard of even though they claim to use hi-tech, especially those with super-cheap prices.

These manufacturers usually have low manufacturing budgets and buy raw materials from different companies (tire tread from one supply and steel belts from another). They quickly produce the tires and only run basics test before sending the tires into the market. As a result, these tires will wear out much faster and increases the rates of road casualties.

Improperly stored tires

The best place to store tires is a closed area with room temperature. Unregulated temperature can cause the rubber materials in the tires to crack sooner than they should. This could lead to wires or white thread showing on tires.

Another thing to consider is UV rays. UV rays can affect the tires even if they are installed on your wheels. They can harden the rubber materials used in manufacturing the tires and cause cracks.

Underinflated tires

Another reason you see wire protruding out of tires is underinflation. Under-inflated tires affect not only the vehicle handling but also the tire itself. Underinflation can strain the tire, causing the wires to stick out.

Also, driving with under-inflated tires causes uneven tire wear. You’ll notice that one side of the tire tread wears out more than the other.

Improper wheel alignment

If your wheels are not correctly aligned or the tires are wrongly installed, the tires will experience accelerated wear. This will eventually cause the wires to stick out of the tires. It is crucial to do wheel alignment every time you change your tires or, at least, whenever you do any work that could affect the wheel alignment.

What is the Minimum Tire Tread Depth?

New tires usually have 8-9mm tread depth. You can legally drive with them until they reach a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm across 75% of the tire’s circumferences and width.

While you can still drive with a tire that has eaten far below the minimum tread depth, remember that it is illegal. Plus, it increases the chances of a tire blowout while hitting the road.

Can you drive a car with wires Sticking out Tire?

What does it mean when wires are showing on tires in the first place? Wires showing on tires mean the tires are past their shelf life. When that happens, the tires will struggle to handle the harsh road conditions.

Driving with tires that have wires sticking out can be highly perilous as the vehicle will suffer a loss of traction, controlling and handling issues, and increased chances of a tire blowout. This is unsafe for the driver, passengers, and other road users.

Important Tips to Avoid wire sticking out of tire

The general and essential tips to avoid wire sticking out of tires are maintaining appropriate tire pressure, regular inspections, regular tire rotations, using quality tires, and avoid overloading the tires.

Maintaining appropriate tire pressure

Maintaining the recommended pressure for your tires will improve vehicle control, handling, traction, and fuel economy. Plus, it will help the tires to reach their expected lifespan without any issues.

Regular inspection

By regularly inspecting your tires, you will find issues early and proffer solutions before it escalates. For instance, if you notice uneven wear when checking the tires, it could mean you have alignment issues. Aligning the wheels properly will prevent the wear from escalating.

Regular tire rotations

The purpose of tire rotation is to ensure that the tires wear evenly. It entails swapping the car tires to other positions. For example, you should swap the left rear tire to the front right wheel during tire rotation. Do the same on the other wheels. If you do not rotate your tires as your car’s owner manual recommends, they will wear unevenly. Sometimes, a lack of tire rotation will cause the tires to wear out faster. 

Stop overloading the tires.

Every car tire has a load index, which shows how much weight the tire can carry without any issues. Carrying more than the recommended load index may not cause any short-term damages. But trust me, it’s putting extra strain on the tires. And this extra strain will cause the tire to damage before reaching its life expectancy.

Get quality tires

Getting a premium tire always comes with a premium cost. However, premium tires are worth the price. Premium tire brands have much to protect and won’t let down their guard. That’s why they conduct rigorous tests on the tires before bringing them to the market.

Can you Repair wire-sticking tires?

Driving with a wire sticking out of a tire can be quite dangerous. And that’s why you have to fix the tire before things go south.

Unfortunately, wires sticking out of a tire cannot be fixed by shaving off the sticking wires or by buffing. The only best way to resolve such issues is to replace them entirely.

Remember, if wires stick out of one or more tires, the other tires are likely gone. So, you must test their tread depth, inspect them, and change them if necessary.

What will happen if wires are sticking out of tire?

The only solution to a tire with a sticking wire is to replace it. If you continue driving without replacing the tires, be prepared to experience loss of traction, handling issues, and tire blowouts.

Final Words

In all, a wire sticking out of tire shows the tire is long gone or has exceeded its life expectancy. Driving with it will lead to loss of traction and increase the rate of road accidents.

Your car tire is the only vehicle part that makes contact with the road. Hence, you should treat it with care to avoid road casualties for you and other road users.