Aircraft Tire Maintenance

Properly serviced and maintained aircraft tires play a great role in enhancing the service life of a tube or tire. Maintaining of tires also plays a great role in the safe functionality of an aircraft. This prevents any fatal accidents that may be contributed by neglected and un-serviced tires. Tires are the only components between the aircraft and the earth’s surface and therefore they should be reliable for safe landings and take-offs. They should provide an easy ride during take-off and should be able to support the full load especially during landing. The aircraft owner and the pilot can reduce operation costs incurred on neglected tires and also increase the service life of a tire by properly maintaining the tires.

Some of the tips to maintaining and taking care of the tires include:

Aircraft Tire Replacement

Tires should be replaced and carefully examined from time to time to enhance their performance and also for safe flights. They should be replaced if they have certain sidewall damage, fabric fraying, bulges, cuts, and cuts. Tires should be replaced more often due to damage caused by weather extremes, ozone-related cracking, and sunlight. It is also advisable that aircraft operators and owners replace the tires on their own since its legal prevention maintenance. During replacement, the operators should often use proper tools most especially during tire removal for bead breaking and take time to carefully follow the proper instructions. Timely replacement of tires saves on money and increases the service life of the tire.

Proper Inflation

The key to gaining the best performance and maintenance of a tire is by providing proper inflation. Proper tire inflation should be according to the aircraft’s specific requirements and should be followed to the latter. Instruction and requirements for correct inflation can be obtained from an airplane maintenance manual or a list of instructions in the operating handbook. The components that are used to construct the aircraft tire usually extend in size 12 hours after the initial inflation. The pressure of the tire decreases as the volume increases. Thus the inflation pressure of mounted tires should be re-inflated and checked after a minimum of 12 hours.

Aircraft Tire Storage

Tubes and tires should be stored in a dry, cool place away from direct sunlight and in temperature conditions between 0 to 30-degree Celsius. Proper care should also be taken to store the tires and tubes away from battery chargers, electric motors, electric welding gadgets, fluorescent lights, and electric generators. These items have a hazardous effect on rubber since they create or form the ozone. To effectively maintain the tires they should be inspected instantly in case of any handling and shipping damage.

Mounting

Correct de-mounting and mounting of tubes and tires are essential for their maximum safety and maintenance. This is a specialized task and should be done by trained individuals who are familiar with the specific procedures and instructions and use the correct tools. Aircraft are also crafted to be operated at a specific inflation pressure. Thus exceeding that specific pressure may cause the tire or wheel to explode causing some serious and deadly injuries. Inaccurate gauges are sometimes a major cause of incorrect inflation pressures. Therefore gauges should be recalculated and checked periodically. Tubes and tires should be properly managed to extend their service life and reduce fatal accidents caused by neglected aircraft tires.