Why Tire Imbalance Is a Bigger Deal Than You Think
Pressure mismatches between dual tires aren’t rare. They’re routine and they’re dangerous.
When dual tires on trailers don’t have the same cold inflation pressure, the results are costly. You risk overheating, blowouts, and uneven wear.
Cold inflation pressure is the pressure before the tires hit the road, when they’re still cool at ambient temperature. Even small differences in pressure can trigger big safety issues (Figure A).
What Happens When Tire Pressure Doesn’t Match
Mismatched tires generate excess heat. That heat wears down tires faster and increases the risk of failure. The solution is straightforward: match pressures before every trip. Better yet, use an AI-powered tire pressure monitoring solution to catch mismatches early.
Tire maintenance shouldn’t just be a routine check. Proper inflation yields a trio of benefits: more safety, longer tire life, and reduced cost.
What We Learned from 146,000 Tires Across 10 Fleets
Over three years, Revvo analyzed more than 73,000 pairs of dual tires from 10 truck-trailer fleets across the U.S. These fleets primarily served the Solid Waste, Logistics, and Food & Beverage sectors.
We focused on the cold inflation pressure differences in mated tires, especially those on the 2nd and 3rd axles. We accounted for seasonal temperature variations and geographic differences.
Tracking focused on how often tire pairs had pressure differences greater than 5 psi. That’s the tipping point where performance starts to drop and risk goes up.
Here’s What the Data Told Us
Imbalance Happens Way More Often Than You’d Expect
Across all fleets, an average of 21% of dual tire pairs showed more than a 5 psi difference. Nearly 77% of all imbalanced duals fall below the 15 psi mismatch level. But the last 10% represent the highest-risk cases, often exceeding 30+ psi.
This issue isn’t about a few trucks running a little off. It’s about widespread operational inconsistency that puts safety and uptime at risk.
Imbalance Leads To Thermal Stress
A clear relationship emerges when we relate pressure imbalance to tire temperature. Fleets that have a higher percentage of imbalance pressure also face significant heat in their tires, with over 85% of imbalanced dual tires overheating due to operating at temperatures exceeding 180°F. About 44% of tires in unbalanced dual tire setups experience temperatures that exceed 200°F. In contrast, fleets which have less than 10% imbalance in pressure exhibit minimal overheating risk.
This implies a direct link between underinflation mismatch and temperature stress, which accelerates wear and increases blowout risk.
Even “OK” Fleets Still Overheat
Mismatch → heat. Heat = risk. Even moderate levels of pressure difference can create consistent overheating. Occasional mismatches can lead to long-term damage.
When tires exceed thermal stress or heat above 180°F, they face serious consequences:
- Lower retreadability of the casing
- Higher risk of tread separation
- Increased risk of sudden tire failures or bursts
- Accelerated and uneven tread wear
What This Means for Your Trucks (And Your Budget)
- Even 5 psi matters. That pressure difference is all it takes to push tires into a danger zone.
- You can measure the risk. Imbalance affects more than performance. It also introduces safety hazards and accelerates wear.
Fixing it isn’t complicated or expensive. Real-time tire monitoring systems like Revvo’s catch issues early and prevent heat damage, downtime, and blowouts.
The Takeaway: Balance Your Tires Or Pay the Price
Dual tire balance shouldn’t be viewed as a simple maintenance checklist item. It’s a key performance and safety metric.
With data like this, fleet managers can benchmark their operations, reduce risk, and extend tire life. Tools like Revvo’s AI Tire Management System give you the insights to act on before problems happen, and save money doing it.
Want to learn more recommendations for using Revvo TireIQ to optimize tire pressure/alignment/tread depth, detect leaks, and more? Read this useful detailed analysis from the Revvo Data Insights team.
