Rumours about how tyre sealants can ruin our tyres have been doing the rounds for way too long. Is there any truth to these rumours at all? Are there some obvious instances where tyre sealants should be avoided? These are just some of the questions we will attempt to answer today in this article. So without further ado, let's get straight into it.
The Good
No effect on wheel alignment or tyre balance as long as you add the right amounts
Tyre sealants occupy very less space in the tyres and often just thinly coat the inner lining. As long as you don't overdo it, the sealants do not affect your wheel balance or alignment at all. The weight is negligible and the effect is minimum. The air displaced by the sealant too is extremely minimal as compared to the overall capacity of the tyre.
Tyre sealants can be used for both tubeless and tubed tyres
Tyre sealants can be used for both tubed and tubeless tyres. For tubed tyres, they go straight into the tube while for tubeless tyres they remain between the tread and the wheel.
Don't harm the wheel or tyre quality.
As long as you don't use Latex or Ethylene sealants, you're pretty safe. Good quality sealants that contain glycol are water-soluble and don't harm the tyre or the wheel.
Can be used for all kinds of tyres on all types of vehicles.
Tyre sealants come in different types and can be used on all types of vehicles and all types of tyres. Tubed or tubeless, motorcycles or cars, they work for pretty much any tyre or vehicle you can think of.
Extremely useful for road trips and long journeys to make sure small punctures don't cause trouble.
They are potential lifesavers when you're travelling far away from home. You can have multiple punctures on a long journey and having a sealant is bound to reduce the number of repairs and headaches you have during the journey.
A lifesaver when travelling alone or in isolated places.
Again, having a sealant on-board reduces your chances of getting stuck in isolated places where you have absolutely no one to help you.
See Also: Can Tyre Sealants Plug Punctures? How Do They Work?
The Bad
Cleanup is a mess
If you ever have to repair your tyre tube or the tyre tread, you will have a pretty messy time dealing with the sealant that will keep oozing out. This gets even worse if the sealant is all dried up. It will probably take the shop a while to get the sealant cleaned and inspect the tyre before it can be repaired.
Not suitable for colder regions
Tyre sealants are not made for winters. They easily freeze and will cause a lot of issues in wheel balancing if that happens. It's best you stay away from them during winters.
Sealants won't fix major flat tyre issues
A major drawback of tyre sealants is that they are only able to mend small holes in the tube or tread. Major punctures render the sealants ineffective. Also, any cuts or damage on the sidewalls will also not be sealed by the liquid.
It could ruin your TPMS
For countries like the U.S. where almost every car has a tyre pressure monitoring system, it's best that you avoid tyre sealants as much as possible. TPMS sensors can get clogged due to sealants which can make them malfunction. Tyre pressure monitoring systems don't come cheap and these can be quite expensive to replace. Drowning your TPMS is probably the last thing you want to do.
In countries like India though where tyre pressure monitoring systems are yet to see the light of the day, sealants can be utilised effectively without any risks.
Not all of them are equally safe
Not all sealants are safe. Many contain Latex or Ethylene. Latex contains high amounts of ammonia which corrodes wheels and tyre rubber while Ethylene is toxic. Only the ones with Propylene are non-toxic and safe.
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