Understanding Tire Sidewall Bubbles and Bulges

Tire Sidewall Bubble Or Bulge: Causes and Dangers

There’s no way to fix a tire sidewall bubble or tire sidewall bulge. It is dangerous to drive on either, and the bubble or bulge can blow out and cause loss of control at any time. You must replace the tire soon.

Here’s what causes a tire sidewall bubble

Tubeless tires don’t need an inner tube because a special liner prevents air from reaching the sidewall or tread areas. However, a good pothole hit or a curb impact can break a steel belt, causing the steel fibers to puncture the liner. Once that happens, air escapes through the punctured liner, forming a bubble or bulge.

If you ignore the bubble and continue driving, more air will enter the sidewall, causing additional bubbles. Eventually, the tire will burst.

If you continue to drive on a tire with a punctured liner, you can get multiple tire bubbles. These tires are extremely dangerous to drive on.

A broken belt punctures the liner, allowing air into the sidewall, which causes a tire bubble.

Here’s what happens when tire bulges pop

No, these tires weren’t slashed. The tire sidewall bulges just popped

Did someone slash by tire? Nope. You had a broken belt that punctured the tire liner. Then, air leaked into the sidewall. You kept driving on it and it eventually popped

This is what happens when you continue to drive on a damaged tire.