Driving should be a relaxing experience that lets you focus more on the road. But when the wheels become loud enough to interfere with your peace of mind, you should do something about it. Freight car wheels are usually noisy for many reasons, including knobby tread patterns, wider tires, heavyweight, unbalanced tires, tires that need rotation, and unevenly worn tires. It can be a bother if your freight car wheels are producing a lot of noise, and here are some tips from Kor Pak experts on how to reduce the noise and wear.
Add mass around the wheel wells.
Wheel wells are the open surfaces surrounding your freight car wheels. They have a thin plastic insert that prevents dirt from getting up to the vehicle’s body, but they do little to prevent noise. You can add sound-deadening materials to the plastic inserts to prevent noise from coming through. You can add a lawyer or two on the outer side of the plastic insert or remove the insert and cover the backside. You can also try using soundproofing spray on the wheels, depending on the level of noise reduction you want.
Fill your tires
Underinflated tires make the most noise because of the larger contact patch with the road. Therefore fully inflating your freight car tires is one of the ways to reduce the noise and wear on the wheels. Furthermore, it also saves your gas mileage. You should check your tire pressure every four months, especially when the tires are cold (after being parked for some hours). Check the recommended pressure on the owner’s manual or the tire itself.
Get the tires balanced.
Unbalanced tires make a lot of noise and are prone to wear and tear quickly. Your tires should be rotated and balanced every three to four months, depending on your mileage. This is the process of switching the tires in a particular sequence to ensure they wear out evenly. Note that the pattern varies with the type of drive, whether front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive. The good news is that some tire shops provide rotation services for free if you buy the tires from them.
Change wheels with quieter ones
Some freight car wheels are quieter than others because some are built with noise reduction properties to make the drive as quiet as possible. Others are not built with noise reduction features, and nothing you can do about it. If your freight car wheels are too noisy, you can switch them to quieter ones. It may not be the cheapest method, but it is the best. Also, choose tires with a complex and finer tread pattern for a less noisy drive.
Balance your vehicle weight
Freight cars produce so much noise because of the weight the tires carry. A heavy freight car pushes the bottom of the tire flatter into the road surface, causing more noise and wear on the wheels. Therefore, reducing or effectively balancing your freight car weight can reduce the noise and wear and improve your fuel efficiency.
