Uneven tire wear is cause for concern. Rotating your tires every 6,000 miles prevents uneven tire wear and it also allows certified technicians to assess the health of your tires. If they see uneven wear, they can recommend a course of action, including tire replacement if necessary. You don’t want to have a blowout while you drive. You could lose control of your car, truck or SUV and cause an accident. Auto Solutions lists the causes of uneven tire wear below so you can prevent it.
Inner and Outer Wear
If your tire tread is wearing down on the tires’ inner or outer edges, you have what mechanics call toe or camber wear. Toe wear is minor tread wear; camber wear is more extreme. Tread wearing down on the inner or outer edges of the tires suggest your vehicle is misaligned. If the wear isn’t too bad, rotating the tires and then balancing and realigning the wheels should solve the problem.
Center Wear
Tire tread can also wear down in the center of the tire. This is a sign that your tire pressure is too high. Overinflated tires might seem like a good idea but they are actually dangerous. Overinflated tires can blow out if the tread itself is worn, the tires are old, or they have a manufacturing defect. Overinflated tires also wear down quicker than properly inflated tires do and they reduce ride comfort.
Edge Wear
If your tires are underinflated, you’ll notice tread wear along the outer edges of them. It’s always wise to check your vehicle’s owner’s manual for proper tire size and pressure and then stick to it. Don’t buy oversized or undersized tires for your vehicle or inflate them to anything other than the recommended psi. Your tires also have the recommended psi printed on their sides.
Cupping Wear
Cupping wear looks as if you had your tire tread surface scalloped to be decorative. This tread wear is somewhat difficult to identify, so it’s best to leave the diagnosis to the automotive professionals. If your tire tread is cupping, you have suspension trouble that should not be ignored. The longer you put off suspension work the more damage to your vehicle and its tires.
Patched Wear
Finally, if your tire tread wear looks patchy, your wheels need to be balanced again. This is done during tire rotation, so if you’re faithful about having your tires rotated every 6,000 miles, something else might be wrong. Unbalanced or misaligned wheels cannot keep the tires on the road as they should, which reduces vehicle handling and driver safety.
Auto Solutions would be happy to inspect your tires for tread wear. We are located in Orlando, FL, and you can call us today.