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Wheels and Tires
Tire Wear Guide
Most people don't realize that your tires can say a lot about your car, but they can. The way your tires wear down can tell you about other parts in your car, your tire maintenance record and even how you drive!
To detect tire wear abnormalities early, check your tires often. But don't just rely on a visual inspection, use a tire pressure gauge in conjunction with a thorough visual inspection to make sure your tires are at their correct pressure. Catching abnormal tire wear early on will save your tires from premature wear, and you can replace other worn parts before they leave you stranded on the roadside.
Do Any of Your Tires Look Like These?
Tread is evenly worn across the entire tread
 Your tires are properly inflated. Continue to monitor tread wear for early signs of premature or abnormal tread wear. Preventive maintenance, such as following manufacturer's recommendation for tire rotation will prolong the life of your tires and save you money!
Tread is worn in the center
 Your tires are over-inflated. With too much pressure in the tire, less rubber touches the road, causing the center of the tire to wear quicker than the edges. Remember that radials have a characteristic side-bulge and should never be inflated until they look full. Use a tire pressure gauge when filling your tires. Occasionally, heavy acceleration can cause this wear pattern.
Outside treads are worn
 Your tires are under-inflated. When there's not enough pressure to hold up the tire, more of the outer tread is in contact with the road, causing it to wear faster. Sometimes hard cornering or not rotating your tires can cause this wear pattern.
One side of the tire is worn
Your front suspension has too much camber. The wheel is leaning too much, causing one side of the tire to wear. 
If your tires continue to wear after realignment, you might need to replace your springs, ball joint or control arm bushings.
One side of the tire is developing sharp ridges
 You have an incorrect toe-in setting, causing your vehicle to corner awkwardly. If you're certain that the toe-in is correct, you might have worn bushings in the front suspension, causing a shift in wheel alignment while you travel down the road.
The treads are wearing in a scalloped pattern
It's very likely that some part of your suspension is worn or bent. Make sure you check your shocks, struts, bushings and wheel bearings. |
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 Articles
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Article Pages
1. An Introduction to Wheels and Tires
2. Tires
3. Learning To Read Your Tires
4. Manipulating The System
5. Valves
6. Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS)
7. Tire Inspection
9. Tire Rotation
10. Wheel Assembly
11. Wheel And Rim Construction
Hot Topics
-> 4 Things You Can Start Doing Today To Extend The Life Of Your Tires
-> New Tires Guide
-> Tire Safety Tips
-> What Does It Mean When My Wheels Are Imbalanced?
-> Wheel Balancing
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