Different Types of Tire Wear and What Your Wear Patterns Mean
A well-maintained set of tires is a must. Your tires impact how comfortable your ride is, how well your vehicle grips the road, and even how much you’re spending at the gas pump. While your tire treads will begin to wear down as you rack up miles — youll need to replace your tires every ten years or when they fall below 3/32” tread depth — you should also be keeping an eye on how your tires are wearing. Your tires should be wearing evenly across the tread. Uneven tire wear patterns shouldn’t be ignored: they often point to larger issues that can negatively impact the health of your vehicle and can lead to tire blowouts, hydroplaning, and difficulty braking. If you’ve noticed uneven tire tread wear, read on. Here are five common tire wear patterns and what they mean.
Center Wear
Overfilled tires tend to cause excessive wear down the middle of your tires. Overinflated tires will reduce the amount of surface area that makes contact with the road — resulting in a loss of tread right down the center.
Not only can overfilling your tires result in premature wear, but driving with overinflated tires causes other issues, too. If you’ve recently filled your tires and have noticed that your ride feels rough or bumpy, you’ll likely need to let some air out. Check your tire pressure and always use a tire gauge when filling up your tires to ensure that your tire psi is within your manufacturer guidelines.
Wear to Both Sides of Tire Shoulder
On the flip side of center wear, noticeable wear to both sides of your tires often means your tires could use more air. Underinflation can cause wear to both sides of your tire. When tires are underinflated, they begin to lose their shape and ability to evenly distribute weight across your tire — resulting in more pressure on the edges of your tire tread. If your tires are underinflated you’ll notice that the tread on your tire shoulders is wearing down faster, but you may also notice that you’re needing to fill up your gas tank more frequently. Low tire pressures can also increase the likelihood of a tire blow out.
Keep your tires in tip-top shape by regularly checking your tire pressures and filling up as needed. Keep a tire pressure gauge in your glove compartment for accurate readings and to ensure your tire pressures stay within the limits of your manufacturer guidelines.
Wear to Either Inner or Outer Edge
Inner or outer edge wear typically indicates that your tire isn’t striking the road correctly — so you’re likely due for a wheel alignment. During a wheel alignment, your vehicle’s suspension is adjusted to the right angles. Multiple adjustments are made to ensure that the toe and camber are striking the road just right.
If you have inner or outer edge wear you may also notice other changes in your vehicle’s performance. Alignment issues often cause your vehicle to pull to the left or right and make it difficult to drive in a straight line. If you’ve been fighting a pull on your steering wheel and noticed excessive toe wear, it’s time to head in for a wheel alignment ASAP.
Patchy Tire Wear
Do your tires appear to have patches of excessive tire wear? Missed tire rotations and balance appointments are likely to blame. Patchy tire wear most often results from a tire imbalance that can be quickly and easily corrected. Minimize further damage and help your tires last longer
by heading to your trusted auto care shop or local dealership to have your tires rotated and balanced.
Cupping Tire Wear
Cupping — or scalloping wear — presents as uneven divots of excess wear across your tires that seem random in appearance. Cupping wear most often means that your suspension could use a little TLC. The shocks and struts in your suspension system work to keep your vehicle grounded to the road by absorbing and distributing force. A well-maintained suspension system will ensure that your vehicle makes even contact with the road.
If your suspension system incurs damage, your tires won’t evenly strike the road and your vehicle will bounce — resulting in an erratic, scalloped appearance. If you notice a cupping pattern on your tires, you’re also likely to notice that your vehicle isn’t feeling as stable or is bouncing or creaking as you drive. If you notice your tires are scalloping, have your suspension inspected right away to avoid causing further damage to your vehicle.
Replace Your Tires with INFINITI Parts & Accessories
As the only point of contact between your vehicle and the road, your tires play an important role. Maintain the health of your vehicle, don’t drive on patchy or uneven tire wear! Need help choosing the right tires? Shop INFINITI Parts & Accessories to find a great set of tires designed to enhance your INFINITI’s performance. Order your new tires online and stop by your local INFINITI retailer for installation.