Diagnosing problems from tire wear.

Here’s a generic fault-finding table for most types of tire wear:

Shoulder Wear

Both Shoulders wearing faster than the centre of the tread

• Under-inflation
• Repeated high-speed cornering
• Improper matching of rims and tires
• Tires haven’t been rotated recently

 

Centre Wear

The centre of the tread is wearing faster than the shoulders

• Over-inflation
• Improper matching of rims and tires
• Tires haven’t been rotated recently

 

One-sided wear

One side of the tire wearing unusually fast

• Improper wheel alignment (especially camber)
• Tires haven’t been rotated recently

 

Spot wear

A part (or a few parts) of the circumference of the tread are wearing faster than other parts.

• Faulty suspension, rotating parts or brake parts
• Dynamic imbalance of tire/rim assembly
• Excessive runout of tire and rim assembly
• Sudden braking and rapid starting
• Under inflation

 

Diagonal wear

A part (or a few parts) of the tread are wearing diagonally faster than other parts.

• Faulty suspension, rotating parts or brake parts
• Improper wheel alignment
• Dynamic imbalance of tire/rim assembly
• Tires haven’t been rotated recently
• Under inflation

 

Feather-edged wear

The blocks or ribs of the tread are wearing in a feather-edge pattern

• Improper wheel alignment (faulty toe-in)
• Bent axle beam

This information was provided by Christopher J Longhurst