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Uneven Tread Wear

What to do about uneven tyre tread wear

The areas of your car where the greatest amount of friction occurs are the spots where you are likely to have the most tremendous amount of issues. This includes such places as the engine, where the Pistons go up and down within the cylinders. It also includes your tyres, where you may find that the wear and tear against the road can lead to cuts, gashes, and reduced tyre tread.

In some instances, you may face a problem with uneven tyre wear. Because nearly 50% of your tyres are made with rubber, areas on the tyre can wear at a faster rate than other locations. This presents a severe problem when driving, as it can become a safety issue.

What causes uneven tyre wear?

You may not have been aware that this can be an issue, but it is a lot more common than you would think. There are also a number of problems with your vehicle or the way that you drive that can lead to uneven tyre tread wear. These include:

Improper inflation of your tyres

The No. 1 cause for uneven tyre wear is related to improper inflation of your tyres. An underinflated tyre wears in the centre of the tread, while an underinflated tyre wears more on the two sides. This is why it is necessary for you to check the tyre pressure in your tyres at least once a month and make adjustments to ensure you have the proper inflation. Not only does this help with avoiding tyre wear, but it also improves fuel performance.

Improper wheel alignment

Another common issue is improper wheel alignment. Your tyres are attached to your car through a very sophisticated suspension system that has an array of interconnected links. Many of these are adjusted at joints in the suspension system. When your car is out of alignment, it can mean that the wear on your tyre will be irregular because each part of the tyre is not hitting the surface evenly.

Broken or worn-out suspension

This is very much like the previous issue. Just as an improper wheel alignment can cause a problem, a broken or worn-out suspension system will cause the same issues. You will find that the tyre will not run smoothly and evenly across the surface of the road, creating uneven tyre wear.

Unbalanced or bent wheels

If the wheels on your car are unbalanced or bent in some way, you are going to find that uneven tyre wear is a foregone conclusion. Because of the improper balance on the wheels, the tyre is not going to evenly roll across the surface of the road either. This is an issue that is quite common but is one of the hardest to be able to detect because you likely do not know there is an issue with the wheel alignment until you have your tyres replaced or rotated.

Bad driving habits

Many of these issues occur because of wear and tear to the car, which leads to uneven wear on the tyres. However, you have a part in this problem as well. When you drive erratically or slam on the brakes at timesyou add uneven wear to your tyres. This is why it is essential that you are cautious in how you drive, especially when stopping and starting.

Common indicators of tread tyre wear?

Now that you know about the problems, the next issue is how to determine if you have a problem. Here are some excellent tyre tread wear indicators.

Bulges or damage to the tyre

One of the easiest ways to determine if you have an issue with your tyre is by visually inspecting it. You are going to see bulges, areas where the tyre looks uneven, or other forms of damage. You should inspect your tyres at least once a month.

Tyre treads reach the tread grooves

As the tyre tread wears, you are going to see that it may become even with the grooves of your tyre in some spots. A visual inspection of your tyre will help to locate the tread depth markers. You may have to move your car forward a couple of times to get a good look, but this is an important inspection technique.

Tread depth is low

The tyre tread is going to wear over time. It is also relatively easy to spot. You are going to be able to compare whether the tyre tread depth of the tread is incredibly low.

Contact patches develop

Contact patches are standard in areas where the tyre has more direct contact against a surface or where you may have struck the tyre against an object or curb. For example, as you are backing up, you may have scraped your tyre against a portion of the curb, creating a decreased amount of tyre tread in that area. If your car sits for a long time between drive times, you may find that places where the tyre rests, can have wear issues.

Do a coin test on your tyre

One of the best ways to check to make sure the groove in the tyre is the proper width is by using a coin. This is 1.58 mm. If you are finding that the space is broader or smaller, you may have an issue.

What to do

If you find that there are issues beginning to arise with uneven tyre wear. Here are the things you can do.

Have the wheels aligned

If you are aware that the alignment of the wheels is a problem, then having this fixed will help ensure the tyre wear problem does not become more of an issue.

Monitor and maintain proper PSI

Ensure that you monitor the PSI of your tyres and maintain the proper amount of volume. Refer to your vehicle handbook or tyre placard (which is usually located on the inside of the driver’s door) for the correct PSI for your vehicle

Check the suspension

If you are doing all of the proper maintenance things but still having an issue, have a suspension check performed on your vehicle. A vehicle suspension check may prove that this is the issue.

Buy new tyres

You may need to bite the bullet and buy new tyres. Reduced tyre tread is not something that a tyre repair company can fix.

Have your tyres checked regularly

Most importantly, have your tyres checked on a regular basis. This should be done by you visually inspecting them as well as having a regular tyre service performed, like when you have your oil changed. If you do not know where to go, simply search “tyre shop near me” for help.

As you can see, uneven wear on your tyres can be a serious problem. However, if you notice that tyre wear is developing, your next step is to make sure that you are taking the proper steps such as visiting a tyre specialist centre like Tyreright to keep this from becoming a more significant problem. In any case, maintenance and inspection are essential. Keep your car running its best, and it will take care of you.

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Written by

Tyreright

Posted 11/04/2023