When it comes to tire wear, you always want it to happen evenly. If your tire wears unevenly it compromises the safety of the tire as well as the entire vehicle. Tires that are unevenly worn can affect your vehicle’s handling or even cause a blowout. But what makes tires wear unevenly in the first place?
Tire Wear on One Side
When your tires lean in or lean out it is a sign of improper alignment and leads to one-sided tire wear. Damaged ball joints or tie rods can also cause your tires to wear more on one side. If you notice excessive wear on one side of your tire, it is a good idea to bring your vehicle to Ultimate Auto Repair so we can find and repair the issue before it leads to further damage or a premature tire replacement.
Outer Edge Wear
When your tires are underinflated it causes more of the surface of the tire to come in contact with the road. When this happened you will notice wear on the outer edges, or shoulders, of your tire. As soon as you spot this type of wear, you should check your tire pressure and inflate your tire to the proper PSI. If you aren’t quite sure how to do that, our technicians are here to help.
Excessive Center Wear
If underinflated tires cause excessive side wear, overinflated tires cause, you guessed it, excessive center tire wear. When there is too much air in your tires it put more pressure on the center area as it meets the road. If this is happening to you, check your tire pressure and let the air out until the tire is at the proper PSI.
Spotty or Strange Tire Wear
There are many terms for this sort of tire wear that include cupping, scalloping, spotting, or feathering and all of these terms literally describe how the wear looks. Unusual wear patterns are typically caused by mechanical issues, but they could also be caused by your driving habits.
At Ultimate Auto Repair, the safety of your vehicle is always our primary concern and your tires are a big part of that. If your tires are wearing unevenly and you suspect it is due to a suspension or other mechanical issue, call us to schedule an appointment in Jackson, MI, today.
