Uneven tire wear - a potential danger for drivers

Tires are the part that comes into contact with the road surface, and are affected by many forces such as the vehicle's gravity, friction, centrifugal force when the tire rotates... causing the surface to wear out over time. If the entire tire surface wears out equally, it is normal, but if one part wears out more than the rest, it is a sign that there is a deviation in the tire itself or the parts connected to the tire such as the suspension system, steering system.

If you detect uneven tire wear but do not check and repair it, after a while the wear will become deeper and the risk of tearing and exploding the tire will increase. Below are common cases of uneven tire wear according to the advice of tire company experts.

1. Center wear

This type of wear shows that the center of the tire is bulging and in contact with the road surface, bearing the most force. Center wear occurs when the tire is often over-inflated. The structure of the tire is a ring shape, with a circular cross-section, so when inflated, the center of the tire will bulge the most and contact the road surface, leading to wear.

Drivers should regularly check tire pressure, and should not inflate it beyond the manufacturer's specifications. Tire pressure can be checked on the sticker on the door, in the manual, or behind the fuel tank cap.

2. Side wear

The opposite of over-inflating a tire is under-inflating a tire. When this happens, the tire is flattened, the air in the tire is pushed to the sides, causing the two sides to contact the road surface and bear more force, wearing out faster, while the middle is still new.

3. Worn inner edge

For wheels with worn inner edges, usually due to incorrect wheel alignment, it needs to be adjusted with specialized tools. The alignment, as shown in the illustration on the left, represents the direction of the tire and the centerline of the vehicle. If the two tires are facing inwards, it is usually called toe-in and if they are facing outwards, it is called spread-out.

Depending on the speed, the wheel angle will change, so the initial toe angle is set by the manufacturer to compensate for this change, helping the vehicle maintain a stable rolling state. During the movement, it may be due to frequent high speed driving or uneven terrain, the wheel angle may be deviated, leading to uneven tire wear.

Drivers can observe the toe-in by eye, but for precise alignment, the car must be brought to a garage to be dynamically balanced using a specialized machine.

In addition to bead wear, there can also be feather wear, also caused by incorrect toe-in. Feather wear is worn patches on the tire that look like feathers or leaves (marked in the photo below).

4. One-sided order wear

Similar to sidewall wear, but lateral wear is usually more extensive, and can be on the inside or outside. The cause of lateral wear is often a misalignment of the camber angle. The camber angle, as shown in the photo, is the angle between the tire's direction and the vertical.

When the tire leans inward more, the inside part will contact the road surface more, so it will wear more. In the past, the camber angle could be adjusted slightly inward to keep the vehicle stable and balanced, but now the suspension and steering mechanism is stable, so the tire can be kept upright. During use, the camber angle is off, causing tire wear.

5. Cup-shaped wear

Cup wear is wear on each panel on the tire surface with the width like a cup, bowl; often occurs when the rim is not balanced, the center of gravity of the wheel does not fall in the middle of the axle, the shock absorber is worn so when rolling, the suspension system will cause different rhythms of force on the tire surface, not evenly in all positions.

6. Worn out streaks

Wear is a sign that the vehicle has been dragged due to sudden braking and the ABS is not working or the vehicle does not have ABS, causing part of the tire to burn on the road. There are also other causes such as the vehicle being parked for a long time without moving, part of the tire is worn out due to long-term pressure;

7. Cross wear

Uneven wear at an angle to the tread pattern of the rear tires on front-wheel drive vehicles due to incorrect toe angle or worn rear axle pads. Infrequent tire rotation or heavy loads in the rear of the vehicle can also cause this phenomenon.

When detecting any of the above types of uneven wear, the driver should take the car to a reputable service workshop to have it checked with professional tools. Wheel alignment cannot be done by eye alone because it requires high precision. The driver also needs to remember the maintenance schedule, rotate the tires on time and replace the tires when necessary to ensure the safest journey.