Worn Tyres & Tyre Wear Patterns

Over time tyres wear. The more they are used, the more they will progressively wear down the tread.

This is a normal occurrence and the reason why you need to replace your car tyres on a regular basis – around 12-18 months on average.

However, if your tyres begin to wear unevenly, this can cause performance issues for your car. And will lead to a shorter lifespan for your tyres.

The way in which a tyre wears unevenly can tell you a lot about the root cause. It is a good way to spot when there are issues with your car.

In this article, we’re going to run through the 3 most common tyre wear patterns and what they can tell you about the set up and health of your vehicle.

Outside Tyre Wear

By outside tyre wear we are referring to excessive tyre wear out the outside edges of your tyres – either just one edge, or both.

If you notice that on the outside edges of your tyres the tread looks flat and does not have much depth left, this is a sure sign that the tyre has been performing with low tyre pressure.

If a tyre does not have the optimal level of air pressure, then the central part of the tyre is no longer supported fully.

This causes the tyre to essentially sag, and the outside edges will then come into contact with the road far more than they have been designed for.

Adding this extra load and abrasion to the outside edges of your tyres increases the wear rate significantly, causing outside edge tyre wear.

Avoid Outside Tyre Wear

Prevention is better than cure. The best way to make sure that uneven wear on the outside of the tyre is to ensure the tyres are inflated to the correct level.

Check your tyre pressure on a regular basis and inflate the tyres accordingly. If you are unsure where to find the recommended tyre pressure for your vehicle, one of the best places to look is in the vehicle handbook. Or, there is often a tyre pressure label on the door jamb of the drver’s side of the vehicle with the relevant information.

Central Tyre Wear

Another common type of uneven tyre wear is when the central section of the tread pattern wears quicker than the rest of the tyre.

This is almost the opposite case of the outside edge tyre wear and is caused by the overinflation of a tyre.

When a tyre is inflated to a higher level than is recommended, the central section of the tread begins to support most of the load – and the outside sections are raised off the ground.

If left unchecked, this can cause issues with your handling and braking performance. Whilst also reducing the lifespan of the tyre.

Avoid Central Tyre Wear

Inflating your tyres to the correct level is again key to preventing this type of tyre wear. Make sure to regularly check the levels and if you have too much air pressure in your tyres, release this until it is at the optimal recommended pressure.

Inner Edge Tyre Wear

If you notice abnormal levels of wear on the inside edge of the tyre - the edge of the tyre that is closest to the vehicle - but not on both edges, then this can be sign of an issue with the suspension of your vehicle.

Another possible cause is that the camber geometry of the wheel is incorrect – i.e. the angle at which the wheels are set to when driving.

Avoid Inner Edge Tyre Wear

If you notice this type of uneven wear, you should have the tyres, and the car checked by a garage.

One of the first port of calls they make may be to diagnose the camber and alignment of your wheels to ensure they are set correctly.

Uneven Tyre Wear Patterns

Just like when you are feeling unwell and specific symptoms can tell you, or a doctor, what illness you are suffering from, the way in which a tyre unevenly wears is a good indication of issues with your vehicle.

As always, prevention is better than cure, so it is important to regularly check your tyres for key things such as tyre pressure – and to adjust as required.