What Your Car’s Tire Wear Is Telling You
July 1st, 2009 by adminWhat Your Car’s Tire Wear Is Telling You
Your car’s tires take a daily beating on the road. The rubber and other compounds are formulated to conform to the pavement and provide you with a blend of control and comfort. Over time, they erode and need to be replaced. Most people will simply buy a new set of replacements without investigating whether the erosion of the treads is premature. It’s important to realize there are a number of factors that can cause accelerated wear and tear on the rubber. If you can identify those factors and resolve them, your tires will last longer.
In this article, we’ll take a look at a number of erosion circumstances, including wear down the center, on the sides, balding, and flat spots. I’ll explain what each situation might be implying is happening underneath the surface.
Down The Center
This happens less frequently than tread wear on the sides. The culprit is usually overinflation; drivers are often tempted to overinflate their wheels. Sometimes, they mistakenly believe more air than required is better (it’s not). Other times, they overinflate so they don’t have to check the pressure as often. The problem is that overinflation leads to the center of the wheel having more contact with the pavement than the sides.
Erosion On The Sides
If you notice both sides of your tire are suffering faster erosion than the center, the cause is likely underinflation. The reason this happens is the opposite of overinflation: too little pressure causes the sides of the wheel to have more contact with the road than the center. However, if you notice that only one side is experiencing accelerated wear, the problem is likely poor alignment.
Bald Spots
Motorists often think that bald spots are caused by skidding or aggressive driving. Neither is usually the case. Instead, balding is typically the result of an imbalance or misalignment in the tire. Occasionally, the issue can also be due to bad shock absorbers.
Flat Spots
Flat spots are rare in today’s cars due to anti-lock brake systems. This type of spotting typically happens when a driver aggressively hits his brakes and causes his tires to lock up. That leads to skidding, which produces the worn treads. You’ll recognize flat spots easily as isolated patches of tread that are far more severely worn than other patches.
Performing Routine Checks
Even if you’re filling your tires with the proper air pressure, you should still get into the habit of checking them weekly. There are a couple of reasons. First, the pressure dissipates over time. Even if you fill them to factory recommendations, they can become underinflated after a few months. Second, checking the pressure weekly will help you identify whether an alignment or balancing problem exists.
Don’t underestimate the influence your wheels can have on your safety. Protect your treads by keeping them inflated according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Subscribe to this Car Parts Plus feed
Other Interesting Car Articles
Posted in Car Maintenance | No Comments »
