3 Reasons Your Tires Are Wearing Unevenly

Uneven tire wear presents a real problem. Not only does this issue make it more challenging to maneuver your vehicle, but it can also reduce your stopping power, both of which will affect your safety. If you're dealing with this problem, replacing your tires is important, but understanding what is causing the uneven wear is equally important.

Poor Inflation

It doesn't matter if your tires are under-inflated or over-inflated, if you're making this mistake, your tires will have uneven wear. In terms of under inflation, this puts pressure on both the right and left side of the tire's tread, leading to accelerated wear in these parts. In terms of over inflation, this will put more pressure on the middle part of the tire, causing the tread to wear faster in this area.

You can avoid this issue by ensuring your tires are always properly inflated. If you don't have the luxury of an automatic monitoring system, you can purchase a handheld monitor. Try to check your tire pressure each time you fuel up.  

Misalignment

An alignment issue can also lead to uneven tire wear. Each vehicle is designed to have its wheels at a very specific angle. However, when one of the tires is even just slightly out of line, this can lead to uneven wear. Similar to poor inflation, misalignment puts more pressure on certain areas of the tires, causing them to wear faster.

If you're not sure if this is the issue, pay close attention when you're driving your vehicle. Especially when driving at high speeds, if your vehicle feels like it's pulling to the right or the left, it's likely that your wheels are out of alignment.

Worn Shocks

If your shocks are worn, this can also lead to uneven tire wear. Think of your shocks as an absorbing mechanism. When you're driving and you hit bumps, potholes, and other imperfections in the road, the shocks will absorb much of this pressure, somewhat helping preserve your tire.

However, when your shocks are worn, they don't absorb this pressure, causing your tires to take on much of the force. This scenario often leads to cupping, which is tire wear that resembles a hill-like surface, meaning there are alternating raised and lowered areas along the tread line.

Make sure you're not only replacing your tires, but also getting to the bottom of the problem to protect your tires and prevent this issue from occurring in the future. For more information, contact local professionals like Collier Tire Auto & Truck Repair Center.

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