Tyre Wear Type & Causes

1. Centre Wear:
Centre wear is exactly what it sounds like: the tire is worn down
in the centre. There will be tread on the sides of the tire and a
smooth, narrow strip of wear around the centre of it.
Cause
Excessive wear at the centre of the tread indicates that the air
pressure in the tire is consistently too high. The tire is riding on
the centre of the tread and wearing it prematurely. Too much
pressure can cause the contact patch to shrink and the centre of
the tire to carry the entire load. When a tire is overinflated, the
tire bulges out more in the centre. The tire then rides mostly on Fig1: Centre Wear
that bulge and that bulge wears faster than the sides of the tire.
Solution
 Keeping your tires properly inflated can help to avoid centre wear.
 Tire inflation pressure should always be checked with a reliable tire gauge

2. Shoulder/Edge Wear
This is the exact opposite of centre wear. Instead of a
smooth, worn strip down the centre of the tire, the sides, also
known as the shoulders, of the tire will be worn. So, the tire
will have a smooth, narrow strip of wear on one shoulder, a
strip of normal-looking tread around the centre, then another
smooth, narrow strip of wear on the other shoulder.
Causes
This type of wear usually results from consistent under
inflation. When a tire is under inflated, there is too much
contact with the road by the outer treads, and this causes the
shoulders of the tire to wear prematurely. Fig2: Shoulder/Edge Wear
Solution
 Pump up your tires to the right tire pressure according to your manufacturer’s
recommendations.
 Use a tire air pressure gauge and check your pressure regularly, if possible in the
morning when your tires are cold.
 3. Feathered Wear
Feathering is a condition when the edge of each tread rib
develops a slightly rounded edge on one side and a sharp
edge on the other. By running your hand over the tire, you
can usually feel the sharper edges before you'll be able to see
them.
Causes
Feathering can be caused by misaligned and incorrect toe-in
setting wheels but is often caused by high-speed cornering.
When a vehicle rounds a corner at high speeds, the road
essentially rubs against the tire aggressively, resulting in
feathered wear.
Fig3: Feathered Wear
Solution
 Obviously this can be avoided by slowing down and taking the corner slowly but you
can also invest in performance tires that have stiffer side walls, which hold up better to
aggressive driving.
 The indicator of excessive positive or negative toe angle is a tire feathering or scuffing
that can be detected by stroking your fingertips across the edge of each tread bar or
tread block. A feather edge on the inside of the tread bar indicates excess toe-in, while
a feather edge on the outside of the tread bar indicates toe-out. Because toe angle is
affected by changes in camber and caster angles, it’s always the last angle to be adjusted
during the wheel alignment process. In addition, any change in camber or caster angles
will immediately change the toe angle. Toe angle geometry can also be greatly affected
by changes in suspension height.
 Occasionally toe-in may be set correctly and this wear pattern still occurs. This is
usually due to deteriorated bushings in the front suspension, causing the wheel
alignment to shift as the car moves down the road.

4. “Flat Spot” Wear

This type of wear is also known as brake skid wear because if you brake
hard in an emergency and skid, the parts of the tires that are contacting
the road at that moment are rubbed away by the excessive friction. In
this case, the tire will have normal tread around most of its
circumference (that is, if it doesn’t have any other kinds of wear) and
then a sudden smooth spot where the tread has been scuffed away.
Cause Fig 4:Flat Spot Wear

Flat spot wear is often caused when brakes lock up at high speed. The other cause of flat-
spotted tires is if the car slides sideways or spins out. If the tires aren't turning, the lateral
movement of the tire grinding against the pavement will result in a flat spot.
Solution
Avoid harsh braking and use some appropriate braking techniques.
 5. Toe Wear
The amount of “toe” a vehicle has refers to the angles at
which the tires are aligned. If a vehicle’s tires are “toe-in”
(also known as positive toe), the front of each tire is angled
inward. If a vehicle’s tires are “toe-out” (also known as
negative toe), the front of each tire is angled outward. It is
actually normal for a vehicle’s tires to have a tiny amount
of toe. Tire with toe wear will typically be worn on the
inside shoulder of the tire. That is, it will have a smooth
strip of wear around it on the side that is facing the wheel
well.
Fig 5: Toe In Wear
Cause
Tire with toe wear will typically be worn on the inside shoulder of the tire. That is, it will
have a smooth strip of wear around it on the side that is facing the wheel well.
Solution
Having your alignment checked and adjusted regularly can help you to avoid toe wear.
6. One Side Wear
When an inner or outer rib wears faster than the rest of the tire.
Cause
There is excessive camber in the front suspension, causing the
wheel to lean too much to the inside or outside and putting too
much load on one side of the tire Bent, damaged or worn out
front-end parts such as tie rods and ball joints can also cause
uneven outside wear.
Solution Fig 6: One Side Wear
The vehicle may simply need the wheels aligned, but misalignment could be due to sagging
springs, worn ball joints, or worn control arm bushings. Because load has a great affect on
alignment, be sure vehicle is loaded the way it's normally driven when you have the wheels
aligned; this is particularly important with independent rear suspension cars.
 7. Cupped Wear
Cupped tires will often have random smooth patches all over them. These smooth patches are
holes left by the missing rubber that have been smoothed over by driving on them. There are
coil springs in between the frame and wheels of your vehicle. When driving over a bump, the
bus bounces on the springs. Shocks and/or struts keep the vehicle from bouncing continually,
keeping the tires connected with the road. When the shocks and/or struts are worn out, the
bus continues to bounce, causing the tires to momentarily leave the road surface. Besides
being unsafe, this bouncing can cause pieces of rubber to be gouged out of the tires, which is
referred to as cupping or scalloping.
Cause:
Any worn component that connects the wheel to the car (ball joint, wheel bearing, shock
absorber, springs, bushings, etc.) can cause this condition. Shocks and struts are the most
likely culprit because they provide damping force to control tire movement.
Unbalanced tires or wheels can also cause cupping.
A lack of rotation can cause this condition.
Solution
• Worn components should be replaced with new ones. The worn tire should be
balanced and possibly moved to a different location on the vehicle. Occasionally, wheels that
are out of balance will wear like this, but wheel imbalance usually shows up as bald spots
between the outside edges and centre of the tread.

Fig 7: Cupped Wear