Things You'll Need:
- Car Flashlight (if dark outside)
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Step 1
Park your car in an area where you can easily see all of the tires and can walk around all sides of the car.
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Step 2
Pick one tire and study it carefully. Look particularly at the extent of the wear on the tire and at signs that the wear is greater in some places than in others.
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Step 3
Compare the wear on the outside edges of the tire to the inside edges. If one edge is significantly more worn than the other, that's a sign that your front axle may be out of alignment.
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Step 4
Run your flat palm over the surface of the tire. If the surface feels or looks caved-in or cupped in the middle, it may be a sign that the bearing on that wheel is failing. If the surface feels oddly bumpy and uneven with no consistent wear pattern, it could suggest a range of problems including a weak suspension and an out-of-balance tire.
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Step 5
Repeat Steps 2 through 4 on the other three tires.
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Step 6
Turn the car on, put it in reverse, and back up about 1 foot so that the tire surfaces that were once on the ground become visible.
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Step 7
Repeat Steps 2 through 4 on all four tires once again.
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Step 8
Take your car to a tire specialist if your inspection turns up anything abnormal.
