How to Troubleshoot an Auto Tire
Troubleshooting an auto tire is necessary if you are having problems with your tires. Uneven wear or vibration while driving are usually traced back to tire problems. By looking at the tread wear on the tire, you can normally determine what the underlying problem is. Fortunately, this is easy to do.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Check for trad cupping. If your tires seem to be "cupped"--the tread is worn down in the middle of the tire but not on the sides--it can be an indication of under-inflation or mechanical irregularities (a tire that is out of balance). The cupping can also be caused by worn shocks or loose tie rod ends.
-
2
Check your tires for inside tire wear. If your tires are worn on the inside of the tire but not on the outside (or not as much), this indicates a condition called "toe in." The wheels are pointed inward and are rubbing on the road surface.
-
-
3
Check for scalloping. If your tire tread looks like scalloped potatoes, this is uneven tire tread wear caused by worn shocks. Worn shocks allow more suspension travel than what is necessary, and the tire literally bounces on the road at high speeds. This causes variable motion in the tire and subsequent, extremely short, skidding on certain areas of the tire, while other areas of the tire experience normal wear, causing a scalloped effect on the tire tread.
-
4
Check your tires for excessive outside tire wear. If the outside of the tire tread is worn but the inside, or center, of the tire is not as worn as the outside, this indicates an under-inflated tire. You may need to replace the tire if it has been chronically under-inflated.
-
1
