Read a Good Tire Lately? (Tire Wear)

We’ve all heard the phrase “a reader of books lives a thousand lives”. There is no doubt that books are packed with information that will drift you to an alternative reality. However, a quote you may have not heard of is “a reader of tires lives long and safe”. That’s right! You could read your tires – to know the condition they are in.
Tire wear is a gradual process that every functioning automobile is subject to, regardless of how expensive your tires are. Nothing lasts forever, and this phrase is certainly true when it comes to the four rubber inflatables that gives your car its grip. It’s important to know how your tires are doing because a tire failure can be very dangerous to you, your passengers and others on the road near you.

How do you identify tire wear?

To answer this, we will reintroduce the tire reading. Tire reading is simply the act of examining your tires carefully and closely, and taking note of any signs of tire wear. You read your tire by looking at the surface that rides on the road, where the tread is.

While it is completely natural for a tire to get worn out over the course of its life, uneven wear patterns often indicate a greater underlying issue. Often times, the diagnosis of the issue lays within the pattern itself. Here are a few such uneven patterns to look out for when reading your tire:

Visible tire wear on just one side

Check out the outer and inner edges.  If you notice there’s more wear on the inner or outer edge than on the rest of the tread, your vehicle could be out of alignment.  Wear on an inner or outer edge could mean your wheels are leaning too much to one side.  When you see this, visit our service center soon to have the alignment checked.

Visible tire wear on both sides

What about if both edges are worn? That could be a sign that you don’t have enough air in that tire.  In an underinflated tire, the middle is not contacting the road surface as much as the edges, so the edges wear down first.  It could also mean that you’re taking corners too aggressively or your tires haven’t been rotated on a regular schedule.

A visibly worn-out center

Another thing you might see on your tires’ tread area is wear in the center of the tire.  That means you likely have too much air in that tire.  Too much air makes your tire contact the road in the middle more than on the edges so the middle wears down prematurely.

Irregular smoothened out spots

You might also see some smooth spots on the tread in irregular spots. This is called cupping. This is sometimes caused by suspension problems. A technician can examine your suspension to see if it is up to the manufacturer’s specifications.

Tire wear diagonal to the tread pattern

Finally, you may spot tires that are worn unevenly in a pattern that goes diagonal to the tread pattern.  This could mean your tires are out of balance, something our service center can check. They might also check alignment at the same time.

Why choose Tower Service Station

Your tires are the only part of your vehicle that contacts the road surface.  That means your acceleration, traction, steering and braking are all dependent on your tires being healthy. Maintain your tires by having one of our trained technicians read the clues and making sure they’re always in roadworthy shape.

Tower Service Station
616 Upper Wellington Street
Hamilton, ON L9A 3P9
905-574-6166
https://towerservicestation.com/