What Your Tyres Are Trying To Tell You

As experts in the tyre industry we can tell a lot about tyres just by looking at how different parts of the tread are wearing. From our vast experience, we know that there’s no such thing as uniform tread wear – there are several tell-tale signs of issues and they’re not centred on one part of the tyre, or its tread. They’re all over the place.

For example, a frail-looking tread on both edges would indicate to us that the tyre is under-inflated. This is a problem that significantly reduces the tread life of your tyres through increased tread wear on the outside edges. At the same time, under-inflation can generate excessive heat, which minimises tyre durability well below its potential, and even lead to tyre failure. Finally, it will also reduce fuel economy through increased rolling resistance.

On the other hand, substantial wear in the centre of the tyre, as well as excessive overall wear, is most likely a sign that the tyre is over-inflated. The centre of the tread bears most of the load when you’re driving and will wear out faster than the outside edges. However, over-inflation speeds up this wear, and the tyre reaches the end of its life well before it should. This is another reason why you should always keep your tyres inflated to the correct levels, as specified by the vehicle manufacturer. But when checking and inflating, always be sure to do it when your tyres are cold. This will give you a much more accurate picture of the tyre’s actual air pressure.

Finally, uneven wear that is neither concentrated on the edges or the centre of the tyre could be a sign of poor alignment, which is a common issue. A wheel alignment is something many people don’t bother to worry about on a regular basis, but it’s something that should be frequently checked. You’ll be surprised at how it will improve the performance and handling of your vehicle.

There are other things your tyres are trying to tell you. For example, a scalloped appearance, or feathered or sawtooth edges, could all be further signs that something is not quite right with the alignment. Some of these signs are quite apparent, and some are much more subtle and difficult to detect. As experienced professionals in the tyre industry, we know what to look for, so come and see us. We’ll read the story your tyres are trying to tell us.