What Constitutes Abnormal Wear on Car Tires?
2 Answers
Here are the situations indicating abnormal wear on car tires: 1. Severe wear on both sides of the tire tread, leading to the edges being worn smooth, is also considered abnormal wear. This occurs due to prolonged low tire pressure, vehicle overload, or a mismatch between the tire and the rim. It is necessary to promptly adjust the tire pressure and check the compatibility to avoid overloading. 2. Localized concave wear in the circumferential direction of the tire tread is another form of abnormal wear. This type of wear can be caused by various factors, including insufficient tire pressure, deformed wheel rims or out-of-round brake drums, excessive toe-in, unbalanced wheels, loose steering linkage, and incorrect wheel alignment parameters. 3. Additionally, wavy or disc-shaped wear in the circumferential direction of the tire tread is also a type of abnormal wear. This is usually caused by deformed rims, unbalanced wheels, worn or loose wheel hub bearings, incorrect wheel alignment parameters, or excessively small kingpin inclination angles.
I've always thought tire wear is something worth paying attention to. Over the years of driving my car, I've encountered abnormal tire wear issues several times. For example, once I noticed the inner side of the front tires was wearing out quickly while the outer side was fine—this is called uneven wear, usually caused by improper wheel alignment. Other times, when the center of the tread wears out severely while the sides remain intact, it's due to overinflation; conversely, underinflation causes the sides to wear out first. Irregular sawtooth-like wear is often caused by poor driving habits, such as frequent hard braking or sharp turns. These issues are no small matter—they not only shorten tire lifespan, reducing it from 20,000–30,000 kilometers to just 10,000 before needing replacement, but also seriously compromise safety, increasing the risk of skidding or blowouts in rainy weather. I check my tires quarterly using a simple coin test to measure tread depth and ensure even wear. For prevention, I maintain standard tire pressure, get regular alignment checks, and rotate my tires every 5,000 kilometers or so. These are lessons I've learned the hard way—they truly save money and ensure safety.
