What is the problem with uneven tire wear?
3 Answers
Tire wear unevenness can be caused by: 1. Abnormal tire pressure or significant differences in pressure among the four tires. Excessive tire pressure leads to severe wear in the central part of the tire, while insufficient pressure causes severe wear on both sides. 2. Issues with tire dynamic balance can result in patchy wear patterns. 3. Problems with wheel alignment may cause excessive wear on one side of the tire. Excessive camber angle leads to severe wear on the outer edge, while insufficient camber angle causes severe wear on the inner edge. 4. Suspension issues, such as loose ball joints, abnormal front suspension system positioning, or sawtooth wear patterns on the tire tread.
The other day when I checked my friend's off-road vehicle, I noticed the inner side of the left front tire was nearly worn out while the outer side remained fine. This kind of uneven tire wear usually indicates an issue with the chassis parameters. Incorrect toe angle causes the tire to wear on one side like walking pigeon-toed, while camber deviation leads to sawtooth-like tread wear. Even slight looseness in the steering linkage can make the whole wheel wobble and accelerate wear. I immediately recommended he visit a professional shop for a four-wheel alignment check. After adjusting the parameters and replacing a pair of control arm bushings, the steering now feels much more stable. I also taught him a useful tip: rotating the tires every 10,000 kilometers can extend their lifespan by up to 20,000 kilometers.
Last time, the old sedan at my relative's place had all four tires worn into bizarre shapes, making a humming noise when driven. Upon lifting the wheels for inspection, the bearing clearance was wide enough to fit a coin, and the shock absorber springs were also sagging. A fatigued suspension system causes the tires to dance unevenly on the road surface, especially noticeable when hitting potholes. In this case, simply replacing the tires is just a temporary fix—the entire shock absorber and spring assembly needs to be replaced. Actually, slowing down over speed bumps and avoiding charging through potholes on rough roads can extend the lifespan of chassis components by five years.
