How do tires wear out

Stay informed to stay safe, with these 6 essential facts from Firestone Complete Auto Care. Here's what you need to know about changing out your tires for winter! Stay safe on the road and ahead of the winter rush with Firestone Complete Auto Care.

Find Store. Find a Different Location Find a Store. Do you want to change your Preferred Store? Yes No. A rear wheel drive vehicle will wear its rear tires faster than its front tires due to the drive pulling wheels being on the back of the vehicle. Most vehicle manufacturers recommend rotating your tires every to miles. An easy way to remember to rotate your tires is to do it with every oil change. Improper wheel alignment can be the worst culprit to cause premature tire wear.

The actual alignment of your wheels is a mechanical adjustment on your vehicle which causes your wheels to be set in a way to roll smoothly down the road.

Wheel alignment consists of adjusting the angles of wheels so that they are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground. Improper tire alignment can cause your tires to wear unevenly and prematurely. Common irregular tire tread wear conditions from improper alignment include the following:. When you run your hand over the tread blocks, they will feel like saw teeth. This is often caused by a combination of improper alignment settings, such as excessive toe and caster.

One-sided shoulder tire wear: This type of irregular tread wear means the inside or outside shoulder rib of the tread is significantly more worn than the other ribs. Also known as camber wear, excessive positive or negative camber often causes this type of wear. It is imperative to keep your tires properly maintenanced by checking your tire pressure monthly. Width What width? To remedy this particular situation, you will need to visit a tire shop to have your vehicle inspected for potential alignment issues.

If you notice that the very centers of your tires are wearing down quicker than the outer edges of your tires, then this is likely a sign that your tires have too much pressure in them. In other words, your tires are overinflated. With the tires overinflated, the centers of the tires are touching the road more than the outer edges, causing excessive center wear. Proper tire pressure is imperative to proper tire wear. Adjust your tire pressure accordingly, which will allow you to avoid potential blowouts and reduce the risk of premature tire damage.

If you notice that the outer perimeter is wearing excessively faster than the center of your tires, then this is indicative of underinflation. Ultimately, the outer edges of the tires are making more contact with the road than the center of the tires, which is why the perimeter edges of the tires wear down faster.