What Tire Wear Could Be Telling You About Your Car
The tires on your car or truck can tell you a lot about what is happening under the vehicle. Uneven or odd tire wear is often a sign of a more significant issue, and taking the time to inspect the tires from time to time can be critical to diagnosing a problem that might otherwise not be obvious.
Here are some things your tire wear could be telling you.
Maintain Your Tire Pressure
Checking the tire pressure on your car regularly is essential, and if you start to see wear patterns on the tire that seem strange, tire pressure could be the culprit. The tire manufacture specifies an air pressure range for the tires based on the size of the tire and the potential vehicles that will use it.
Low tire pressure can cause the tire to spread out on the road and wear more along the outside edges of the tire, while tires with too much air in them will often have more wear in the center of the tire. If you see tire wear like this on your vehicle, you need to check the tire's air pressure and adjust it to the recommended amount from the tire manufacturer. If the air pressure is not changed, the wear will continue and shorten the tire's life.
Check Your Suspension System
Cars and trucks with uneven wear on one edge of the tire may have an issue with a suspension part that is worn out and causing the tire to lean or turn when it should not.
Bad Ball Joints
Often a ball joint that is worn out will allow the tire to drift out of proper alignment, and the result is wear along one side of the tire or strange patterns in the tire tread. These patterns develop slowly, but if you notice metal wires coming from the tire or spots that appear to have cupping on the tire, you need to investigate further.
If you look carefully at the tires from the front of the car, you may see them leaning in or out slightly. The leaning is a result of loose or worn ball joints that cannot hold the tire in the correct position. You may also notice handling issues when you drive the vehicle, like wandering or pulling in the steering or vibrations that you can feel in the steering wheel.
Worn Tie Rod Ends
The tie rod ends also play a large role in the front suspension and steering system and can cause uneven tire wear that often shows up as a similar pattern to the ball joint wear on the tires. The difference is, a worn tie rod will allow the tire to toe out more than it should, causing scuffing and wear that is more commonly on the inside edge of the tires.
Often, your car may pull to one side of the road or have a vibration in the steering that gets worse or changes when you turn to one side. The tie rod ends can be easily replaced to return the suspension geometry to normal, but if the tires have excessive wear, you may have to replace the tires as well.
Most auto repair shops can diagnose the exact cause of the tire wear or the handling problems you experience, so don't hesitate to have the car checked out if you feel something is off or if the tire wear is noticeable.
At
Letcher Bros. Auto Repair, we can inspect the suspension and steering system on your car and determine where the problem is then make the necessary repairs for you. Give us a call to set up an appointment, and one of our experienced technicians will take a look at your vehicle and get you back on the road quickly.
