Why Your Tyres Wear Unevenly and What to Do About It

Reading the wear pattern

Wear on the inner or outer shoulder of a tyre often suggests a problem with wheel angles, particularly camber or toe. Wear down the centre usually means the tyre has been over-inflated, while wear on both outer edges with a healthy centre points to under-inflation.

A scalloped or cupped pattern, with dips around the tread, tends to come from worn or weak suspension parts such as dampers, which let the wheel bounce rather than stay planted. Feathering, where the tread blocks are smooth one way and sharp the other when you run a hand across them, is typical of a tracking error.

It also helps to compare the front and rear tyres, and the left and right sides. If both fronts show the same wear, the cause is probably shared, such as pressure or an alignment setting. If only one corner is badly worn, suspect a damaged or worn part on that side, perhaps after a kerb strike.

• One shoulder worn: check alignment angles
• Centre worn: pressures too high
• Both shoulders worn: pressures too low
• Cupping or patches: suspension or balance fault
• Feathering: tracking out

Pressure is the easiest thing to rule out first

Before assuming something serious is wrong, check that pressures are right. They are listed in the handbook or on a label in the door frame, and they should be checked cold.

If you have been running pressures too high or low for months, you may already have caused some wear. Correcting the pressure will stop it getting worse, but it will not put rubber back. If the tyres still show an odd wear pattern with correct pressures, the cause lies elsewhere.

A pressure monitoring light, where fitted, only warns you when pressure has dropped a long way, so it is no substitute for a manual check with a gauge.

Alignment and tracking faults

Wheels that point slightly in or out, or lean from the vertical, make the tyre drag across the road instead of rolling straight. Kerb strikes, potholes, worn track rod ends and previous suspension work can all alter the settings.

A tracking and four-wheel alignment check measures the angles on each wheel and compares them to the manufacturer's figures. At Banks of the Tyne in Hebburn we can measure and adjust where the car allows. If a part is worn or bent, it needs replacing first, because setting angles on a loose joint will not last.

When suspension is the culprit

A worn damper, a tired spring, or a worn ball joint or bush lets the wheel move around more than it should. The tyre then bounces and scuffs, leaving patchy or cupped wear. You may also notice knocking over bumps, a floaty ride, or the car dipping heavily under braking.

New tyres fitted to a car with worn suspension will wear unevenly again. It is better to have the front end inspected when you replace tyres, especially if the old ones wore badly. If a steering or suspension part is loose, have it checked before using the car for longer trips.

Rotating tyres and keeping wear even

Front tyres on a front-wheel-drive car typically wear faster than the rears because they steer, brake and drive. Moving tyres between axles at intervals can even out wear, though some tyres are directional or a different size front and rear, which limits what you can swap, and not every manufacturer recommends it. Check your handbook.

If only two tyres are being replaced, new ones generally go on the rear axle for stability, but ask the fitter for advice on your particular car.

Whatever you do, keep an eye on the tread across the full width each time you check pressures. Catching an unusual pattern while there is still plenty of rubber left gives you time to fix the cause before the tyre has to be replaced early.

Frequently asked questions