7 Causes of Outer Tire Wear (And How to Prevent It)
Have you noticed that the outside of your tires are wearing unevenly? External tire wear is a common symptom of alignment and suspension problems. Here are some things you can check when trying to find the cause:
Causes of External Tire Wear
1) Negative Pressure (Not Enough Air)
Loss of air pressure is one of the most likely causes of external tire wear. If you don’t keep your tires inflated, the weight of your car puts more pressure on the outside of each tire. If your tires are not properly inflated, they will heat up and become less efficient, which can drastically shorten the lifespan of your tires.
As temperatures drop in the fall, it’s especially important to check your tire pressure frequently. As temperatures drop, so will tire pressure. The tire pressure light won’t always come on if pressure is too low.
2) Insufficient negative camber (poor alignment)
Poor alignment will wear out your tires faster. If your vehicle does not have enough negative camber, then too much of the vehicle’s weight is on the outside of the tire (the part of the tire farthest from the cab). This is called positive camber.
3) Sharp cornering (fast cornering)
It’s unlikely that you’ll be turning sharply enough to wear out the outside tire, but it’s possible. When you corner at high speed, the weight of the vehicle is shifted to the outside, so the G-forces from the corner put more stress on the outside of the tire.
4) Bad Ball Joints
Ball joints are part of the suspension system, allowing each corner of your vehicle to absorb shocks. When ball joints wear out, they cause excess play in the suspension. Suspension problems will show up as abnormal wear, especially in the tires.
5) Bad tie rods (for front tires)
Tie rods connect the front wheels to the steering rack, and they cause the steering rack to move when you turn the steering wheel. If a tie rod breaks, you can see all sorts of abnormal wear patterns on your front tires and erratic steering behavior. If you think your tie rod has broken, replace it as soon as possible. You don’t want it to break while you’re driving.
6) Changing Tires Incorrectly
It’s important to change your tires regularly. This interval will vary depending on where, how, and what you drive.
Forgetting to change tires can cause your front tires to wear out faster than your rear tires, or the outer surface of your tire to wear out faster than the inner surface. How and how quickly tires wear down depends on the weight distribution of your vehicle, your driving style, and whether your vehicle is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive.
Generally, tires should be replaced every 9,600 kilometers. Consult your owner’s manual for a more accurate estimate for your specific vehicle.
7) Poor Shock Absorbers
Faulty shock absorbers can cause your tires to lose constant contact with the road. In other words, they bounce slightly off the road, like dribbling a basketball. In fact, you will see uneven wear from a bad impact. Depending on your vehicle, this wear may be more noticeable on the outside of the tire.
Tires wear faster on the outside
If your tire’s tread is still thicker than the wear strip, it’s usually safe to drive with some wear on the outside of the tire. However, you want to prevent the condition from getting worse. It’s best to fix the problem as soon as you notice it. This is especially important when driving at high speeds. The faster you drive, the less time your tires have to push the water away.
Driving at high speed through too much water can cause aquaplaning (also known as hydroplaning). A car that hydroplans can’t steer properly, or at all, until the tires contact solid ground again.