Different Types of Car Tire Treadwear and What They Mean for Your Car

 Your car tires are the only thing standing (or rolling as we should say) between your vehicle and the roads you drive on. It's a harsh world out there for your tires as they have to endure the punishment of the road and any debris you come across. Most often, unless they're deflating or feel a bit bumpy when you drive, we don't pay much attention to our tires and often are left wondering what went wrong when they stop working. At Toyota of Clermont, we're here to show you how to properly diagnose odd treadwear patterns on your tires so you can spot issues before they become catastrophic. 

What These Car Tire Treadwear Patterns Mean

Center Wear

If your car tires are wearing down mostly in the center this could mean that they're overinflated. Your Clermont tires a labeled with a specific PSI recommendation number and anything above the maximum means they're overinflated. This can cause bulging and excessive wear in the center of your tire. 

Side Wear

Like over-inflated or bulging tires wear out in the middle, under-inflated tires accordingly wear out on the sides. However, this type of Clermont car tire wear can also happen if your vehicle's steering arm or alignment is faulty so be thorough in your diagnosis. 

Cupping Wear

This type of treadwear is unique in that it looks like cup-shaped divets in your tire tread. This is most often seen on trailer tires and is caused by excessive bouncing while you drive. If you see this on your vehicle's tires it could be an indication of worn shock absorbers or poor suspension system. 

Feathering

Visually, this type of Clermont car tire treadwear is difficult to spot, but can be felt with your hand. Feathering treadwear looks and feels like uneven wear on one side versus the other. It can be caused by poor wheel alignment and aggressive driving behaviors. 

Sidewall Wear

Treadwear on your sidewall is unique in the sense that it's not caused by driving rather than by parking. If you've ever scraped a curb trying to parallel park or you've brushed against something in a parking spot then you've likely damaged the tread on your car tire's sidewall. If this is done too many times to your Clermont Toyota tires then it can compromise overall integrity. 

Flat Spot Wear

Large flat spots in your tire's treadwear can not only be felt while you drive but it's pretty obvious to spot. A flat spot treadwear pattern is an indication that you're braking habits are too harsh and need to be less aggressive. If you're not someone who's an aggressive braker this could mean that you're having brake system issues. 

Still have questions on what different types of car tire treadwear patterns mean or need to replace your tires? Visit Toyota of Clermont today at 16851 State Road 50!