Other tips and advice
Symptom: Wear on Both Edges
Diagnostic: Under-inflation
- Reduces tread life through increased tread wear on the outside edges (or shoulders) of the tyre
- Generates excessive heat, which reduces tyre durability and can lead to tyre failure
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Reduces fuel economy through increased rolling resistance
Solution:
Add air to your tyre until it reaches the proper air pressure (psi: as measured by an air pressure gauge).
To find the proper air pressure, consult your vehicle owner’s manual or find your recommended psi on the sticker on your door.
Symptom: Wear in the Centre and Excessive Wear
Diagnostic: Over-inflation
- The centre of the tread bears most of the load and wears out faster than the outside edges.
- To prevent this, always check tyres when they’re cold, before they’ve been driven or at least three hours after.
Solution:
Take air out of your tyre, using a tyre-pressure gauge, until your air pressure reading matches your vehicle manufacturer’s recommended psi.
To find the proper air pressure, consult your vehicle owner’s manual or find your recommended psi on the sticker on your door.
Symptom: Uneven Wear
Diagnostic 1: Poor Alignment
Uneven front or rear tyre wear means that you need an alignment.
Solution:
Many vehicles today are equipped with rear suspensions that can be adjusted for alignment. If this is the case, your vehicle may need a "front-end" alignment or a "four-wheel" alignment, depending on the symptoms you are experiencing. See your tyre dealer for an inspection.
More on Alignment
Diagnostic 2: Over-inflation issue
- The centre of the tread bears most of the load and wears out faster than the outside edges.
- To prevent this, always check tyres when they’re cold, before they’ve been driven or at least three hours after.
Solution:
Take air out of your tyre, using a tyre-pressure gauge, until your air pressure reading matches your vehicle manufacturer’s recommended psi. To find the proper air pressure, consult your vehicle owner’s manual or find your recommended psi on the sticker on your door.
Symptom: Scalloped
Diagnostic 1: Poor Alignment
Uneven front or rear tyre wear means that you need an alignment.
Solution:
Many vehicles today are equipped with rear suspensions that can be adjusted for alignment. If this is the case, your vehicle may need a "front-end" alignment or a "four-wheel" alignment, depending on the symptoms you are experiencing. See your tyre dealer for an inspection.
More on Alignment
Symptom: Sawtooth Edges and Feathered Edges
Diagnostic: Misalignment
If a vehicle is misaligned, the edges of the tread have a sawtooth or feathered appearance. This is caused by erratic scrubbing against the road.
Solution
Your car most likely needs a toe-in or toe-out alignment correction. Please see your tyre professional for inspection.
Symptom: Damage
Diagnostic: Tyre Damage That Requires Repair
- Most punctures from nail holes or cuts up to ¼" confined to the tread may be repaired by a tyre professional using industry-approved procedures.
- An on-the-wheel plug-only repair is not reliable and is dangerous because afterwards the inside of the tyre must be checked for punctures.
Solution
- The proper repair of a radial tyre (most tyres) includes the placing of a rubber patch on the inner liner of the tyre and a rubber filling in the hole.
- Do not attempt to repair tyres with tread punctures larger than 1/4" or any sidewall puncture. Also, do not have tyres repaired that are worn below 2/32" tread depth.
- Replace your damaged tyre with a spare tyre – but be sure to first check the spare tyre's sidewall for the correct inflation pressure, speed and mileage limitations. Take your vehicle for an inspection to a tyre professional.
Symptom: Bar Across Tread
Diagnostic: Worn-Out Tyre
- All tyres have tread-wear indicator bars at 2/32" of the remaining tread.
- When the tread is worn down to 2/32" or when you can see the tread-wear indicator bars on any section of the tyre, the tyre is worn out and should be replaced.
Solution:
Take your vehicle to a tyre professional for an inspection and have a professional measure the remaining tread with a tread-depth gauge.