Back to Latest News
How do I read tyre wear and suspension issues?
Wheel alignment, wheel alignment Melbourne, uneven tyre wear, toe wear, camber wear, tyre rotation, legal tread depth, minimum tread depth, aquaplaning, measure tread depth, worn suspension, replace suspension components, tread wear, tread depth, shock absorbers, how can I look after my tyres, what causes uneven tyre wear
Whenever you fit new tyres to your car, it is the perfect time to get a wheel alignment, and your new tyres balanced onto the wheels they’ll be fitted to. In this article we’re going to go over a few things to look out for, even if you have no mechanical knowledge.
How do I measure tyre tread depth?
There are a few super easy ways to measure tyre tread depth. The most common way is with a cheap gauge, which you can get at most automotive shops. Otherwise the 20c coin trick works well in a pinch. Remember to measure the tread at least 3 times, the outer and inner sides of the tyre, as well as in the middle.
The minimum legal tread depth in Australia is 1.5mm.
However, as tyres wear down past 2-3mm there will be a noticeable drop off in wet-weather performance and aquaplaning resistance will suffer.
Nearly every tyre you see on our roads will have wear indicators built into the tread. These are often found in the longitudinal grooves along the tyre tread. When the surrounding tread wears down to this level, the wear is at the absolute minimum legal depth allowed and must be replaced.
What if my tyres aren’t wearing evenly?
What you might not know is that there are different kinds of tyre tread wear. In fact, these patterns of wear can tell you a whole lot about what your tyres and suspension is doing. For example:
- If the tread is much shallower in the center of the tyre, you’re likely running too much air pressure.
- If the center has lots of tread but BOTH outer edges are wearing quicker, you’re running too low an air pressure.
- If the wear is only on one side of the tyre, and feels uneven and ‘stepped’ like saw teeth you likely have toe that is out of spec. The best way to resolve this is to get a wheel alignment.
- Camber wear is similar to toe wear however, without the ‘stepping’ that occurs with toe wear, camber wear often affects a wider area of tread than toe wear. Issues with camber can be double checked and resolved with a wheel alignment.
- Uneven, patchy wear longitudinally along the tyre is a sign of worn out suspension components such as bushings, ball joints or wheel bearings. Worn components can be replaced or upgraded.
What causes uneven tyre wear?
In every case, premature and uneven tyre wear can be boiled down to 4 causes. In each case it is relatively easy to check what the root cause is:
- Incorrect tyre pressures
- Poor wheel alignment
- Worn out suspension components such as bushings, shock absorbers or tie rods
- Incorrect tyre for application (eg, commuting tyres will not handle rocks, sidewall impacts as much as an AT or MT)
How can I look after my tyres?
The very best way to get the most out of your tyres is to maintain correct tyre pressures and get your tyres rotated at the recommended, scheduled intervals.
A tyre rotation is when the tyres are taken off and placed on another corner of the vehicle. For front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive and 4x4, tyre wear patterns can vary wildly front to rear. So to ensure all of your tyres wear evenly and you get the most from a set of tyres, they are periodically shuffled to another location on the car.
If you ever hit a curb or road debris, get your vehicle alignment checked as preventative maintenance. A wheel alignment is cheap compared to chewing out a new set of tyres and replacing them prematurely.
Need to talk to us?
Here at Donnellans the Tyremen, we have everything you need to get tyre wear issues diagnosed and rectified!
We offer tyre fitting, puncture repair services and alignment and wheel balancing at a variety of convenient locations listed below. If we find anything else that needs attention, our fully equipped servicing shop can replace worn or damaged suspension components too.
Contact us today!
Blackburn - (03) 9894 1223
Collingwood – (03) 9417 5527
Preston – (03) 9480 0044
Prahran – (03) 9510 3199
Balwyn – (03) 9816 9900
