Your tires are the part of your vehicle that experience the most wear, since they are actually in contact with the road. Over time, your tires will naturally wear down. However, when the tread does not wear down evenly, it can point to issues with either your tires or your vehicle. Understanding the most common types of irregular tire wear and the problems that they represent can help you fix issues and extend the lifespan of your tires.
Middle Wear
Wear in the middle of your tire's treads instead of evenly over the entire surface can point to too much inflation of your tires. High air pressure can cause the middle section of your tires to bulge outwards, which will create more friction and wear in that section. Over-inflated tires are at a much higher risk of popping or blowing out, and they should be deflated to the recommended air pressure (which should be printed on the sidewall of your tire) as soon as possible.
Edge Wear
Wear to a single edge of your tire points to the opposite problem to the above: namely, that your tires do not have enough air pressure. As a result, the edges of the tire will come into contact with the road to a greater degree than the middle, leading to wear on both edges. Like over-inflation, this can increase the risk of a blowout and should be rectified immediately.
Asymmetrical Edge Wear
If a single edge on your tires is worn (e.g., the driver side of your tires or the passenger side), your tires are suffering from an alignment issue. While rotating your tires can offer a stopgap measure to even out this type of wear, the best way to eliminate this type of tire wear and reduce the risk of your tires prematurely wearing out is to have a mechanic at a company like D Wells Automotive Service adjust your tire alignment.
Cupping Wear
Finally, any sort of cupping, which happens when large sections of tire are removed or worn away, points to issues with your vehicle's suspension system. Cupping occurs when your vehicle is bouncing or not sitting evenly on the road, allowing for sections of tire to be cut away from your tires during normal driving. In order to rectify this, you will likely have to have your suspension system adjusted and your tires replaced (cupping severely reduces the lifespan of your tires, as the cupped sections become weak points that are likely to cause blowouts and flats).