Auto Tires Juneau AK

9/30/2008

  As a rule, all tires should wear evenly across the full face of the tread as long as wheel alignment is correct, the tires are maintained at the recommended inflation pressure, and the vehicle is driven sensibly.  Any kind of tire wear that deviates from the norm, therefore, usually indicates trouble.

SHOULDER WEAR
Take heavy outer shoulder wear, for example. This kind of wear can be caused by camber or toe misalignment, which in turn may be the result of worn control arm bushings, ball joints or tie rod ends, or possibly a bent strut, steering arm or spindle. If a thorough inspection of the steering and suspension reveals no faults, the heavy wear probably means somebody has an aggressive driving problem and likes to push the limits of adhesion when taking corners.

Rapid shoulder wear on the front tires may also be “normal” on some 4x4 trucks, vans and minivans because of the vehicle’s steering geometry. All vehicles are supposed to have a certain amount of “Ackerman” built into the steering linkage so the front wheels will toe-out with respect to one another when they are turned. Caster can have an effect here, too. Caster causes the wheels to lean or tilt when steered, which chan...