The way in which the tread on tires wear is an indicator of other issues that may need to be addressed. Tires should be checked often to notice any irregular wear patterns early and correct the cause.
All four tires on a vehicle should be inspected often to make certain they are wearing evenly. Visually examine the tread of each tire and carefully run your hands across the treads, checking for sharp edges and dips, which are signals of improper wear and other problems.
A wheel alignment is needed when either an inner or outer rib wears faster than the rest of the tire. The wheel is leaning too much to one side, overloading that side of the tire. Feathering patterns will cause you to feel rounded and sharp edges on the tread, which is usually caused by faulty bushings in the front suspension, or improper toe-in setting. Tires with dips in the threads usually indicate worn suspension components.
If a tire is under-inflated, the outer treads of the tire will show more wear prematurely than the rest of the tire. Excessive wear on the outer threads could also signal a need for wheel alignment. Under-inflation will cause excessive wear in the middle of the tread. Checking tires regularly with a tire pressure gauge can prevent these problems.
