Causes:

• Over inflation.
• Rim width is too narrow (tires and rims do not fit each other).
• Rear wheel drive vehicles centralize load bearing on rear tires.

Impact on Tires:

• Tread center wears quicker than shoulders, reducing tire life.
• Enhances tire rigidity but decreases cut resistance and comfort level.
• Likely to cause sudden tire blowouts due to foreign impact.
• Increases braking distance, weakens grip, decreases safety.

Solutions:

Deflate the Tire:
use a tire pressure gauge to deflate the tire until the pressure reaches the recommended level set by the vehicle manufacturer. The recommended tire pressure can be found in various areas of the vehicle such as: car owner’s manual, driver’s side door, and fuel filler door.

The pressure should be checked after the tire cools down (at least 3 hours after stopping or traveling within 2 km).

Driver’s Side Door

Fuel Filler Door

Car Owner’s Manual

Causes:

• Under inflated tires or overloading.
• Frequent braking or sharp turns.
• Tire and rim do not match or rim is too wide.

Impact on Tires:

• Inner and outer shoulder wears quickly, reducing tire life.
• Leads to higher tire temperature, reduces tire durability, and causes accidents.
• Increases rolling resistance and fuel consumption.

Under inflated tires – tire shoulder bears most of the load.

Solutions:

• Inflating to the proper tire pressure (measured with a tire pressure gauge). The recommended tire pressure can be found in various areas of the vehicle such as: car owner’s manual, driver’s side door, and fuel filler door.
• Make sure tire and rim fit each other.
• Good driving habits, avoid abrupt stops and acceleration.

The pressure should be checked after the tire cools down (at least 3 hours after stopping or traveling within 2 km).

Driver’s Side Door

Fuel Filler Door

Car Owner’s Manual

What Causes Irregular Tread Wear?

Causes:

• Vehicle anti-lock braking system (ABS) fails
• Brake or tire lock
• Loose bearings or components
• Improper wheel balancing
• Deformed or off centered rims
• Chemical contamination

Impact on Tires:

• Affects Tire Life

Solutions:

• Please perform tire balancing and wheel alignment checks.
• Please perform suspension or steering system checks.

Main Causes:

• Poor vehicle suspension system will cause the tire surface to appear uneven and rough. In severe cases, the tread pattern will appear feathery.

Common Causes:

• Incorrect toe setting
• Poor vehicle suspension system

Solutions:

• Please perform tire balancing and wheel alignment checks.
• Please perform suspension or steering system checks.

Results in Rapid Wear on Front Axle Tires:

Positive Camber

Large positive camber will cause feathering
and outer shoulder wear.

Negative Camber

Large negative camber will cause feathering
and inner shoulder wear.

Impact on Tires:

Affects tire life.

Solutions:

Vehicle needs to perform wheel alignment and suspension system checks.

Factors That Affect Tire Life:

• Driving habits and styles
• Tires paired with correct vehicle model
• Different road surfaces
• Vehicle and tire maintenance
• Improper wheel alignment
• Braking system error

Impact on Tires:

• Affects tire life.

Solutions:

• To achieve maximum tire life, please check the suspension system and perform proper wheel alignment.

Causes:

• Driving with insufficient air pressure for long periods
• Tread cuts, punctures, or improper repairs

When tread separation occurs, replace tires immediately.

What Is the Appropriate Tire Pressure for My Car?

The recommended tire pressure for each vehicle is set by the car manufacturer and can be found in various areas of the vehicle such as: car owner’s manual, driver’s side door, fuel filler door, and etc.

Vehicle load and tire pressure is interrelated. For larger loads, please increase the tire pressure.

Recommended tire pressure is set by car manufacturer. The tire pressure label can be found on the driver’s seat door.

Causes:

Internal tire structural damage.

When driving, the tire shoulder or sidewall is impacted by foreign objects (e.g. potholes and curbs) which causes the tire casing cord to break. The internal tire pressure combined with the weakness in the sidewall causes bulges to form at the area of weakness.

How to Prevent Tire Bulges:

• When mounting tires, visit a professional tire shop that uses professional equipment and procedures
• Avoid driving on poor road conditions for long periods and reduce speed on poor roads to help minimize the impact of foreign objects (e.g. potholes)
• Try not to hit obstacles when going on the curb or parking
• Develop good tire maintenance practices such as performing regular tire pressure checks to make sure proper pressure is used

Directional Tread Pattern:

• Usually has a V-shaped pattern and sidewalls are marked with tire rotation direction.
• Must be mounted in the same rotation direction marked on the sidewalls.
• If all four tires are the same size, directional tires can only be rotated vertically (front-back).

V Shaped Tread Pattern

Must Install According to the Direction of the
Arrow on the Sidewall

Symmetrical Tread Pattern:

• Usually has a continuous rib or block design with the same features on both inner and outer tread.
• Wavy pattern.
• If all four tires are the same size, symmetrical tires can be rotated diagonally, horizontally, or vertically.

Symmetric Tread Pattern

Asymmetric Tread Pattern:

• Have unique patterns on both sides of the tread. Outer tread usually has larger grooves for better water dispersion and increased wet handling while inner tread usually has smaller grooves to increase contact area and improve grip.
• Sidewall markings identifying inner and outer side of tire.
• If all four tires are the same size, asymmetric tires can be rotated the same way as symmetrical tires with care given to the inner and outer tire markings.

Assymetric Tread Pattern

Sidewall Label Distinguishes Inner and Outer
Side of the Tire