MNAL

Tyre wear types and probable reasons - A snapshot

Ref. Detail /
sketch no.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Aggregate Center Shoulder Inside edge wear Wavy / cuppy wear Spotty wear Feather edge Heel and toe wear Irregular wear / Alternate lug wear Rib Punch or
wise probable wear wear wear Diagonal wear sinking wear
reasons

Front axle King pin bush Hub end play, Tie rod Bearing pitted, Brake Improper wheel Excessive King pin Brake drum out of Loose or worn brg
wear, King pin worn loose, loose wheel binding, Brake drum alignment, Axle play, Loose wheel round,, Liner taper or out
out, Excess toe in, brg. oval, Liner taper or twist, Toe in more, brg., of round, Brake shoe
oval adjustment improper.

Rear axle Over load, RAHsg. Excessive hub play, Bearing pitted, Brake Housing twist
Bent, binding, Brake drum
out of round, Liner
taper or out of round,
Frame & X-Mbr / bracket loose Twisted frame Frame bent Frame twist
accessories or wornout,
Steering box Drag link loose, Drag link setting,
gear box Excess backlash, Drag ling ball joint
worn out.
Suspension Lock bolt loose, Spring leaves added Axle askew, Weak Faulty S/Absorber
Bush to pin loose, spring, Improper
Shackle worn-out, spring mtg.
Hanger bolt loose,
U Bolt loose.

Others Over Under Road camber Tyre mtg. Loose, Rim hole elongated, Unequal braking. Overload, Pot holes, Kuttcha Tyre mtg on rim not ok, High speed run
inflation, inflation, influence, Disc runout more, Sudden brake appl., Running empty, Under inflation, road, bad road, Rim lateral runout more with empty
Under overload Imbalance wheel Unequal braking Light load, Vehicle Hilly roads( only in Inconsistent tyre vehicle, Mismatch
load assy/ wheels end, distribution, Low tyre bouncy lug and semi lug) pressure ( > 10 tyre size or
pressure, psi), Imbalance inflation pressure,
wheel, Improper beed
seating ( Tyre
mfg. Error)

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 What's Happening
The tread is not making flat contact with the highway. The center portions of
Ref. Detail / the tread are carrying most of the load because the tire is overinflated for the
sketch - 1
Center wear
load.

The tread is not making flat contact with the highway. The outer portions of the
Ref. Detail / tread are carrying most of the load because the tire is underinflated for the
sketch - 2
Shoulder wear
load.

This tire is worn from corrective steering due to vehicle thrust (rear axle
Ref. Detail / misalignment), cocked (toe in or out), tilted (camber) or the axle is bending due
sketch - 3
Inside edge
to overloading.
wear

The tire is not tracking straight down the highway, but is bouncing sideways
Ref. Detail / during parts of its rotation. It may be wobbling on the axle or rim. On trailers,
sketch - 4
Wavy / cuppy
the condition is aggravated by running empty. Because of the light load, the
wear trailer begins to bounce, creating more irregular wear, which creates more
bouncing, and so forth. The bouncing can create vehicle suspension
component wear.

The tire slid across the road surface, scuffing away the tread in one area. This
Ref. Detail / generally happens as a result of brakes locking up due to brake malfunction or
sketch - 5
Spotty wear
the driver aggressively applying the brakes in an emergency situation. Flat
spotting can also occur if the tire sat in oil, fuel or chemicals.

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 What's Happening
The tire is not tracking straight down the highway, but is cocked slightly to the
Ref. Detail / side.
sketch - 6
Feather edge
wear

The trailing portion of the lugs are scuffing like a rubber eraser. The lugs are
Ref. Detail / distorting during acceleration or during operation so they are not making flat
sketch - 7
Heel and toe
contact with the highway.
wear

The tire is not tracking straight down the highway. But is bouncing slightly
Ref. Detail / sideways during parts of its rotation. It may be wobbling on the axle or rim.
sketch - 8
Irregular wear /
The condition is aggravated by running empty. Because of the light load, the
Diagonal wear trailer begins to bounce, creating more irregular wear, which creates more
bouncing, and so forth. The bouncing can create vehicle suspension
component wear.

The tire's lugs are not wearing consistently because they are not making
Ref. Detail / uniform contact with the highway.
sketch - 9
Alternate lug
wear

The worn areas are scrubbing the highway because the tread area is distorting
Ref. Detail / in the footprint.
sketch - 10
Rib Punch or
sinking wear

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