Tire Inspection Guide

Proper tread wear is critical to maximizing your fleet’s uptime and minimizing your cost of operation. Misalignment, incorrect tire pressure and mounting problems can all lead to uneven tread wear.

Explore the photo examples to learn how to diagnose and fix the most common tire wear issues.

Rib punch wear

Description

One or more inner ribs wear more quickly than the adjacent ribs.

Cause

Low inflation pressure.

Action

Maintain proper inflation pressures.

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Heel and Toe Wear

Description

Heel and Toe Wear is seen most often on drive tires with block type tread patterns. Tread elements are taller on the front edge than the back edge.

Cause

Mismatched inflation pressures on dual tires and not rotating tires. Other causes include: high torque and driving in mountainous terrain.

Action

Maintain proper inflation pressures.
Reversing the direction of rotation (if the tire is not directional) can extend service life. Consider less aggressive tread patterns in highway operations.

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One-Sided/Shoulder Wear

Description

The tread on one shoulder of the tire is wearing faster than the other shoulder. May be present on multiple tires on the same axle.

Cause

One-sided wear is typically caused by misalignment (toe, camber, or drive axle misalignment). Misaligned drive or trailer axles can create this condition on steer axle tires.

Action

Evaluate and correct misalignment condition. Reversing tire on the wheel (inside-to-outside) may extend service life.

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Step Wear

Description

Wear that appears even except for a step that is confined to the outer portion of the shoulder rib. Typically found on tires without an SER (Stress Equalizer Rib).

Cause

Common in long haul, slow rate-of-wear applications. It generally does not shorten service life.

Action

None needed. Ask your tire provider if tires with an SER are appropriate for your operation.

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Out-Of-Round Wear (Eccentric Wear)

Description

Tread wear that is visibly different at two points 180 degrees apart from each other.

Cause

Out of balance condition in the tire/wheel assembly or wheel end.

Action

Review tire-mounting procedures, especially bead lubrication. Wear conditions cannot be corrected but a tire can continue in service until normal pull point if vibration is not objectionable.

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