Commercial Truck Tire Wear Patterns & Causes

One-Sided Wear

Appearance
Wear increasing from one side to the other.

PROBABLE CAUSE
Out-of-alignment specification parameters, including camber, toe or axle parallelism.

CORRECTIVE ACTION
Check alignment and inspect for worn parts.

TIRE DISPOSITION
Continue to run until minimum tread depth is reached.

Shoulder Step Wear

Appearance
Partial or full depression of the inside or outside shoulder tread rib.

PROBABLE CAUSE
This condition is common on radial tires in slow-wearing operations.

CORRECTIVE ACTION
None

TIRE DISPOSITION
Continue to run or rotate.

Erosion / River Wear

Appearance
Circumferential worn area situated on the sides of the tread ribs.

PROBABLE CAUSE
Condition most commonly occurs on slow-wearing radial tires in steer or trailer position (free rolling).

CORRECTIVE ACTION
None

TIRE DISPOSITION
Continue to run.

Depression Wear
(Intermediate)

Appearance
One or more interior ribs (not the center rib) are depressed more than adjacent ribs.

Probable Cause
Incorrect air pressure, worn mechanical parts, or nonuniformity such as a mismount.

Corrective Action
Check air pressure and inspect for mechanical issues.

Tire Disposition
Rotate or retread.

Diagonal
Wear

Appearance
Oblique wear patches that may appear individually or repeat around the circumference of the tire.

Probable Cause
Misalignment, radial or lateral runout, severe imbalance, loose wheel bearings or worn steering parts.

Corrective Action
Check for mismount and worn parts.

Tire Disposition
Reverse direction of tire or retread.

Multiple Flat Spotting Wear

Appearance
Multiple radially worn areas around the tire.

Probable Cause
Faulty shocks, loose or worn wheel bearings, severe balance issues, mismatched tire pressures or diameters, or excessive high-speed empty operation.

Corrective Action
Check for mechanical issues and verify air pressure.

Tire Disposition
Continue to run or retread.

Feathering

Appearance
Feathering at the edges of the tread ribs.

Probable Cause
Usually caused by continued exposure to lateral force, such as excessive toe. It can also result from counter-steering to compensate for drive axle misalignment.

Corrective Action
Check alignment.

Tire Disposition
Rotate to another position or retread.

Depression Wear (Shoulder)

Appearance
Localized wear patch on the shoulder rib of the tire. The patch may repeat around the circumference of the tire.

Probable Cause
Faulty shocks, lateral runout, loose wheel bearings, mismount or severe imbalance.

Corrective Action
Check for mechanical issues.

Tire Disposition
Continue to run, rotate or retread.

Depression Wear
(Center)

Appearance
Circumferential depression wear of the center tread rib.

Probable Cause
Overloading or underinflation, faulty shocks, loose wheel bearings, mismount or high-speed empty-haul conditions.

Corrective Action
Check air pressure, load weight and worn parts.

Tire Disposition
Continue to run, rotate or retread.

Depression Wear (Intermediate)

Appearance
One or more interior ribs, excluding the center rib, worn below adjacent ribs around the tire's circumference.

Probable Cause
Worn suspension components, mismatched dual tire diameters or inflation pressures, underinflation, or improper bearing adjustment. The condition may be aggravated by high-speed operation with light loads.

Corrective Action
Diagnose and correct the mechanical condition.

Tire Disposition
Continue to run until pull point, then retread.

Diagonal
Wear

Appearance
Localized flat spots worn diagonally across the tread, often repeating around the tire.

Probable Cause
Improper bearing adjustment, misalignment, mismatched dual tire diameters or inflation pressures. The condition may begin as brake skid damage and can be aggravated by high-speed operation with light loads.

Corrective Action
Identify and correct the cause.

Tire Disposition
Reverse the direction of rotation. If wear is excessive, submit the tire for retreading.

Brake Skid
Damage

Appearance
Localized area of excessive wear across the tread face showing abrasion marks. Damage may extend into the casing.

Probable Cause
New brakes, an unbalanced brake system, frozen brake lines or driver abuse.

Corrective Action
Check the brake system.

Tire Disposition
The tire may be repaired or retreaded if the casing is undamaged. Otherwise, scrap the tire.

Depression Wear (Shoulder)

Appearance
Localized areas of wear on the shoulder, generally less than 12 inches in length.

Probable Cause
Improper inflation pressure or a tire mismounted on the wheel. The condition may also be caused by another type of wheel-end imbalance.

Corrective Action
Review tire and wheel-end maintenance practices.

Tire Disposition
Continue to run until pull point, then retread.

Shoulder Step
Wear

Appearance
Wear on the edge of one shoulder extending more than 12 inches around the tire circumference.

Probable Cause
Excessive camber, a misaligned or damaged axle, or improper bearing adjustment.

Corrective Action
Diagnose and correct the misalignment or mechanical condition.

Tire Disposition
Reverse the direction of rotation. If wear is excessive, submit the tire for retreading.

Cupping / Scallop
Wear

Appearance
Random areas of rapid wear around the tire. The wear may appear irregular in some instances.

Probable Cause
Mismatched inflation pressure or tire diameters in a dual assembly. The condition may be aggravated by high-speed operation with light loads or poorly maintained suspension components.

Corrective Action
Check for worn components, proper inflation pressure and matching tread depths.

Tire Disposition
Continue to run until pull point, then retread.