Unfortunately, there is no primary cause of tire damage; there are many different common causes of tire damage, many of which are unavoidable. No matter how careful you are, you will eventually need to replace your tires. However, regular maintenance can actually go a long way in prolonging the life of your current tires and can save you money in the long run. Having a technician take a peek at your tires during other routine maintenance, such as oil changes, can help identify problem areas. Also, having your tires rotated on a regular basis will help you avoid wearing out your front or back tires at a faster rate. To help you understand what causes tire damage, we’ll break down a few of the most common reasons for tire damage.
Center Wear
If your tires are properly inflated, they should touch the road in a way where any normal wear and tear is evenly distributed. If your tires are overinflated, the center of the tire will bulge out and reduce the contact of the edges. This will cause uneven wear and tear, which can greatly decrease the longevity of the tire.
Shoulder Wear
Shoulder wear is essentially the opposite of center wear, when the tires are underinflated, which causes the tire to sag inward and place more pressure on the edges. Uneven wear on different parts of the tread will make it so you need to replace your tires sooner. If you experience wear localized to one area of the tire, you’ll still need to replace the tire once the tread is worn there, even if there is deeper tread elsewhere.
Curb Rash
This type of damage is easier to avoid but also can do more damage in a short period of time or all at once. Curb Rash happens when you get a little too close to the curb when parking and it can create a gash in the tire by creating too much friction. Just be careful when parking, and you should generally be able to avoid this problem.
Punctures & Cuts
The most common cause of unexpected tire damage is debris that is lying on the road or found in parking lots. Nails, screws, bits of glass, and an assortment of other short or pointy objects are a major problem for tires, and it is basically impossible to avoid them. The best way to potentially counter these objects is to keep your titers at the right pressure, which will make them as strong as possible. There are situations where cuts or punctures can be safely patched, and you won’t necessarily need to replace the tire.
Getting the Most Longevity Out of Your Tires
The simple fact is that no matter how you treat your tires, they’re going to face an unavoidable level of wear and tear. What you can do is make sure you do a few basic things to keep that wear and tear to a minimum. Regular tire rotations and checking the inflation numbers on a regular basis are two easy things you can do to get the most use out of your tires before needing to replace them. Contact Bradley’s Auto Service in Red Bank, NJ for fast, reliable tire service!
